---
name: "Douglas Dirkson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/douglas-dirkson"
fi1m_id: "douglas-dirkson"
imdb_id: "nm0228226"
tmdb_id: 162155
roles: []
born: "17 May 1943"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-24T03:53:12.763063+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Douglas Dirkson

## Identity

Douglas Dirkson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/douglas-dirkson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** douglas-dirkson
- **IMDb ID:** nm0228226
- **TMDB ID:** 162155
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0228226/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/162155

Actor. Born 17 May 1943 in Lewistown, Montana, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 17 May 1943, Lewistown, Montana, USA
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0228226/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/162155

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Footloose*](https://film.one/film/footloose.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Douglas Dirkson is an American actor. He was born on 17 May 1943 in Lewistown, Montana.

He is known for his role as Burlington Cranston in the film *Footloose* (1984). His other screen credits include the films *'Gator Bait* (1973) and *Hopscotch* (1980), and guest appearances in television series such as *MacGyver* (1985) as Reverend Mather, *Columbo* (1971) as Jeff, *Kung Fu* (1972) as Hamel, *Kojak* (1973) as Alvin Kettle, *Gunsmoke* (1955) as Abel Wakefield, and *Hunter* (1984) as Floyd Dudleigh.

*Sources: imdb.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Footloose* (1984), Fi1m 72, as Burlington Cranston — [page](https://film.one/film/footloose.md)

## Complete filmography (41)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Standard v.15* (2005), as Mr. Cramer
- *Taking Back Our Town* (2001), as Ned Beaufort
- *Article 99* (1992), as Freaked Patient
- *Inherit the Wind* (1988), as Mr. Bannister
- *thirtysomething* (1987), series, Actor
- *U.S. Marshals: Waco & Rhinehart* (1987), as Prison Officer
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Austin Lyne
- *Eye of the Tiger* (1986), as Jimmy
- *Streets of Justice* (1985), as Bull
- *MacGyver* (1985), series, as Reverend Mather
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Floyd Dudleigh
- *Footloose* (1984), as Burlington Cranston — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/footloose.md)
- *My Mother's Secret Life* (1984), as Michael Jensen
- *Scarecrow and Mrs. King* (1983), series, Actor
- *Malibu* (1983), as Bascomb
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Sam Warner — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Portrait of a Showgirl* (1982), as Spangler
- *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, Actor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md)
- *Modesty Blaise* (1982), as Jack Fraser
- *Beyond Reason* (1982), as Hank
- *The Ordeal of Bill Carney* (1981), as Dr. Share
- *She's in the Army Now* (1981), as Sgt. King
- *Harry's War* (1981), as Draper
- *A Cry for Love* (1980), as Dr. Bailey
- *Portrait of an Escort* (1980), as Loren
- *Hopscotch* (1980), as Follett
- *Angel on My Shoulder* (1980), as Nick's Aide
- *Gorp* (1980), as Bible Looie
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, Actor
- *Escape from Bogen County* (1977), as Bo Walker
- *CHiPs* (1977), series, Actor
- *Eight Is Enough* (1977), series, Actor
- *The Blue Knight* (1975), as Bricker
- *S.W.A.T.* (1975), series, Actor
- *'Gator Bait* (1974), as Leroy Bracken
- *Harry O* (1974), series, Actor
- *Dirty O'Neil* (1974), as Willard
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Alvin Kettle — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Kung Fu* (1972), series, as Hamel
- *Columbo* (1971), series, as Jeff — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Abel Wakefield

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/douglas-dirkson