Ernest Truex
Encyclopedia
Ernest Truex was an American
actor
of stage and film.
plays and portrayed the titled role in the 1915 musical Very Good Eddie
.
He made his film debut in 1913, but did not work in film full time for another twenty years. He tended to play "milquetoast" characters and in The Warrior's Husband he played a "nance". In the 1939 The Adventures of Marco Polo
, he played Marco Polo's comical assistant, opposite Gary Cooper
.
In 1953-1954, Truex starred together with a young Brandon De Wilde
in Jamie
on ABC
. He played aging Grandpa McHummer striking a bond with young Jamie, his recently orphaned grandson.
He also starred in the first season (1958 – 1959) of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show
as Jason Macauley, the manager of the swank Bartley House hotel
in New York City
. Reta Shaw
played his wife, Flora. Ann Tyrrell
and Jack Mullaney
also co-starred. Macauley was succeeded as the hotel chief after twenty-three episodes by Don Porter
, playing the role of James Devery, whom Sothern's character, Katy O'Connor, married in the series finale. In 1960, Truex appeared with Harpo Marx
in the episode "Silent Panic" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson
.
In later life, he became known for playing elderly men on television in works such as Justice
, Mr. Peepers
, and had the main role in the Kick the Can episode of Rod Serling
's original The Twilight Zone
(With his son Barry). In another Twilight Zone episode, What You Need
, he played a traveling peddler who just happened to have exactly what people needed, just before they knew they needed it.
's The Trouble with Harry
as Harry, the corpse dragged all over the countryside by several other characters in this film.
A widow
er, he married stage actress Mary Jane Barrett, appearing with her in New York in such plays as The Third Little Show, (1931), The Hook-Up (1935), and Fredericka (1937). They had one child, Barry Truex, who had a brief acting career of his own. In 1934, Truex directed, co-produced, and starred in the play Sing and Whistle, which co-starred actress Sylvia Field
who would later become his third wife upon his divorce from Mary Jane Barrett. They had no children.
Sylvia Field Truex (b. 28 February 1901, Massachusetts
– d. 31 July 1998, Fallbrook, California
) had a long career, but was best known for her role from 1959 through 1962 as "Mrs. Wilson" on the CBS television series Dennis the Menace.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of stage and film.
Career
He started acting at age five and was toured through Missouri at age nine as "The Child Wonder in Scenes from Shakespeare". His Broadway debut came in 1908 and he performed in several David BelascoDavid Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
plays and portrayed the titled role in the 1915 musical Very Good Eddie
Very Good Eddie
Very Good Eddie is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae, music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Green and Herbert Reynolds, with additional lyrics by Elsie Janis, Harry B. Smith and John E. Hazzard and additional music by Henry Kailimai. The story was based on the farce...
.
He made his film debut in 1913, but did not work in film full time for another twenty years. He tended to play "milquetoast" characters and in The Warrior's Husband he played a "nance". In the 1939 The Adventures of Marco Polo
The Adventures of Marco Polo
The Adventures of Marco Polo is a 1938 drama-adventure genre film, and one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions.-Plot:...
, he played Marco Polo's comical assistant, opposite Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
.
In 1953-1954, Truex starred together with a young Brandon De Wilde
Brandon De Wilde
Andre Brandon deWilde was an American theatre and film actor. He was born into a theatrical family in Brooklyn. Debuting on Broadway at the age of 7, De Wilde became a national phenomenon by the time he completed his 492 performances for The Member of the Wedding and was considered a child...
in Jamie
Jamie (TV series)
Jamie is a sitcom television series, created by David Susskind's Talent Associates, that was telecast live in the United States of America by ABC-TV from October 5, 1953, until October 4, 1954. The series was the result of the success of the pilot, an episode of the ABC Album/Plymouth Playhouse...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. He played aging Grandpa McHummer striking a bond with young Jamie, his recently orphaned grandson.
He also starred in the first season (1958 – 1959) of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
as Jason Macauley, the manager of the swank Bartley House hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Reta Shaw
Reta Shaw
Reta Shaw was an American character actress known for playing authoritative women, housekeepers, and domineering wives, especially on television...
played his wife, Flora. Ann Tyrrell
Ann Tyrrell
Ann Tyrrell was an American actress who co-starred in both of the Ann Sothern CBS sitcoms Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show .-Career:...
and Jack Mullaney
Jack Mullaney
Jack Mullaney was an American actor, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mullaney acted in several television series and films throughout his career....
also co-starred. Macauley was succeeded as the hotel chief after twenty-three episodes by Don Porter
Don Porter
Donald Porter was an American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron, but is perhaps best known for his role as Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence in the 1965 ABC television series...
, playing the role of James Devery, whom Sothern's character, Katy O'Connor, married in the series finale. In 1960, Truex appeared with Harpo Marx
Harpo Marx
Adolph "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and film star. He was the second oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish wig, and never spoke during performances...
in the episode "Silent Panic" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
.
