David White

 David White (April 4, 1916 – November 27, 1990)

He was a film and television actor best known for playing Larry Tate, the boss of Darrin Stephens on Bewitched. White appeared on numerous television series in the 1950s and '60s. He made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason. In 1960 he played Henry De Garmo in the "Case of the Madcap Modiste," and in 1963 he played murderer and newspaper editor Victor Kendall in "The Case of the Witless Witness," He also appeared in Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Have Gun – Will Travel, My Favorite Martian and Dick Tracy. He appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone: "I Sing the Body Electric" and "A World of Difference". Though primarily known for television roles, White did have some minor roles in such films as Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Apartment (1960), cast as one of the philandering executives, and a featured role in Sunrise at Campobello (also 1960) and in The Lawbreakers (1961). In 1964, White was cast as the sycophantic advertising executive Larry Tate on Bewitched, which he played for the show's entire run (1964–1972). The character was the President of the McMann and Tate advertising agency, for which the character of Darrin Stephens worked. Many of the show's episodes revolved around Larry's attempts to win an advertising account. This is the role for which he would become best-known both during his life and posthumously. Following the end of Bewitched, White was a popular character actor on numerous television series for the next decade, ranging from The Love Boat, Remington Steele, The Rockford Files, Columbo: Identity Crisis, a hamburger company owner in What's Happening!! (1976), and Rhoda, to Quincy, M.E., Cagney & Lacey and Dallas. He played the role of J. Jonah Jameson in the pilot episode of the television series The Amazing Spider-Man.

His final role came in 1986, on an episode of Dynasty. David White died of a heart attack on November 27, 1990, at the age of 74. He is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, next to his son Jonathan. Jonathan White had died on December 21, 1988 at the age of 33. He was one of the 270 people to die in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 by Abdelbaset al-Megrahi over Lockerbie, Scotland.