Actor

Actor Brian Kelly, who starred as Porter Ricks in ’60s series “Flipper,” died Feb. 12 of pneumonia in Voorhees, N.J. He was 73.

Kelly began his acting career with guest appearances on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Rifleman” and other shows. He was then cast as the father of two boys in family dolphin series “Flipper.”

He appeared in TV movies including underwater film “Around the World Under the Sea” “Company of Killers,” “The Berlin Affair” and “Drive Hard, Drive Fast.”

In 1970 Brian Kelly starred in a spaghetti western film, “The Longest Hunt,” and then landed the lead role in Mike Frankovich’s “The Love Machine.” Three days into shooting, he was severely in a motorcycle accident, and he was left with a permanently paralyzed right arm and leg.

In the 1970s Brian Kelly won a settlement from the accident and turned to producing, buying the rights to Philip Dick’s science fiction novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” As executive producer, he secured Hampton Fancher to write the screenplay and Michael Deeley to produce the Ridley Scott film “Blade Runner.”

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He is survived by a daughter; a son; two brothers, two sisters and a granddaughter.

Donations may be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund, 22212 Ventura Blvd., Suite 300, Woodland Hills, CA 91364.

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