Things You Didn’t Know About Brian Keith

He was an underrated actor.

Photo by Jeff Watson on Unsplash

One of Steve McQueen’s best movies was the classic western, Nevada Smith. While McQueen was undeniably great, Brian Keith was also fantastic as his mentor. I believe that was my favorite Brian Keith role. Of course, Brian also made a huge impression in TV.

He is most noted for his role as “Uncle Bill” in “Family Affair,” but he also had an under the radar western series, The Westerner. The series was canceled after only 13 episodes, but quality wasn’t the issue. At this time, I want to give a shoutout to Keith’s The Westerner’s co-star, Spike. Spike played Keith’s sidekick/dog, Brown. Spike is perhaps most noted for his work as Old Yeller. “

The series was directed by Sam Peckinpah. A lot was packed into 13 episodes. So, here are some things we didn’t know about Brian Keith.

1: Keith made his film debut at the age of three in “Pied Piper Malone.”

Even at that age Keith displayed versatility, being able to play an age range of 2–4.

2: During the 50s he made a bunch of low budget films. Included were “Hell Canyon Outlaws” and “Desert Hell.”