Howard Keel
Encyclopedia
Harold Clifford Keel known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American
actor
and singer. He starred in many film musicals
of the 1950s. He is best known to modern audiences for his starring role in the CBS
television series Dallas
from 1981 to 1991, as Clayton Farlow
, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes
's character, but to an earlier generation, he was known as the star of some of the most famous MGM film musicals ever made, with a rich baritone singing voice.
, to Navyman-turned-coalminer Homer Keel and his wife, Grace Osterkamp Keel. (It is often erroneously stated—by the MGM publicity department of the 1950s—that Keel's birth name was Harold Leek).
Young Harold spent his childhood in poverty. One of his teachers, Miss Rosa Burke, noticed one day that he was not eating his lunch. From that day forward, Miss Burke would pack two lunches - one for herself and one for Harold. When he became famous and would perform near Gillespie, Burke always received tickets to attend his performances.
After his father's death in 1930, Keel and his mother moved to California, where he graduated from Fallbrook High School at the age of 17. He worked various odd jobs until finally settling at Douglas Aircraft Company
as a traveling representative.
. Howard would later remark that learning that his own voice was a basso cantante was one of the greatest disappointments of his life. Nevertheless, his first public performance occurred in the summer of 1941, when he played the role of Samuel the Prophet in Handel
's oratorio Saul
(singing a duet with bass-baritone George London).
In 1943, Keel met and married his first wife, actress Rosemary Cooper. In 1945, Keel briefly understudied for John Raitt
in the Broadway
hit Carousel
before being assigned to Oklahoma!
, written by Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II
. When performing this play during this period, Keel accomplished a feat that has never been duplicated; he performed the leads in both shows on the same day.
In 1947, Oklahoma! became the first American postwar musical to travel to London
, England
, and Harold joined the production. On the opening night, April 30, at the Drury Lane Theatre
, the capacity audience (which included the future Queen Elizabeth II) demanded fourteen encores. Keel was hailed as the next great star, becoming the toast of London's West End.
During the London run, his marriage to Rosemary ended in divorce and Keel fell in love with a young member of the show's chorus, dancer Helen Anderson. They married in January 1949 and, a year later, Harold - now called Howard - celebrated the birth of his daughter, Kaija.
While living in London, Keel made his film debut as Howard Keel at the British Lion
studio in Elstree
, in The Small Voice (1948), released in the US as Hideout. In the film he played an escaped convict holding a playwright and his wife hostage in their English country cottage.
Additional Broadway credits include Saratoga
, No Strings
, and Ambassador
. He appeared at The Muny
in St. Louis, MO as General Waverly in White Christmas (2000), Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady
(1996); Emile de Becque in South Pacific
(1992), and Adam in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954).
Keel was a devout Methodist.
making his film musical debut as Frank Butler in the movie version of Irving Berlin
's Annie Get Your Gun
(1950).
Howard's MGM career was to become a frustrating business. MGM never seemed to know quite how to use him and, besides his plum film roles in Show Boat
(1951), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Kismet
(1955), he was forced into a series of unremarkable musicals and B-films. On loan at Warner Brothers, Keel played Wild Bill Hickok
in Calamity Jane
(1953), a highly popular Oscar-winning musical starring Doris Day
in one of her most famous screen roles. The film was Warner Brothers' answer to Annie Get Your Gun, and included the smash hit song "Secret Love".
There were two more children born to Howard and Helen, daughter Kirstine in 1952, and son Gunnar in 1955. Soon after, Howard was released from his contract and returned to his first love; the stage.
1970 turned out to be more fortunate for Howard. He went on a blind date with airline stewardess Judy Magamoll, who was 25 years his junior and who knew nothing about his stardom. Years later, Howard would call the relationship love at first sight, but the age difference bothered him tremendously. For Judy, however, it was not a problem and with the aid of Robert Frost
's poem "What Fifty Said," she convinced him to proceed with their relationship. They were married in December 1970, and his drinking problem soon ceased thereafter. He resumed his routine of nightclub, cabaret
and summer stock jobs with his new wife at his side. In 1971-72, Howard appeared briefly in the West End and Broadway productions of the musical, Ambassador
, which flopped.
