Donald Woods; Prolific Actor in Movies and TV Shows

Donald Woods, 91, a prolific actor who referred to himself as the “king of the Bs.” Born Ralph L. Zink in Manitoba, Canada, he legally switched to his professional name of Donald Woods in 1945. After growing up in Burbank and attending UC Berkeley, Woods started out as a radio and stage actor. In the 40-year span of his entertainment career, he appeared in 98 plays, 150 television shows and 75 motion pictures--some B movies, some higher rated--from “Sweet Adeline” in 1934 and “A Tale of Two Cities” in 1935 to “True Grit” in 1969. He hosted two 1950s television series, “The Orchid Award” and “Hotel Cosmopolitan,” and was a series regular on “Tammy” in 1965. Adept particularly in whodunits and westerns, Woods was a popular guest star on television’s “Wagon Train” and “The Wild, Wild West.” After he left Hollywood, Woods became a real estate agent in Palm Springs. On March 5 in Palm Springs of cardiopulmonary failure.