In later life, he became known for playing elderly men on television in works such as Justice
Justice (1954 TV series)
Justice is an NBC half-hour drama television series about attorneys of the Legal Aid Society of New York, which aired from April 8, 1954 to March 25, 1956. In the 1954-1955 season, Justice starred Dane Clark as Richard Adams and Gary Merrill as Jason Tyler. In the 1955-1956 season, William Prince...
, Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from July 3, 1952 to June 12, 1955.-Overview:Mr. Peepers starred Wally Cox as Jefferson City's junior high school science teacher Robinson J. Peepers...
, and had the main role in the Kick the Can episode of Rod Serling
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
's original The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
(With his son Barry). In another Twilight Zone episode, What You Need
What You Need
"What You Need" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is based on the short story of the same name by Lewis Padgett .- Synopsis :...
, he played a traveling peddler who just happened to have exactly what people needed, just before they knew they needed it.
Marriages
His first wife was Julia Mills with whom he had two sons, Philip in 1920 and James in 1922. Philip had an acting career until the early 1950s. Philip Truex's most famous performance is the title role in Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's The Trouble with Harry
The Trouble with Harry
The Trouble With Harry is a 1955 American black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Trevor Story. It was released in the United States on October 3, 1955 then rereleased once the distribution rights were acquired by Universal Pictures in 1984...
as Harry, the corpse dragged all over the countryside by several other characters in this film.
A widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
er, he married stage actress Mary Jane Barrett, appearing with her in New York in such plays as The Third Little Show, (1931), The Hook-Up (1935), and Fredericka (1937). They had one child, Barry Truex, who had a brief acting career of his own. In 1934, Truex directed, co-produced, and starred in the play Sing and Whistle, which co-starred actress Sylvia Field
Sylvia Field
Sylvia Field was an American actress whose several-decades-long career encompassed performances on stage, screen, and TV, where she was best known for playing the understanding Mrs...
who would later become his third wife upon his divorce from Mary Jane Barrett. They had no children.
Sylvia Field Truex (b. 28 February 1901, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
– d. 31 July 1998, Fallbrook, California
Fallbrook, California
Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....
) had a long career, but was best known for her role from 1959 through 1962 as "Mrs. Wilson" on the CBS television series Dennis the Menace.
Selected filmography
- Whistling in the DarkWhistling in the Dark (1933 film)Whistling in the Dark is a 1933 comedy crime film starring Ernest Truex as a murder mystery writer whose scheme for a perfect murder comes to the attention of a gangster, played by Edward Arnold, who decides to use it...
(1933) - Everybody DanceEverybody Dance (film)Everybody Dance is a 1936 British musical film directed by Charles Reisner and starring Cicely Courtneidge, Ernest Truex, Percy Parsons and Alma Taylor.-Cast:* Cicely Courtneidge - Katharine 'Lady Kate' Levering* Ernest Truex - Wilbur Spurgeon...
(1936) - The Adventures of Marco PoloThe Adventures of Marco PoloThe Adventures of Marco Polo is a 1938 drama-adventure genre film, and one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions.-Plot:...
(1938) - It's a Wonderful World (1939)
- Bachelor MotherBachelor MotherBachelor Mother is an American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers , David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on a Academy Award nominated story by Felix Jackson...
(1939) - His Girl FridayHis Girl FridayHis Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
(1940) - Lillian RussellLillian Russell (film)Lillian Russell is a 1940 biographical film of the life of the singer and actress. The screenplay was by William Anthony McGuire. The film was directed by Irving Cummings and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It starred Alice Faye in the title role, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda and Edward Arnold as Diamond...
(1940) - Christmas in JulyChristmas in July (film)Christmas in July is a 1940 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges based on his 1931 play A Cup of Coffee. It was Sturges' second film as writer-director, after The Great McGinty, and stars Dick Powell and Ellen Drew....
(1940) - Don't Get PersonalDon't Get PersonalDon't Get Personal is a 1942 American romantic musical film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Jane Frazee.-Cast:* Hugh Herbert - Elmer Whippet / Oscar Whippet* Mischa Auer - Stainslaus Noodnick aka Charlie* Jane Frazee - Mary Reynolds...
(1942) - Private BuckarooPrivate BuckarooPrivate Buckaroo is a 1942 American Musical film directed by Edward F. Cline and starring The Andrews Sisters, Dick Foran, Harry James, Shemp Howard, Joe E...
(1942) - The Affairs of MarthaThe Affairs of MarthaThe Affairs of Martha is a 1942 romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin. A young maid, Marsha Hunt, falls in love with Jeff Sommerfield and the two marry on impulse before he leaves for an anthropological trip. Before he leaves, he asks her to get the marriage annulled, but she does not do so...
(1942) - All Mine to GiveAll Mine to GiveAll Mine to Give is a 1957 melodrama film starring Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, and Rex Thompson. When first one parent, then the other dies, six children have to look after themselves in the American west of the mid 19th century...
(1957) - Twilight for the GodsTwilight for the GodsTwilight for the Gods is a 1958 drama film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Rock Hudson and Cyd Charisse. The story is based on the novel Twilight for the Gods by Ernest K. Gann.-Plot synopsis:...
(1958)