Then, in 1974, Howard became a father for the fourth time with the birth of his daughter, Leslie Grace.
with the intention of joining an oil company. The family had barely settled down when Howard was called back to California
to appear with Jane Powell
on an episode of The Love Boat
. While there, he was told that the producers of the television series Dallas
wanted to speak with him. After several cameo appearances, Keel joined the show permanently as the dignified and hot-tempered oil baron, Clayton Farlow
. His acting career became highly successful once again.
career in the UK. He released an album, in 1984, With Love, which sold poorly. However, his album, And I Love You So reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart
in 1984. The follow up album, Reminiscing - The Howard Keel Collection peaked at #20 in the UK chart, spending twelve weeks in that listing in 1985 and 1986. In January 1986, Howard underwent double heart bypass surgery.
In 1988 the album, Just for You reached #51 in the UK Albums Chart. In 1994, he and Judy moved to Palm Desert, California
. The Keels were active in community charity events, and attended the annual Howard Keel Golf Classic at Mere Golf Club in Cheshire
, England, which raised money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Howard attended the event for many years up until the year of his death.
, and in Tuscany
, Italy
.
(born September 1, 1974).
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...
and singer. He starred in many film musicals
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
of the 1950s. He is best known to modern audiences for his starring role in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
from 1981 to 1991, as Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow was a main character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel .Clayton Farlow, along with his sister Jessica, were raised on the Southern Cross Ranch in San Angelo, Texas. Jessica was wild in her teenage years and developed a serious violent mental...
, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing. Bel Geddes also starred in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Maggie...
's character, but to an earlier generation, he was known as the star of some of the most famous MGM film musicals ever made, with a rich baritone singing voice.
Early years
Keel was born Harold Clifford Keel in Gillespie, IllinoisGillespie, Illinois
Gillespie is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,412 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gillespie is located at ....
, to Navyman-turned-coalminer Homer Keel and his wife, Grace Osterkamp Keel. (It is often erroneously stated—by the MGM publicity department of the 1950s—that Keel's birth name was Harold Leek).
Young Harold spent his childhood in poverty. One of his teachers, Miss Rosa Burke, noticed one day that he was not eating his lunch. From that day forward, Miss Burke would pack two lunches - one for herself and one for Harold. When he became famous and would perform near Gillespie, Burke always received tickets to attend his performances.
After his father's death in 1930, Keel and his mother moved to California, where he graduated from Fallbrook High School at the age of 17. He worked various odd jobs until finally settling at Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
as a traveling representative.
Career and personal life
At the age of 20, Keel was overheard singing by his landlady, Mom Rider, and was encouraged to take vocal lessons. One of Keel's musical heroes was the great baritone Lawrence TibbettLawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett was a great American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang with the New York Metropolitan Opera company more than 600 times from 1923 to 1950...
. Howard would later remark that learning that his own voice was a basso cantante was one of the greatest disappointments of his life. Nevertheless, his first public performance occurred in the summer of 1941, when he played the role of Samuel the Prophet in Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's oratorio Saul
Saul (Handel)
Saul is an oratorio in three acts written by George Frideric Handel with a libretto by Charles Jennens. Taken from the 1st Book of Samuel, the story of Saul focuses on the first king of Israel’s relationship with his eventual successor, David; one which turns from admiration to envy and hatred,...
(singing a duet with bass-baritone George London).
In 1943, Keel met and married his first wife, actress Rosemary Cooper. In 1945, Keel briefly understudied for John Raitt
John Raitt
John Emmett Raitt was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theater.-Early years:...
in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
hit Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
before being assigned to Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, written by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
. When performing this play during this period, Keel accomplished a feat that has never been duplicated; he performed the leads in both shows on the same day.
In 1947, Oklahoma! became the first American postwar musical to travel to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Harold joined the production. On the opening night, April 30, at the Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, the capacity audience (which included the future Queen Elizabeth II) demanded fourteen encores. Keel was hailed as the next great star, becoming the toast of London's West End.
During the London run, his marriage to Rosemary ended in divorce and Keel fell in love with a young member of the show's chorus, dancer Helen Anderson. They married in January 1949 and, a year later, Harold - now called Howard - celebrated the birth of his daughter, Kaija.
While living in London, Keel made his film debut as Howard Keel at the British Lion
British Lion Films
British Lion Films Corporation is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. Until 1976 they were also film distributors as British Lion Films Ltd, with a distributor filmography of 232 films. As a production company they are still active and have produced...
studio in Elstree
Elstree
Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
, in The Small Voice (1948), released in the US as Hideout. In the film he played an escaped convict holding a playwright and his wife hostage in their English country cottage.
