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Ken Christy

Robert Kenneth Christy (November 23, 1894 – July 23, 1962) was an American television, film, and radio character actor.

Ken Christy
Christy in Meet Corliss Archer, 1954
Born
Robert Kenneth Christy

(1894-11-23)November 23, 1894
Greenville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 23, 1962(1962-07-23) (aged 67)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting placeValhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1932–1962

Early life

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Robert Kenneth Christy was born on November 23, 1964 in Greenville, Pennsylvania, to Laura E Christy (née Campbell) and Francis Marion Christy.

Personal life

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Ken married Wilma J Hildebrand in Detroit, Michigan on June 14th, 1920 and they later divorced. He then married Barbara Ellen Meikle (professionally known as Barbara Bronell) of Spokane, Washington, a well-known dancer in the area. The couple toured together in Charles George's "Sensations of 1927", a musical comedy revue road show, which featured Barbara's dancing and Ken's comedy. [1][2] They had one son together.

According to census records, Christy served in World War I.[3]

Career

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Radio

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The actor started his career on radio programs. From the early 1930s, he had a nearly three decade career on radio, with roles in such popular radio series as Little Orphan Annie, where he played Mr. Bonds, The Great Gildersleeve on which he was a regular as the chief of police, as well as portraying several dramatic roles on Suspense. A versatile artist, he was equally comfortable in serious minded programs, such as The Fifth Horseman, Gangbusters, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, and The Saint[3]: 133  as he was with comedy series like Amos 'n' Andy, A Day in the Life of Dennis Day,[4] and The Alan Young Show. In the 1940s, he portrayed Inspector Danton on Mystery Is My Hobby.[5]

Film and television

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Christy appeared in 144 films and television programs between 1940 and 1962 and many of his films list him as uncredited. His first acting role was in the film Foreign Correspondent (1940) and his career ended with the television series Shannon (1962).

A 1950 newspaper article cited the predominance of police roles in Christy's film background, saying, "in 98 out of 100 film roles he has played an officer of the law."[6] Christy said,"I'd give anything to stop making arrests and be the guy who commits the crime for once."[6]

Christy's film credits include Burma Convoy (1941),Sunset Blvd as the homicide detective trying to question Norma Desmond, Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953), Inside Detroit (1956), and Utah Blaine (1957).

His television credits include Gang Busters (1952), Meet Corliss Archer (1954), Death Valley Days (1955), I Love Lucy (1954–56), Celebrity Playhouse (1956), Dragnet (1957), and Wagon Train (1958), General Electric Theater (1959), M Squad (1960), My Three Sons (1961) and Bat Masterson (1961).

Death

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Christy died in Hollywood at the age of 67. His remains are interred at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.[7]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Wyoming State Tribune, Cheyenne State Leader October 21, 1927 — Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection". wyomingnewspapers.org. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Sensations of 1927 2". michianamemory.sjcpl.org. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd ed., Vol. 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0786451494. p. 16.
  4. ^ The Definitive The Fifth Horseman Radio Log with Ken Christy
  5. ^ "Allied Arts" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 14, 1947. p. 57. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Victoria". Shamokin News-Dispatch. Pennsylvania, Shamokin. Shamokin News-Dispatch. October 6, 1950. p. 10. Retrieved February 4, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon 
  7. ^ Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson
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