Bernie Hamilton

Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato (1964), the story of an inter-racial marriage. He is best remembered for his role as the brusque, no-nonsense Captain Dobey in the United States 1970s police series Starsky and Hutch. Hamilton was the brother of jazz drummer Chico Hamilton. Hamilton was also an impresario; since the late 1960s he had run a nightclub/art gallery called Citadel d’Haiti on Sunset Boulevard. Hamilton also produced Rhythm and blues and gospel music recordings on his own record label called Chocolate Snowman. One of his releases featured himself; it was entitled Captain Dobey Sings the Blues.

Hamilton died of cardiac arrest on December 30, 2008, aged 80.

• The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) - Ernie
• Bright Victory (1951) - Soldier (uncredited)
• The Harlem Globetrotters (1951) - Higgins (uncredited)
• Mysterious Island (1951) - Neb
• Jungle Man-Eaters (1954) - Zuwaba
• Carmen Jones (1954) - Reporter (uncredited)
• Kismet (1955) - Pearl Merchant (uncredited)
• Congo Crossing (1956) - Pompala
• The Girl He Left Behind (1956) - Corporal West (uncredited)
• Up Periscope (1959) - Weary (uncredited)
• Cry Tough (1959) - Policeman (uncredited)
• Take a Giant Step (1959) - Sharpie in Bar (uncredited)
• The Young One (1960, directed by Luis Buñuel) - Traver
• Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) - Goodbye George
• Underworld U.S.A. (1961) - Investigator (uncredited)
• The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) - Charlie
• 13 West Street (1962) - Negro
• Captain Sindbad (1963) - Quinius
• One Potato, Two Potato (1964) - Frank Richards
• Synanon (1965) - Pete
• Stranger on the Run (1967) - Dickory
• The Swimmer (1968) - Chauffeur
• The Lost Man (1969) - Reggie Page
• Nam's Angels (1970) - Capt. Jackson
• Walk the Walk (1970)
• The Organization (1971) - Lt. Jessop
• Hammer (1972) - Davis
• Scream Blacula Scream (1973) - Ragman
• Bucktown (1975) - Harley