Additional Broadway credits include Saratoga
Saratoga (musical)
Saratoga is a musical with a book by Morton DaCosta, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and music by Harold Arlen.Based on Edna Ferber's sprawling novel Saratoga Trunk, it focuses on Clio Dulaine, an "illegitimate" Creole woman who seeks revenge on the New Orleans family who exiled her mother when she became...
, No Strings
No Strings
No Strings is a musical drama with a book by Samuel A. Taylor and words and music by Richard Rodgers, his only Broadway score written without a collaborator. The musical opened on Broadway in 1962 and ran for 580 performances...
, and Ambassador
Ambassador (musical)
Ambassador is a musical with a book by Don Ettlinger and Anna Marie Barlow, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and music by Don Gohman. It is based on the 1903 Henry James novel The Ambassadors....
. He appeared at The Muny
The Muny
The Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
in St. Louis, MO as General Waverly in White Christmas (2000), Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
(1996); Emile de Becque in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(1992), and Adam in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954).
Keel was a devout Methodist.
MGM years
From London's West End, Howard ended up at Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
making his film musical debut as Frank Butler in the movie version of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (film)
Annie Get Your Gun is a 1950 American musical comedy film loosely based on the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley. The Metro Goldwyn Mayer release, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a screenplay by Sidney Sheldon based on the 1946 stage musical of the same name, was directed by George Sidney...
(1950).
Howard's MGM career was to become a frustrating business. MGM never seemed to know quite how to use him and, besides his plum film roles in Show Boat
Show Boat (1951 film)
Show Boat is a 1951 Technicolor film based on the musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and the novel by Edna Ferber....
(1951), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Kismet
Kismet (1955 film)
Kismet is an American musical film in Cinemascope and Eastman Color released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is the fourth movie version of Kismet—the first was released in 1920 and the second in 1930 by Warner Brothers—and the second released by MGM...
(1955), he was forced into a series of unremarkable musicals and B-films. On loan at Warner Brothers, Keel played Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...
in Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane (1953 film)
Calamity Jane is a "Wild West"-themed film musical released in 1953. It is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in the American Old West. The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard...
(1953), a highly popular Oscar-winning musical starring Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
in one of her most famous screen roles. The film was Warner Brothers' answer to Annie Get Your Gun, and included the smash hit song "Secret Love".
There were two more children born to Howard and Helen, daughter Kirstine in 1952, and son Gunnar in 1955. Soon after, Howard was released from his contract and returned to his first love; the stage.
1960s and early 1970s
As America's taste in entertainment evolved, finding jobs became more difficult for Keel. The 1960s held limited prospects for career advancement, and consisted primarily of nightclub work, B-Westerns and summer stock. Due to his declining career, Keel began to drink heavily and his marriage to Helen crumbled. They divorced in 1970.1970 turned out to be more fortunate for Howard. He went on a blind date with airline stewardess Judy Magamoll, who was 25 years his junior and who knew nothing about his stardom. Years later, Howard would call the relationship love at first sight, but the age difference bothered him tremendously. For Judy, however, it was not a problem and with the aid of Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
's poem "What Fifty Said," she convinced him to proceed with their relationship. They were married in December 1970, and his drinking problem soon ceased thereafter. He resumed his routine of nightclub, cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and summer stock jobs with his new wife at his side. In 1971-72, Howard appeared briefly in the West End and Broadway productions of the musical, Ambassador
Ambassador (musical)
Ambassador is a musical with a book by Don Ettlinger and Anna Marie Barlow, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and music by Don Gohman. It is based on the 1903 Henry James novel The Ambassadors....
, which flopped.
Then, in 1974, Howard became a father for the fourth time with the birth of his daughter, Leslie Grace.
The Love Boat, Dallas, and revived career
Keel continued to tour, with his wife and daughter in tow, but by 1980 had decided to make a career/life change. Howard moved his family to OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
with the intention of joining an oil company. The family had barely settled down when Howard was called back to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to appear with Jane Powell
Jane Powell
Jane Powell is an American singer, dancer and actress.After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens...
on an episode of The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
. While there, he was told that the producers of the television series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
wanted to speak with him. After several cameo appearances, Keel joined the show permanently as the dignified and hot-tempered oil baron, Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow
Clayton Farlow was a main character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel .Clayton Farlow, along with his sister Jessica, were raised on the Southern Cross Ranch in San Angelo, Texas. Jessica was wild in her teenage years and developed a serious violent mental...
