Randolph was one of the last blacklisted actors to regain employment in Hollywood films when director
John Frankenheimer cast him in a major leading role in the thriller
Seconds in 1966. Randolph was in the original New York stage productions of
The Sound of Music (as Von Trapp's butler, Franz),
Paint Your Wagon, and
The Visit. In 1979, Randolph had a guest appearance on
M*A*S*H as an adjutant army general admiring the culinary prowess of a master chef errantly assigned as a foot soldier in a front unit. From 1979 to 1980, he played
Donna Pescow's father-in-law on the television series
Angie. In 1982, he appeared in a first-season episode of
Family Ties as Jake Keaton, Steven Keaton's father. In 1985, he played the father of Charlie Partana (played by
Jack Nicholson) in ''
Prizzi's Honor. He was a special guest star in the 1986 ABC made-for-TV movie The Right of the People'', playing Police Chief Hollander in a town soon allowing all adults to carry handguns. In 1988, Randolph appeared in a Season 2 episode of
Matlock as the head of a crime family in "
The Investigation". In 1989, he appeared in two episodes of
Roseanne playing Al, Roseanne's dad, who was later revealed to be an abusive parent. Also in 1989, he played Clark W. Griswold, Sr. in ''
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' (with
Chevy Chase). In 1990, he landed a regular series role, co-starring as a family patriarch in the NBC comedy
Grand, co-starring
Bonnie Hunt, and
Michael McKean. The series only lasted two seasons, despite a timeslot following NBC's highly successful
Cheers. In 1991, he guested in an episode of
Married ... with Children entitled "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick". Randolph co-starred with
Alec Guinness,
Leo McKern,
Jeanne Moreau and
Lauren Bacall, in the BBC production of
A Foreign Field (1993) as a World War II veteran returning to France to find the woman he fell in love with. Also in 1993, Randolph appeared in the fourth season of the hit television show
Seinfeld, as the first actor to play George Costanza's father,
Frank Costanza. In the following season, Randolph was replaced in this role by
Jerry Stiller. One of his last film roles was as Joe Fox's grandfather in ''
You've Got Mail'' (1998). ==Death==