Richard Whorf (June 4, 1906 December 14, 1966) was an American actor, film producer and director, and visual artist. He started his acting career at an early age in Boston, MA and was performing on Broadway by the age of 21. In the 1930s he moved to Hollywood where he became a contract player. He began directing in 1944 with his first film Blonde Fever starring Philip Dorn and Mary Astor. In 1946 and 1947 two films were released in which he directed Frank Sinatra: Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) featuring Sinatra performing “Old Man River” and the musical comedy It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) starring Sinatra in the lead role. During the 1950s and 60s, Whorf directed multiple television shows including Gunsmoke, My Three Sons, and 67 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. He appeared on screen during that time as well, most notably in an episode of The Rifleman as The Illustrator, a painter with a drinking problem. In addition to his involvement in the entertainment industry, Whorf was an artist, having sold his first painting for $100 at the age of 15. Whorf’s artistic endeavors were profiled and his studio photographed for the March 17, 1963 issue of the syndicated newspaper magazine TV Channels. In the article, Whorf is quoted by the reporter, “Who says that a man has to do one thing?”