. His acting career became highly successful once again.
Recording career
With renewed fame, Keel commenced his first solo recording career, at age 64, as well as a successful concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
career in the UK. He released an album, in 1984, With Love, which sold poorly. However, his album, And I Love You So reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
in 1984. The follow up album, Reminiscing - The Howard Keel Collection peaked at #20 in the UK chart, spending twelve weeks in that listing in 1985 and 1986. In January 1986, Howard underwent double heart bypass surgery.
In 1988 the album, Just for You reached #51 in the UK Albums Chart. In 1994, he and Judy moved to Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
. The Keels were active in community charity events, and attended the annual Howard Keel Golf Classic at Mere Golf Club in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England, which raised money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Howard attended the event for many years up until the year of his death.
Death
Keel died at his home in Palm Desert on November 7, 2004, six weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He is survived by Judy, his wife of thirty-four years, his four children, ten grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. He was cremated and his ashes scattered at various favorite places including Mere Golf Club, Liverpool John Lennon AirportLiverpool John Lennon Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast...
, and in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Family
Keel had four children, three with second wife Helen Anderson – two daughters, Katija Liane (born January 14, 1950) and Kirstine Elizabeth (born June 21, 1952), and a son, Gunnar Louis (born June 3, 1955) – and one with his third wife Judy – a daughter, Leslie GraceLeslie Keel
Leslie Keel born Leslie Grace Keel has worked as production designer on numerous independent films such as May, April's Shower, and Dead Birds, and in the art departments of many others, including The Rat Pack and My Father's House. She was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of...
(born September 1, 1974).
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1948 | The Small Voice | Boke | as Harold Keel |
| 1950 | Annie Get Your Gun Annie Get Your Gun (film) Annie Get Your Gun is a 1950 American musical comedy film loosely based on the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley. The Metro Goldwyn Mayer release, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a screenplay by Sidney Sheldon based on the 1946 stage musical of the same name, was directed by George Sidney... |
Frank Butler Frank E. Butler Frank E. Butler was a marksman in Wild West variety shows. He was married to sharpshooter Annie Oakley. While his birth date is listed on his and Annie's U.S. Passport application as February 25, 1852, it is possible he was born in 1847.-Biography:Butler was born in county Longford, Ireland and... |
|
| Pagan Love Song | Hazard Endicott | ||
| 1951 | Three Guys Named Mike Three Guys Named Mike Three Guys Named Mike is a 1951 American black-and-white film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Charles Walters.Described as a "lighthearted and lightweight story" by Turner Classic Movies, Three Guys Named Mike chronicles the story of a flight attendant and three men.-Production:The credits... |
Mike Jamison | |
| Show Boat Show Boat (1951 film) Show Boat is a 1951 Technicolor film based on the musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and the novel by Edna Ferber.... |
Gaylord Ravenal | ||
| Across the Wide Missouri Across the Wide Missouri (film) Across the Wide Missouri is a 1951 American film based on historian Bernard DeVoto's book, Across the Wide Missouri. The film dramatizes an account of several fur traders and their interaction with the Native Americans.... |
Narrator | ||
| Texas Carnival Texas Carnival Texas Carnival is a 1951 musical film directed by Charles Walters. It stars Esther Williams, Red Skelton and Howard Keel.-Cast:*Esther Williams as Debbie Telford*Red Skelton as Cornie Quinell*Howard Keel as Slim Shelby*Ann Miller as Sunshine Jackson... |
Slim Shelby | ||
| Callaway Went Thataway Callaway Went Thataway Callaway Went Thataway is a 1951 American comedy film starring Fred MacMurray, Dorothy McGuire, and Howard Keel. It was written, directed, and produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama... |
Stretch Barnes/ Smoky Callaway | Alternate title: The Star Said No | |
| 1952 | Desperate Search | Vince Heldon | |
| Lovely to Look At Lovely to Look At Lovely to Look At, an adaptation of the Broadway musical Roberta, is a 1952 MGM musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy.-Plot:Tony Naylor, Al Marsh and Jerry Ralby are looking for backers for their new Broadway show. They have just run out of options when Al gets a letter from his Aunt's attorneys... |
