George Chandler was an American actor who starred in over 140 feature films, usually in smaller supporting roles, and he is perhaps best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie Martin on the television series Lassie, and as the unfortunate young man who drank The Fatal Glass of Beer in a 1933 short comedy starring W.C. Fields.
Chandler in Lassie (1954)
Chandler in A Star Is Born, 1937
From Lassie, clockwise from top: Jon Shepodd, Cloris Leachman, Jon Provost, and George Chandler (1957)
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions, both human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973. The eighth longest-running scripted American primetime television series, the show ran for 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color in 1965.
Title screen of Lassie (seasons 1–4)
Original series stars Jan Clayton (as Ellen Miller - top left), George Cleveland (as Gramps - top right), and Tommy Rettig (as Jeff Miller - at bottom with Lassie)
From left to right - George Chandler (as Uncle Petrie), Jon Shepodd (the original Paul Martin), Jon Provost (as Timmy Martin) and Cloris Leachman (the original Ruth Martin) during season 4 when the show transitioned from the Millers to the Martins.
Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart would take over as Paul and Ruth Martin from 1958-1964 (seasons 5-10)