He made his first television appearance in 1954 in "Inner Sanctum". He played Stoneman in the "Have Gun – Will Travel" 1959 episode "Treasure Trail", credited under Dean Stanton. He made his film debut in 1957 in the Western "Tomahawk Trail". He appeared (uncredited) as a complaining BAR man at the beginning of the 1959 film "Pork Chop Hill" starring Gregory Peck. Then in 1962 he had a very small part in "How the West Was Won", portraying one of Charlie Gant's (Eli Wallach) gang. The following year he had a minor role as a poetry-reciting beatnik in "The Man from the Diner's Club". Early in his career he took the name Dean Stanton to avoid confusion with the actor Harry Stanton.