By Colette Morlock

When your first name is Tristram, you just know that you either came from royalty or high society.  In the case of Tristram Chalkley Coffin, the latter is true. As one who can trace his ancestry back to before the Mayflower, his namesake left England in 1642 shortly after the British civil war and never returned. The family settled in Massachusetts, but at some point ended up in Utah, in the mining town of Mammoth.  Tris Coffin was born on August 13, 1909.   Mr. Coffin’s acting career began at the age of 14, while in high school in Salt Lake City.  He would later continue acting while traveling with the stock companies.  He furthered his education at the University of Washington, majoring in speech.  He worked as a newscaster and sports analyst, but before too long, a Hollywood talent scout sold him on the idea of doing films.

By 1939, the tall, handsome and pencil-mustached Coffin had become one of the screen's most prolific character actors. He appeared in 125 films—55 of which were westerns, and 14 were chapter plays. The 35 films he did for Republic Pictures spanned years 1939-1957. Among them were the oaters and cliffhangers.  He did about 36 films for Monogram, these being mainly westerns, covering the years 1939-1951. 

He was generally cast as crooked lawyers, shifty business executives, spies, gamblers, and gangsters in B-pictures.  Republic and Columbia gave him meaty roles in Holt of the Secret Service (1941), Spy Smasher (1942), Perils of Nyoka (1942), and Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949).  In Perils of Nyoka, Tris was paired up with Clayton Moore, Charles Middleton (Ming the Merciless), and George J. Lewis.  In Federal Agents, Coffin costarred with Kirk Alyn, Carol Forman (Spider Lady), and Roy Barcroft.  He seemed to add a touch of class when projecting a more pleasing image in A-films, where he often played soft-spoken doctors and educators.  While more famous as a villainous type, he appeared as the hero in 1949, as scientist, Jeff King, in the Republic serial King of the Rocket Men. As a prelude to Commando Cody, Tris Coffin put on the helmet and leather jacket with rocket packs that enabled him to fly.  This serial is a great example of the Lydecker Brothers’ abilities for special effects.  His more heroic presence is also seen in the Sam Katzman sci-fi movie, The Corpse Vanishes (1942).  Seen as Dr. Foster, assistant to Bela Lugosi, he is smitten with a very persistent reporter on a quest to find out why brides are literally dying at the altar.  The film also features George Eldredge, brother to John.

In 1949, some of the radio shows were now showing up on the tiny screen.  In the premiere episode, Enter the Lone Ranger, Tris Coffin is seen as Capt. Dan Reid, leading the Texas Rangers in pursuit of the Cavendish Gang.  The lone survivor of an ambush was John Reid, his brother, who went on to become that Lone Ranger himself.  That same year, the handsome, distinguished Tris Coffin was seen in another Lone Ranger episode, “Cannonball McKay” as the marshal.  Back in 1949, dressed in western garb and sporting the star of a lawman, we get a glimpse of what would become his only starring role.  He also appeared in The Lone Ranger episode “Canuck” also in 1957.  With the age of television still in its infancy, Tris Coffin was one of the busiest supporting actors. As with so many other character actors, his face and voice would also be seen and heard on The Cisco Kid, Wild Bill Hickok, I Love Lucy, and, of course, The Adventures of Superman. 

Mr. Coffin appeared in nine episodes of The Cisco Kid.  His villainous roles ranged from a mine claim jumper, to cattle rustler, crooked banker, or tyrant landowner. As a change of pace, he was also either a businessman, owner of a racehorse, or a man being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. 

Tris appeared in five episodes of the series The Adventures of Superman, starting with “The Case of the Talkative Dummy”.  Portraying the assistant, Mr. Davis, to Pierre Watkin’s character, Mr. Green, Coffin begins with a silent, stately presence.  He takes on a suspicious air for the rest of the episode.  We discover that Davis, an ex-con, becomes the victim of a set up by his boss to take the fall for robberies that occur at the business where he works.  His next sighting, in “Mystery of the Broken Statues” brings him to his familiar, villainous role once more.  Sporting a business suit and a Bat Masterson cane, Paul Martin makes the rounds of jewelry and curio shops, paying for and then breaking plaster animal statues.  He is sinister and meticulous in his execution, but ever the gentleman, even as he kidnaps Lois.  In “Clark Kent, Outlaw”, Tris poses as Mr. Stoddard, FBI agent, who kidnaps victims and gets them to tell him whatever information was needed to rob them.  In “Whatever Goes Up”, Coffin plays Major Osborn assigned to Jimmy Olsen’s scientific accident of anti-gravity liquid.  From the bonus episode in 1954, “Stamp Day for Superman”, Tristram portrays Principal Garwood at Jimmy’s alma mater.

In 1957, Tristram Coffin merited his own series.  Starring as Captain Ryning of the Arizona Rangers, Coffin narrated and/or starred in the weekly syndicated western, 26 Men. This short lived series, with its trademark theme song, tells the story of how 26 rangers kept law and order in the territory of Arizona back in 1901 prior to induction to statehood.  Based on true stories, it bore resemblance to two other series of the period.  The emblem of the rangers is reminiscent of the badge seen on Dragnet as well as the fact that the names have been changed.  Tris Coffin spoke the introduction in each episode similar to Jim Davis in his series, Story of the Century.  Mr. Coffin was very comfortable in western garb. Also familiar was the TAOS music from the color seasons used throughout the series.  Guest stars included TAOS alumni Lane Bradford, Richard Reeves, Harry Lauter, Gregg Barton and Jason Johnson to name a few. 

In the I Love Lucy episode “Country Club Dance”, the Ricardos were invited to a country club dance by their friends, the Munsons (Coffin is Harry Munson).  In “Lucy Misses the Mertzes”, Tris reprises his role as Harry Munson. Seen in only one scene, he shows up at the Ricardos’ country home to take Little Ricky for a sleepover. As with most of his later roles, Coffin has more of a cameo appearance as in the 1963 Bonanza episode, “Mirror of a Man”.  He is seen in the saloon telling Ben Cartwright that their Arabian stallion will be in Carson City in the next day or two.  In Wagon Train, “The Joe Muharich Story” featured Tris as Whitaker.  The episode starred Akim Tamiroff in the title role and Robert Blake.

In The Beverly Hillbillies installment, “That Old Black Magic” (1965), Mr. Coffin was a psychiatrist whom Granny inadvertently saw while seeking help for neighbor, Mrs. Drysdale, whom she believes cast a spell on herself.  As a doctor, his aristocratic stance and distinguished looks and style fit the profile exactly!  He even appeared in a Batman episode, “A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away” (1966).

Mr. Coffin died on March 26, 1990 in Santa Monica, California of lung cancer.  As an actor, Tristram Coffin provided dignity and elegance to projects no matter what his involvement.  The Adventures of Superman certainly benefited from his stately presence.  It is our honor to induct Tris Coffin into the George Reeves Hall of Fame.

Resources:

http://www.b-westerns.com/villain4.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/tristram-coffin?cat=entertainment

Bruce Dettman Documents, The Adventures Continue – June 2006

Terry Frost Interview, Jan’s Angle, Glasshouse Presents – April 2007