Early films: International Pictures In 1946, Long was cast in his first film,
Tomorrow Is Forever, as Drew, the son of the characters played by
Claudette Colbert and
Orson Welles. The role had been unfilled for months, and producers selected Long, who most closely matched the credentials required. It was made by
International Pictures, which put him under contract. , Long, Loretta Young,
Martha Wentworth, Orson Welles,
Philip Merivale,
Byron Keith, and an unidentified actress in
The Stranger (1946)Long impressed Welles, who cast the actor in
The Stranger (1946), from International, as the younger brother of
Loretta Young's character. International was going to lend Long to
20th Century Fox to make
Margie (1946), but then they changed their minds and put him in
The Dark Mirror (1946) starring
Olivia de Havilland and
Thomas Mitchell and directed by
Robert Siodmak.
Tom Kettle and Universal Pictures International Pictures merged with
Universal Pictures, which took over Long's contract. His fourth film was
The Egg and I (1947), playing Tom Kettle, the eldest son of
Ma and Pa Kettle, the characters played by
Marjorie Main and
Percy Kilbride. The movie was a huge hit – so much so that Universal decided to
spin off the Kettles into their own series. Long signed a contract with Universal, for which he appeared in
Tap Roots (1948) and
Criss Cross (1949), playing
Burt Lancaster's brother in the latter for Siodmak. He supported
William Bendix in
The Life of Riley (1949) based on the
NBC radio show. Long reprised his role as Tom Kettle in
Ma and Pa Kettle (1949), which was a solid success at the box office. So, too, was
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950). He was
Frank James in the Western
Kansas Raiders (1950). In December 1950, Long was drafted into the U.S. Army during the
Korean War. Before he left, he made
Jet Men of the Air (1951), and then served for two years at
Fort Ord, California.
Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (1952) was Long's fourth and final Kettle movie. He was the juvenile lead in
Back at the Front (1952) and had supporting parts in
All I Desire (1953),
All American (1953) (as the villain to
Tony Curtis's hero),
Saskatchewan (1954), and
Playgirl (1954). Long began guest-starring on TV shows such as
Lux Video Theater ("I'll Never Love Again") and was finally given a lead role by Universal in
Cult of the Cobra (1955) – though still billed under
Faith Domergue.
Television Long focused on television over the next few years, guest-starring on episodes of shows such as
Climax!,
Screen Directors Playhouse, ''
TV Reader's Digest, The United States Steel Hour, Hey, Jeannie!, Schlitz Playhouse, Suspicion, Alcoa Theatre, Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Millionaire, Matinee Theatre, The Twilight Zone episodes ("Number 12 Looks Just Like You" and "Person or Persons Unknown"), and The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen''. At Columbia, he had a top supporting role in the Western
Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) and in a
Blake Edwards comedy,
He Laughed Last (1956). Long went to Japan to star in
Tokyo After Dark (1959) and had a key role in
William Castle's
House on Haunted Hill (1959).
Maverick Long signed a contract with Warner Bros. and guest-starred in many of their TV series, including
Lawman. as Bart Maverick and Long as Gentleman Jack Darby in
Maverick, 1959 He played the recurring role of gambler/con artist Gentleman Jack Darby in
four episodes of the ABC/WB Western series
Maverick beginning in 1958, including the memorable "
Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" installment. His character always interacted with
Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, including in "
Shady Deal at Sunny Acres", which starred both
James Garner and Kelly. He also never appeared with later series regular
Roger Moore. Gentleman Jack Darby was created by
Maverick producer
Roy Huggins as a replacement for "Dandy Jim Buckley", played by
Efrem Zimbalist Jr., after Zimbalist had moved on to his own series,
77 Sunset Strip. Warner Bros. starred Long in a show,
Bourbon Street Beat (1959–60) as Rex Randolph, Private Eye, which ran for only 39 episodes. with
Andrew Duggan,
77 Sunset Strip Long reprised his character on episodes of
Hawaiian Eye and joined the cast of
77 Sunset Strip from 1960 to 1962. Long continued to guest star on shows such as
Thriller,
Tales of Wells Fargo,
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and
The Twilight Zone ("
Person or Persons Unknown"). He returned to films with a role in the
MGM romantic
musical Follow the Boys, along with co-stars
Connie Francis,
Paula Prentiss, and
Roger Perry. Long added that he hoped to play more character parts. "I'm rotting from the inside out and it's just gotten to my face", he said. "A man doesn't get interesting on screen until his 40s." (In 1953, Long had costarred with Stanwyck in the film
All I Desire. Long and Mills later provided their voices for two animated-film versions of the show:
Nanny and the Professor (1972) and
Nanny and the Professor and the Phantom of the Circus (1973).
Thicker Than Water In 1973, he starred alongside
Julie Harris in the short-lived series,
Thicker than Water. His last jobs were the TV movies
The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974) and
Death Cruise (1974). ==Personal life==