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Ken Lynch

Ken Lynch

Actor · Died February 13, 1990, aged 79 · Cleveland, Ohio, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kenneth E. Lynch (July 15, 1910 – February 13, 1990) was an American radio, film, and television actor with more than 180 credits to his name. He was generally known for portraying law enforcement officers and detectives. Early life Kenneth Englehart Lynch was born on July 15, 1910, in Albany, New York, the only child of Bertha Dietzel and Charles William Lynch. His father was a native of Woburn, Massachusetts, who started his career as a coffee salesman, and then became a creamery owner in Troy, New York. His mother was from Yonkers, New York, a third generation German-American. His middle name was his maternal grandmother's maiden name. Career He appeared in numerous television series. He made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Wallace Lang in "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop" in 1959, Robert Hayden in "The Case of the Irate Inventor" in 1960 and Customs Inspector Wendel in "The Case of the Floating Stones" in 1963. Some of the other series in which Lynch appeared are Peter Gunn, Zorro, Have Gun - Will Travel ("Fight at Adobe Wells"), Gunsmoke (“Bureaucrat” & “The Patsy”), Checkmate ("Cyanide Touch"), woman"), Checkmate ("Born To Hang"), The Asphalt Jungle, Straightaway, The Honeymooners, The Fugitive, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Blue Light, Adam-12, Star Trek ("The Devil in the Dark") Season 1, Episode 25 as Chief Engineer Vanderberg in 1967, Maverick, All In The Family (in the famous episode, "Archie and the Lockup", where he played Guard Callaghan), The Twilight Zone ("Mr. Denton on Doomsday"), The Rifleman, and The Wild Wild West. In 1960 Lynch appeared as Al Killmer in the TV western series Lawman in the episode titled "The Escape of Joe Killmer." He played The Freighter in S8 E26 "The Jarbo Pierce Story" on "Wagon Train", 1965. Between 1972 and 1977, he made 16 guest appearances on McCloud, performing as a police sergeant and later a detective named Grover on the series. In September 1974, he appeared in the very first episode of the cult classic, Kolchak:The Night Stalker, playing a police captain. He previously appeared in 12 episodes of Gunsmoke, 10 episodes of The F.B.I., nine episodes of Bonanza, and six episodes in both The Virginian and Gomer Pyle, USMC. Among the feature films in which he appeared are I Married a Monster from Outer Space, North By Northwest, The Lawbreakers, Pork Chop Hill, Anatomy of a Murder and Tora! Tora! Tora!. He appeared in Battlestar Galactica as Dr Horning in episode 22, "Experiment in Terra" (1979). Lynch's last credited performance was in the role of Rear Admiral Talbot Gray in the 1983 seven-part miniseries The Winds of War. Flower business Even though Lynch still had a very successful career as an actor by the 1970s, he began looking for another, more steady source of income. He explained in a 1975 newspaper interview: "In acting you just can't predict the jobs that will come along. If you could, you could budget." Death Lynch died at age 79 from a virus on February 13, 1990, in Burbank, California. He was buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles. CLR

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 15, 1910
Died
February 13, 1990 (aged 79)
From
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
45 on Motif · 80 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 18% in 30 days

What are Ken Lynch's films like?

Across their 13 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Motif score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Motif score: 26th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Motif score: 46th percentile
: browse their Biography movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Self
23%
Bonds
22%
Power
9%
Society
9%
Survival
6%
Ideas
2%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Mentor
1 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3
Threshold guardian
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
5
Warm
4
Absurd
2
Contemplative
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ken Lynch's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 45 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ken Lynch's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

80 credits, 45 with a Motif page.

