American television director, actor and screenwriter
Children: daughters Debra Dobkin , Kristy Dobkin , Kaela Dobkin ; stepson Laird Cody Fenwick.
Along with Andrew Robinson , he is one of only two "Star Trek" non-regulars to both direct and appear in an episode of "Star Trek: the original "Star Trek" episode "Star Trek" {Charlie X } and the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Star Trek: The Next Generation" {The Minds Eye (#4.24)} , respectively.
Attended Yale Drama School where he was roommates with fellow future director Richard Fleischer.
Dobkin, on an uncredited basis, narrated the hit television series "Naked City" for three seasons. Producer Herbert B. Leonard was the narrator for season 1. Both Dobkin and Leonard speak one of the most memorable tag lines in the history of television: "There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them".
He had one daughter from his first marriage, Debra Dobkin , and three children--twin daughters, Kaela Dobkin and Kristy Dobkin , and a stepson, Laird-- from his third marriage to Anne Collings. Kaela became an actress and Kristy a writer.
Father-in-law of Austin Smithard.
While it has been cited recently in general terms; Lawrence Dobkin. who portrayed Colonel Gaston -"General McAuliffe refused a German surrender demand. You know what he said?"- Bell,, also played con man Walter Trump in the Track Down episode "The End of the World".
Was the original narrator of- and also provided the voice of Benjamin Franklin for- Walt Disney Worlds "Hall of Presidents" when the attraction opened in 1971.
