Mark Goddard (1936-2023) went to the outer limits as Major Don West on Lost in Space but Mark Phillips reveals the actor had an interesting life on Earth as well.

What would it read on Major Don West’s tombstone? Mark Goddard, who played West for three years on Lost in Space, answered: “He reached out, hoping to find a better life for all people on Earth.”

Mark Goddard did the same – as a TV hero who inspired generations of viewers and later, as a reallife special needs teacher. With Goddard’s passing last October at the age of 87, it’s time to reflect on the popular actor’s career.

Growing up in Scituate, Massachusetts, Goddard failed to make the grade as a professional basketball player. Inspired by James Dean, he studied acting in New York and then made the risky move of driving to Hollywood in his 1947 Plymouth with 80 dollars in his pocket.

He naively wrote to big-time director Joseph Anthony, asking for work. Like most directors, Anthony didn’t pay attention to letters from wanna-be actors but there was a sincerity to Goddard’s letter that intrigued him.

Anthony invited the young actor out to the studio for a meeting and later arranged for Goddard to be represented by the top agency, William Morris. Equally captivated by Goddard’s dedication to acting, the agency arranged a screen test for the upcoming series Johnny Ringo.

The results were a disaster. Executive producer Dick Powell told Goddard it was the worst screen test he had ever seen and Powell ordered the test destroyed. Still, Goddard projected a vulnerability that awarded him the role of Ringo’s sidekick, Deputy Cully.

Goddard’s parents were so grateful for their son’s success that they wrote to producer Aaron Spelling, thanking him for all he had done for their son. “It’s the only letter I’ve ever received of its kind, from anybody, anywhere,” said a surprised Spelling.

Ringo lasted only one season, 1959-60, but Goddard was soon offered the co-starring choice in two new series, Michael Shayne or The Detectives. Goddard chose the latter, eager to work with its star Robert Taylor.

As detective Chris Ballard, Goddard admitted, “I’m over-shadowed by Robert Taylor and that’s the way I like it. It’s a great training ground for me. I aim to be around for quite a while!”

As an example of his good manners and respect, Goddard always referred to Robert Taylor on the set as “Mr. Taylor.”

After the show’s demise in 1962, he secured top guest star roles on Perry Mason, The Fugitive, The Rebel and The Beverly Hillbillies. When an Outer Limits episode called “Second Chance” aired in 1964, many viewers asked if one of the guest actors was played by Mark Goddard. “No,” replied syndicated columnist Steven Scheuer. “That was Yale Summers. But there is a resemblance between the two. Summers and Goddard are good actors, with promising careers.” 

Summers would later co-star on the CBS animal series Daktari.

Main picture: Mark as Cully in Johnny Ringo (1959), and below in Lost in Space (1965-1968)

Opposite: With Robert Taylor, Adam West and Tige Andrews in The Detectives (1959-1962)

When Goddard was approached to play Major West for the pilot of Lost in Space in late 1964, he hesitated. He thought it would be a tacky update of Captain Video and Space Patrol, the only two sci-fi shows he was familiar with.

Besides, he had no interest in science fiction. His agent convinced him to take the money and run, saying it would never sell as a series. But it did and Goddard found himself stuck in the new Irwin Allen adventure.

As part of a publicity campaign, Allen flew Goddard and star Guy Williams to Houston Texas, where they toured NASA’s space centre. Goddard revealed to the engineers that he was a relative of famed scientist Robert H. Goddard, one of the pioneers of modern rocket technology.