Ray Ballard was one of those journeyman actors who appeared in so many different TV productions and usually in small "blink and you miss him" roles. He was one of those "Hey, it's that guy!" type of actors who might go unnoticed... except by others like yours truly.
Looking through his list of credits, many of them nameless, there were three categories that jumped out at me:
- Newsman/Reporter
- Photographer
- Poker Player
I'm going to claim that the reporter and the photographer were twin brothers, each traveling the country to pursue their careers. The newsman was probably based in Los Angeles, although he did follow a story in New York City.
He may have been there to visit his twin brother who was working in the Big Apple at the time. And the photographer was not only a "Crime Photographer", but also working as a fashion photographer. As a news photographer, his assignments took him to Clayton City and to San Francisco (where he dabbled in more lurid pictures.)
Ballard also played a Poker Player in two different series. I think I'll just split those between the twins, with the one game definitely set in California going to the reporter.
Since it can't be unequivocally stated that all of these roles are connected, I'm inducting the newshound and the shutterbug as a Birthday Honors List choice. "What I say, goes."
It's also appropriate that it falls under the sign of Gemini.
'Quincy M.E.'
1st Newsman
- "A Star Is Dead" (1976)
'McCloud'
2nd Reporter
- "Who Says You Can't Make Friends in New York City?" (1970)
'Run for Your Life'
Stuffy Reporter
- "I Am the Late Diana Hays" (1966)
'The Feather and Father Gang'
Poker Player
- "Never Con a Killer" (1977)
'The Invisible Man'
Poker Player
- "Pin Money" (1975)
'Ironside'
Creepy photographer #1
- "Eat, Drink and Be Buried" (1967)
'The Name of the Game'
Photographer
- "The Showdown" (1971)
'Family Affair'
Photographer / Make-up Man
- "Star Dust" (1967)
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