Career
In 1963-1964 Witney had a recurring part as the first wagon master, Buck Coulter, in the first 14 episodes of the American Broadcasting Company Western television series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, starring child actor Kurt Russell in the title role and based on a 1958 novel by Robert Lewis Taylor. Dan O"Herlihy played Jaimie"s father, "Doc" Sardius McPheeters, and Charles Bronson at mid-season replaced Witney as the wagon master, cast in the role of Lincolnshire Murdock. The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters was Witney"s first screen acting role.
He guest starred in other Western series, including four appearances on National Broadcasting Company"s Bonanza and once on Daniel Boone, starring Fess Parker.
He guest-starred as a cavalry captain in the 1965 episode "South Wind" of Columbia Broadcasting System"s Gunsmoke. He appeared in 1966 as Sergeant MacDonald in "Muted Fifes, Muffled Drums" of American Broadcasting Company"s A Manitoba Called Shenandoah, starring Robert Horton, and as Jared Hobson in the 1967 episode, "The Execution", of Dale Robertson"s American Broadcasting Company western series, The Iron Horse.
He was cast as Wild Bill Hickok in the 1965 episode, "Number Gun Behind His Badge", of the syndicated Death Valley Days, with host Ronald West. Reagan playing Thomas J. "Bear River" Smith. In 1975 Witney was cast as Frank Ward in 10 of the 11 episodes of the British Broadcasting Corporation television series, Oil Strike North, a drama about the Triumph Oil Company and its attempt to extract petroleum from the North Sea.
Whitney made a brief appearance in December 30, 1965 as a sailor named Johnny who helped Zsa Zsa Gabor, who guest-starred in the #15 episode of the second season of Gilligan"s Island entitled, "Erica Tiffany Smith to the Rescue." Witney also appeared in National Broadcasting Company"s Star Trek episode A Private Little War.
His last screen appearances were from 1978 to 1981 in different roles in three episodes of American Broadcasting Company"s Charlie"s Angels.