---
name: "Melvin Belli"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/melvin-belli"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 July 1907"
died: "9 July 1996"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
updated: "2026-09-17T04:47:21.754417+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."
---

# Melvin Belli

Actor. Born 29 July 1907 in Sonora, California, USA. Died 9 July 1996.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 July 1907, Sonora, California, USA
- **Died:** 9 July 1996
- **Active:** 1966–1970
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 83 (1), 1970s 78 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q337508, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068956/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1436

## Streaming the US now

- **The Criterion Channel:** [*Gimme Shelter*](https://film.one/film/gimme-shelter.md) (78)

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

## Biography

Melvin Belli (29 July 1907 – 9 July 1996) was an American lawyer and actor. Born in Sonora, California, he appeared in several films and television series, often playing himself or legal figures.

His acting credits include the role of Gorgan in the 1968 *Star Trek* episode "And the Children Shall Lead", Self in the 1970 documentary *Gimme Shelter*, Judge Charlie Harley in a 1991 episode of *Murder, She Wrote*, and a role in the 1984 series *Hunter*. He also appeared in *Wild in the Streets* (1968) and *Lady of the House* (1978).

Belli was known as "the King of Torts" for his work as a prominent personal injury lawyer, representing clients including The Rolling Stones, whose Altamont concert he facilitated and which featured in *Gimme Shelter*.

*Sources: imdb.com, memory-alpha.fandom.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Gimme Shelter* (1970), Fi1m 78, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/gimme-shelter.md)
- *Star Trek* (1966), Fi1m 83, as Gorgan — [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-1966.md)

## Also known for

- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), Judge Charlie Harley
- *Hunter* (1984), Melvin Belli

---
© 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/melvin-belli