Jeff Morrow, 86, Veteran Actor

LOS ANGELES - Broadway and Hollywood veteran Jeff Morrow, whose roles ranged from the stately (the president in "Lincoln-Douglas Debates") to the silly (Exeter the friendly alien in "This Planet Earth"), has died. He was 86.

Morrow passed away yesterday evening at a nursing home in suburban Canoga Park after a long illness, said his son-in-law, Darrell Christian.

His acting roots were on Broadway, and he appeared in 23 productions including "Billy Budd," "Macbeth," and "Romeo and Juliet."

Lured to Hollywood in the 1950s, Morrow played leading roles and supporting parts starting with "The Robe" (1953), which also featured Richard Burton and Jean Simmons.

He starred alongside Rock Hudson in "Captain Lightfoot" in 1955, and with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in "Pardners" in 1956. In 1960, he appeared with Stuart Whitman in "The Story of Ruth."

Morrow continued to act in plays on the West Coast, including the 1956 Los Angeles production of "Lincoln-Douglas Debates."

He is perhaps best known for his performances in several genre sci-fi films that have achieved cult status.

He played the alien in "This Planet Earth" in 1955, and starred in the 1956 cult classic "The Creature Walks Among Us" - the third in the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" trilogy. In that film, Morrow played a scientist who mutates the swamp creature's lungs to turn it into a land animal. The creature rewards his efforts by lusting after Morrow's wife (played by Leigh Snowden).

Morrow also had a busy television career, making guest appearances in series including "The Twilight Zone" and "Bonanza." In 1958 he starred in "Union Pacific," which ran for three years.

He is survived by his wife, Anna Karen, and daughter Lissa Morrow-Christian, of New York.