# Anthony Eisley
**Anthony Eisley** (January 19, 1925 – January 2003) was an American film and television actor best known as one of the detective leads, Tracy Steele, in the ABC/Warner Bros. television series *Hawaiian Eye*. He was born Frederick Glendinning Eisley Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was credited early in his career as Fred Eisley before Warner Bros. changed his screen name to Anthony for the *Hawaiian Eye* role.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | January 19, 1925, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) |
| Died | January 2003, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, of heart failure, aged 78; sources give January 20 or January 29[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) • [3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) |
| Signature role | Detective Tracy Steele in *Hawaiian Eye* (1959–1963), opposite Robert Conrad's Tom Lopaka[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) |
| Name | Birth name Frederick Glendinning Eisley Jr.; billed as Fred Eisley until Warner Bros. changed it to Anthony Eisley[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) |
| Notable films | *The Wasp Woman* (1959), *The Naked Kiss* (1964), *Star!* (1968), *Dracula vs. Frankenstein* (1971), *The Doll Squad* (1973)[4](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/14266-Anthony-Eisley) |
| Late career | Regular role in the daytime soap opera *Capitol* (1982–1987); retired by the early 1990s; later worked as a stunt driver[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) |
| Family | Married Judith Rogers Tubbs from March 1, 1951 until her death on January 9, 1994; four children, including the musician David Glen Eisley; grandfather of actress India Eisley[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) |
## Early life and stage work
Eisley's father was a general sales manager and "troubleshooter" for a large company, and the family moved up and down the East Coast throughout his childhood. He performed in school plays but, lacking show-business contacts, expected nothing to come of the ambition. He took drama courses at the [University of Miami](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-miami), saying he did so "not because I thought I could really be an actor, but because I was taking the easy way out to get a degree".[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) He served in the [United States Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-navy) before returning to acting.[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/anthony-eisley)
His first acting job was with a Pennsylvania stock company, playing opposite James Dunn in a stage production of *A Slight Case of Murder*. He then appeared in touring versions of the Broadway productions *Mister Roberts*, *Picnic*, and *The Desperate Hours*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/)
## Television and film career
Eisley's early screen work came under his real name, Fred Eisley, with film appearances in *Operation Secret* and *Fearless Fagan* (both 1952) and guest work on television series including *[The Real McCoys](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-real-mccoys)* and *Perry Mason* in the late 1950s.[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) He made his film impression as Carter Henry in Vincent Sherman's *The Young Philadelphians* (1959), with [Paul Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-newman).[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003)
Warner Bros. signed Eisley to a contract after scouts saw him starring in the comedy play *Who Was That Lady?* at the Players Ring Theater in Los Angeles. The studio changed his first name from Fred to Anthony because it did not want a leading man named Fred in the era of [Tab Hunter](https://www.edgepedia.org/tab-hunter) and [Rock Hudson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rock-hudson). He had expected to play comedy, saying he "had visions of being the next Jack Lemmon", but Warner Bros. Television cast him instead as the suave private detective Tracy Steele in *Hawaiian Eye*, which ran from 1959 to 1963 and co-starred [Robert Conrad](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-conrad), Connie Stevens, and Poncie Ponce.[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) • [5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/anthony-eisley) Eisley left the series after its third season and was replaced by Troy Donahue, who played hotel social director Philip Barton rather than a detective.[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/anthony-eisley) He also wrote a few episodes of the show.[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html)
When a Los Angeles Times television critic belittled *Hawaiian Eye*, Eisley defended it in a letter printed in the critic's column on December 7, 1960, writing that he would "hate to limit" his children or himself "to a leisure-time diet devoid of laughter, adventure and romance".[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html)
## Cult and genre films
The visibility from *Hawaiian Eye* brought Eisley supporting roles in mainstream films of the 1960s, including Joseph Pevney's *Portrait of a Mobster* (1961), [Samuel Fuller](https://www.edgepedia.org/samuel-fuller)'s *The Naked Kiss* (1964), in which he played the sleazy cop Griff, and [Robert Wise](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-wise)'s musical *Star!* (1968).[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) He also appeared in [Elvis Presley](https://www.edgepedia.org/elvis-presley)'s *Frankie and Johnny* (1966).[4](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/14266-Anthony-Eisley)
He became better known to later audiences for a string of low-budget exploitation and horror films, including *The Wasp Woman* (1959), *The Navy vs. the Night Monsters* (1966), *Journey to the Center of Time* (1967), *The Mighty Gorga* (1969), *The Witchmaker* (1969), *Dracula vs. Frankenstein* (1971), and *The Doll Squad* (1973).[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) • [4](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/14266-Anthony-Eisley) He also appeared in the Eurospy film *Lightning Bolt* (1966).[6](https://kendrasteinereditions.wordpress.com/2023/09/09/hawaiian-eye-1959-1963-tv-series/)
## Later career
Eisley guest-starred on popular series for more than three decades, including *The Outer Limits*, *Dragnet*, *The F.B.I.*, *The Wild Wild West*, *Mannix*, *Ironside*, *Emergency!*, *The Rookies*, *Barnaby Jones*, and *The Dukes of Hazzard*. He appeared six times in the 1967–1970 revival of *Dragnet*, once as a corrupt policeman and once as an attempted murderer.[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) Toward the end of his career he had a regular role in the daytime soap opera *Capitol* from 1982 to 1987, and he retired by the dawn of the 1990s.[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) As his acting career waned, he worked as a stunt driver.[2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html)
## Death and family
Eisley died of heart failure in [Woodland Hills, Los Angeles](https://www.edgepedia.org/woodland-hills-los-angeles), in January 2003, aged 78. Obituaries in the Los Angeles Times and [Turner Classic Movies](https://www.edgepedia.org/turner-classic-movies) give the date as January 29, 2003, while IMDb records January 20, 2003.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/) • [3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html) He had been married to Judith Rogers Tubbs from March 1, 1951 until her death on January 9, 1994. His four children included the musician [David Glen Eisley](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-glen-eisley), and his granddaughter through David is the actress India Eisley.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/)
## References
1. [Anthony Eisley – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252111/bio/)
2. [Anthony Eisley, 78; Television Detective and B-Movie Actor, Los Angeles Times (2003)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-03-me-eisley3-story.html)
3. [Anthony Eisley, 1925-2003, Turner Classic Movies](https://www.tcm.com/articles/22522/anthony-eisley-1925-2003)
4. [Anthony Eisley, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/14266-Anthony-Eisley)
5. [Anthony Eisley Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/anthony-eisley)
6. [Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963 TV series), Kendra Steiner Editions](https://kendrasteinereditions.wordpress.com/2023/09/09/hawaiian-eye-1959-1963-tv-series/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames D to E*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license