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David Ketchum
American actor (1928–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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David Ketchum (February 4, 1928 – August 10, 2025) was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances in television sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Camp Runamuck, and Get Smart.[1]: 386
![Thumb](#/media/File:David_Ketchum_"Camp_Runamuck"_(1966_NBC_press_photo).jpg)
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Life and career
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Ketchum was born on February 4, 1928, in Quincy, Illinois.[2] He studied physics at UCLA and joined other UCLA students in entertaining military personnel around the world for the USO.[3]
Ketchum had a radio program for seven years in San Diego, California.[4] On television, he portrayed Counselor Spiffy in Camp Runamuck.[1] He was also a regular on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, playing the role of Mel Warshaw.[1]: 496-497
In Get Smart, he played Agent 13, and was often seen in recurring jokes on the show hiding in unusual places such as mailboxes or fire hydrants.[5] Ketchum reprised the role in the 1989 TV movie Get Smart Again as well as an episode of the 1995 revival of Get Smart on Fox. Ketchum also co-wrote one episode of the third season of the original series, titled "Classification: Dead."[6] He also wrote scripts for other programs, including The Andy Griffith Show and Petticoat Junction.[7]
In 1962, his comedy album The Long-Playing Tongue of Dave Ketchum was released. Billboard gave it a 4-star prefix for strong sales potential.[8]
Films in which Ketchum appeared included Young Doctors in Love (1982) and The Other Sister (1999).[2]
Ketchum married singer Louise Bryant in 1957 and had two daughters.[9][10] He died of heart failure on August 10, 2025, in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 97. However, his death was not reported until August 22, 2025. [11][9]
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Selected filmography
Film
Television
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