  • The Winds of War (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as Talbot Gray

  • Rooster (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    as Poker Player

  • Galactica 1980(1980)

    Show 1 episode · as Grover

    Motif score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • Battlestar Galactica (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Horning

  • Grizzly Adams (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Luck Harry

  • Bronk (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Lockwood

  • Switch (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    as Stoker

  • Kolchak: The Night Stalker(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Warren

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Rockford Files(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Vince Whitehead

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • W (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Guard

  • Willie Dynamite(1974)

    as Judge #1

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Bad Charleston Charlie(1973)

    as Sherrif Koontz

    Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Poor Devil(1973)

    as Desk Sergeant

    Motif score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Across 110th Street(1972)

    as Tailor Shop Patrolman

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Kung Fu(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Percy McCoy

    Motif score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Jigsaw(1972)

    as Mr. Cummings

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Incident in San Francisco(1971)

    as Detective Hanson

    Motif score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • All in the Family(1971)

    Show 3 episodes · as Guard Callahan

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Run, Simon, Run (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    as Warden Lomis

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 6 episodes · as Grover

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Tora! Tora! Tora!(1970)

    as Rear Adm. John H. Newton (uncredited)

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • My Dog, the Thief (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    as Lt. Burrows

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Bernie Ryan · as Jack Stokes

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Never a Dull Moment(1968)

    as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • P.J.(1967)

    as Thorson

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • He & She (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Inspector MacGregor

  • Ironside (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Russ Quinn

  • Hotel(1967)

    as Joe Laswell

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Invaders (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Lieutenant Conners

  • Star Trek(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Chief Engineer Vanderberg

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • That Girl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Mister Buddwing(1966)

    as Dan

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The F.B.I. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jackie

  • Honey West (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lieutenant Wyman · as Lt. Barney · as Lt. Barney Keller

  • Dear Heart(1964)

    as Hotel masher

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Apache Rifles(1964)

    as Hodges

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 6 episodes · as Patrolman Dugan

  • Dead Ringer(1963)

    as Captain Johnson

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Patty Duke Show(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Gregory

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Fugitive (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 2 episodes · as Concession Owner · as Lt. Craig

  • Arrest and Trial (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Det. Lt. Tom Handley

  • Days of Wine and Roses(1962)

    as Proprietor

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Officer Peters

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Big Jim Todd

  • Walk on the Wild Side(1962)

    as Frank Bonito

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Dick Van Dyke Show(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as George Mathias · as Lieutenant Yarnell · as Warden Walter Jackson

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Bus Stop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam

  • The Honeymoon Machine(1961)

    as Capt. James Angle

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Lawbreakers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    as Ed Rackin

  • Portrait of a Mobster(1961)

    as Anthony Parazzo

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 3 episodes · as Capt. Barker · as Mr. Rogers

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Dark at the Top of the Stairs(1960)

    as Harry Ralston

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Seven Ways from Sundown(1960)

    as Graves

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Checkmate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Thomas Brand (uncredited)

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Collier

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • North by Northwest(1959)

    as Charley

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Anatomy of a Murder(1959)

    as Det. Sgt. James Durgo

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Tom Dooley (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    as Father

  • Pork Chop Hill(1959)

    as Major General Trudeau

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Paratroop Command(1959)

    as Lieutenant

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Unwed Mother (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as Probation Officer Curtis

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Thorn

  • Lawman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Al Killmer

  • I Married a Monster from Outer Space(1958)

    as Dr. Wayne

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Voice in the Mirror (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as Frank - Bartender

  • Man or Gun (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as Buckstorm Corley

  • The Bonnie Parker Story(1958)

    as Cook

    Motif score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Young and Wild (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as David Whitman

  • Run Silent Run Deep(1958)

    as Frank (uncredited)

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff Clark

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert Hayden

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Conflict (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Police Lieutenant

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Honeymooners (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Police Officer

  • Gunsmoke (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · as Colpitt · as Ed Glick · as Gance · as Jess Bradman · as Jim Cavanaugh · as Lucas · as McKee · as Rolling · as Will Stroud

  • The Plainclothesman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 48 episodes · Actor

  • Suspense (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 80 titles from 1949 to 1983.

Highest rated

Dear Heart (1964)

Motif 81st

Most popular right now

McCloud (1970)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting80 of 80: 80 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score76th

By decade

1940s2 · acting1950s24 · acting1960s33 · acting1970s18 · acting1980s3 · acting

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Ken Lynch's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 27; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Motif score across 45 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up24
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 45 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved16
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser18
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Incident in San Francisco (1971)

82nd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

North by Northwest (1959)

Motif 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ken Lynch work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ken Lynch's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Delbert Mann shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers