Norman Alden

Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on The 20th Century Fox Hour in 1957. He provided the voice of Kay in The Sword in the Stone (1963), and had a notable role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. His acting career began in 1957 and lasted nearly 50 years. He is also known for playing Kranix and Arblus in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). He retired from acting in 2006. He died on July 27, 2012, at the age of 87. Background Alden was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and was the son of Ben Adelberg and Esther Covinsky Adelberg. He served in the United States Army during World War II and returned to Fort Worth to attend Texas Christian University under the GI Bill of Rights. Some of his acting ability was developed while at TCU with participation in the on-campus theater. He had two children. Career Alden appeared in dozens of television series in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1958, he guest-starred in an episode of the CBS situation comedy Mr. Adams and Eve. He was cast in three episodes in 1958 and 1959 of ABC's The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. He was cast in six guest-starring roles between 1959 and 1962, mostly as Seaman Pulaski, on Jackie Cooper's CBS sitcom/drama, Hennesey. In 1959 and 1960, he was cast as Corporal Lucius Grundy in fifteen episodes of the series Not for Hire. From 1959 to 1961, he appeared as different characters in nine episodes of the NBC crime drama, The Lawless Years. In 1961, he portrayed Shad Welty in the episode "Ordeal at Dead Tree" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Bronco, starring Ty Hardin. Also in 1961, he appeared in the episode "The Four" with Jack Elam in the western series, Lawman, starring John Russell. He guest starred as well on the 1960–1962 CBS sitcom, Pete and Gladys and in a 1964 episode of the CBS sitcom The Cara Williams Show. In 1967, he portrayed Captain Horton in the ABC sitcom Rango. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of The Silent Force. He had a small part in an Adam-12 episode on October 3, 1973. Alden played the police captain in the 1988 NBC TV movie Man Against the Mob starring George Peppard.