Actor John Forsythe died on Friday at the age of 92. Story here. He had real screen charm, and was refreshingly free of affectations.

Forsythe enjoyed great success playing a variety of father figures in TV series: the voice of Charlie in the TV detective drama Charlie’s Angels, the manipulative oil baron Blake Carrington in Dynasty, and the title character in the TV series Bachelor Father.

My favorite John Forsythe performance is his lead role in Alfred Hitchcock’s very funny and charming 1950s film The Trouble with Harry. Forsythe’s aplomb was also particularly effective in a 1962 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, “I Saw the Whole Thing,” based on an excellent story by Henry Cecil.

With his quiet voice and usually calm demeanor, Forsythe exemplified a tradition in both Hollywood and in real life that has become increasingly rare in recent decades: self-control and an avoidance of histrionics. He was one of the classiest actors of our time.