Although best known as the deputy on Bonanza (1959) and Robert in The Magnificent Seven (1960), Russell's was also well known on a national level as the owner of the Portland Mavericks Baseball Club. Helming the only independent team in the class A Northwest League, Russell was an innovator. Before Bull Durham (1988), there were the Mavericks. Russell kept a 30 man roster because he believed that some of the players deserved to have one last season. His motto was simply one three lettered word - not WIN - although the Mavericks did just that - no, the word was FUN. He created a park that kept all corporate sponsorship outside the gates, hired the first female general manager in professional baseball, and the following year hired the first Asian American GM/Manager. That same season his team set a record for the highest attendance in Minor league history, and went on to win the pennant. Ex-major leaguers and never-weres who couldn't stop playing the game flocked to his June tryouts, which were always open to anyone that showed up. From as far away as Capetown, and France, players would head to Portland for a chance with Russell's Mavericks.
One Man's Way
(Tom Rayburn)
Elvis
(Vernon Presley)
Last Train from Gun Hill
(Skag, Belden Hand)
Good Day for a Hanging
(George Fletcher)
Cheyenne Autumn
(Braden's Telegraph Operator (uncredited))
The Horse Soldiers
(Dunker, Yankee Soldier Amputee)
Journey to Shiloh
(Greybeard)
How the West Was Won
(Man (uncredited))
A Gathering of Eagles
Yuma
(Rol King (as Neil Russell))
A Taste of Evil
(Sheriff)
Attack
(Medic)
The Sex Symbol
(Public Relations Man)
Suicide Battalion
(Lt. Chet Hall)
Set This Town on Fire
(Chuck)
A Life at Stake
(Bartender (uncredited))
The Magnificent Seven
(Robert)
The Land Unknown
(Radio Operator (uncredited))
The Deadly Mantis
(State Trooper)
Drango
(Lieutenant with Supply Wagon)
Rio Bravo
(Cowboy Murdered in Saloon (uncredited))
Sunset
(Studio Guard)
Overboard
(Elk Cove: Sheriff Earl)
Cult of the Cobra
Stakeout!
(Joe)
Cattle Empire
(Douglas Hamilton)
The Hallelujah Trail
(Horner)
A Cry in the Wilderness
(Mr. Griffey)
Madame X
(Sergeant Riley)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
(Angelo)
Now You See Him, Now You Don't
(Alfred)
Bombers B-52
(Operator (uncredited))
The Apple Dumpling Gang
(Herm Dally)
Dick Tracy
(Club Ritz Patron)
The Million Dollar Duck
(Mr. Smith)
Satan's School for Girls
(Sheriff)
Blackbeard's Ghost
(Second Track Meet Official)
The Loneliest Runner
(Fred Dawkins)
Tango & Cash
(Van Driver)
Ride a Violent Mile
(Corporal Norman)
The Stripper
(Mr. Mulvaney)
Teenage Thunder
(Used-Car Salesman)
Runaway!
(Fireman)
The Battered Bastards of Baseball
(Himself (Archive Footage))
Death Sentence
(Trooper)
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
Big Leaguer
The Andy Griffith Show
(Mr. Burton)
Maverick
I Dream of Jeannie
(Amos Lincoln)
The Munsters
Route 66
The Twilight Zone
(Ben Braden)
The Twilight Zone
(George Cousins)
The Streets of San Francisco
Alias Smith and Jones
Mannix
Surfside 6
The Mod Squad
Gunsmoke
(Simon Fletcher)
The Fugitive
(Sgt. Eggins)
Black Saddle
(Lee Curry)
The Fugitive
(Officer)
Emergency!
Lassie
Ironside
The Monroes
The Monkees
Rawhide
(Jack Harris)
Have Gun, Will Travel
The Outcasts
The Fugitive
(Matt Davis)
The Virginian
(Sgt. Eads)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The Big Valley
(Jack Tolliver)
Petrocelli
Bronco
The Donna Reed Show
Hondo
The Alaskans
Black Saddle
(Ken Wilson)
Navy Log
Branded
Wanted: Dead or Alive
(Clay)
Sugarfoot
(Sergeant McKinnock)
The Rifleman
Laramie
Ben Casey
The Guns of Will Sonnett
Dundee and the Culhane
The Texan
Stagecoach West
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Sam - Henchman)
Tate
Stoney Burke
Johnny Ringo
(Dick Walsh)
General Electric True
The Man Called X
Harbor Command
Letter to Loretta
(Convict)
The Fugitive
(Officer Westphal)
The Living Christ
(Lazarus)
Maverick
(Tyler Brink)
Maverick
(Russ Aikens)
The Rockford Files
(Lieutenant)
The Big Valley
(Clint)
The Big Valley
(Rancher)
Sugarfoot
(Hank Gibson)
The Big Valley
(Mac)
The Big Valley
(Joe Garrett)
The Big Valley
(Dan Kelsey)
The Big Valley
(Sheriff)
The Big Valley
(Slade)
The Big Valley
(Sheriff Jim Dolan)
Bonanza
(Sheriff Clem Foster)
Gunsmoke
(Ed Shelby)
The Virginian
(John Rudd)
Gunsmoke
(Tabor)
The Virginian
(Donovan)
The Virginian
(Sam Fuller)
The Virginian
(Ned Smith)
The Virginian
(Gabe Sloan)
Gunsmoke
(Head)
Gunsmoke
(Walsh)
Letter to Loretta
(Jim Murphy)
Letter to Loretta
(Newsman)
Letter to Loretta
(Sergeant)
Gunsmoke
(Arnold Rolfing)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Deputy Stover)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Cole)
Wanted: Dead or Alive
(Billy Hemp)
Bonanza
(Deputy Clem Foster)
Bonanza
(Major Reynolds)
Bonanza
(Poindexter)
Sam Benedict
(Len George (uncredited))