A suave-looking, wavy-haired supporting actor who always seemed more British than American despite his Midwest origins, Lowell Gilmore had appeared in a host of successful Broadway productions, including Autumn Crocus (1932) and the 1935 Theatre Guild revival of The Taming of the Shrew, before making his screen debut as Gregory Peck's second-in-command in Days of Glory (1944). Often cast as a cad, Gilmore added numerous television guest appearances to his list of credits in the 1950s, including the role of Pontius Pilate in the "Crucifixion and Resurrection" episode of The Living Christ Series (1951).