Tony Naylor | ||
| The Hoaxters The Hoaxters The Hoaxters is a 1952 documentary film written by Herman Hoffman, about the threat posed by communism to the American way of life. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.-Cast:* Marilyn Erskine - Narrator... |
Narrator | Short Subject | |
| 1953 | Fast Company | Rick Grayton | |
| Ride, Vaquero! Ride, Vaquero! Ride, Vaquero! is a 1953 western film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It was directed by John Farrow and produced by Stephen Ames from a screenplay by Frank Fenton and John Farrow. The music score was by Bronislau Kaper and the cinematography by Robert Surtees.The film stars Robert Taylor, Ava... |
King Cameron | ||
| Calamity Jane Calamity Jane (1953 film) Calamity Jane is a "Wild West"-themed film musical released in 1953. It is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in the American Old West. The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard... |
Wild Bill Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach... |
||
| Kiss Me Kate | Fred Graham / 'Petruchio' | ||
| 1954 | Rose Marie Rose Marie (films) The 1924 Broadway musical Rose-Marie has been the basis of three MGM films of the same title. The best-known film adaptation was released in 1936; however, a silent version was released in 1928 and another film was released in 1954. All three versions are set in the Canadian wilderness... |
Capt. Mike Malone | |
| Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Adam Pontipee | ||
| Deep in My Heart | Specialty in 'My Maryland' | ||
| 1955 | Jupiter's Darling Jupiter's Darling (film) Jupiter's Darling is a musical romance film released by MGM in 1955 and directed by George Sidney. It starred Esther Williams as the Roman woman Amytis, Howard Keel as Hannibal, the Carthaginian military commander and George Sanders as Fabius Maximus, Amytis's fiance... |
Hannibal | |
| Kismet Kismet (1955 film) Kismet is an American musical film in Cinemascope and Eastman Color released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is the fourth movie version of Kismet—the first was released in 1920 and the second in 1930 by Warner Brothers—and the second released by MGM... |
The Poet | ||
| 1959 | Floods of Fear Floods of Fear Floods of Fear is a 1959 British thriller film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Howard Keel, Anne Heywood and Harry H. Corbett. A convict framed for murder escapes during a flood and aids a woman in distress.-Cast:* Howard Keel as Donovan... |
Donovan | |
| The Big Fisherman The Big Fisherman The Big Fisherman is a 1959 American film directed by Frank Borzage about the later life of Peter, one of the closest disciples of Jesus.The film is adapted from a novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas... |
Simon Peter | ||
| 1961 | Armored Command | Col. Devlin | |
| 1962 | The Day of the Triffids The Day of the Triffids (1962 film) The Day of the Triffids is a 1962 British film adaptation of the science fiction novel of the same name by John Wyndham. It was directed by Steve Sekely, and Howard Keel played the central character, Bill Masen. The movie was filmed in colour with monaural sound and ran for 93... |
Bill Masen | |
| 1966 | Waco Waco (1966 film) Waco is a 1966 western film starring Howard Keel and Jane Russell. The film was directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Max Lamb, Steve Fisher, and Harry Sanford... |
'Waco' | |
| 1967 | Red Tomahawk | Capt. Tom York | |
| The War Wagon The War Wagon The War Wagon is a 1967 western Technicolor film starring John Wayne, released by Universal Pictures, directed by Burt Kennedy, and adapted by Clair Huffaker from his own novel. The film, which featured Wayne in one of his few roles as technically a "bad guy" , received generally positive reviews.... |
Levi Walking Bear | ||
| 1968 | Arizona Bushwhackers | Lee Travis | |
| 1994 | That's Entertainment! III | Himself | |
| 2002 | My Father's House | Roy Mardis | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1957 | Zane Grey Theater | Will Gorman | 1 episode - Gift from a Gunman |
| 1957 | The Polly Bergen Show The Polly Bergen Show The Polly Bergen Show is a half-hour 18-episode comedy/variety show, starring then 27-year-old Polly Bergen, which aired on NBC in the 1957-1958 television season. The program is remembered for its impressive guest-star lineup as well as its closing theme song, "The Party's Over" .The Polly Bergen... |
Himself | 1 episode - December 7, 1957 |
| 1958 | Roberta | John Kent | TV Movie |
| 1961 | Tales of Wells Fargo Tales of Wells Fargo Tales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series that ran from March 18, 1957 to June 2, 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season when it expanded to an hour.-Synopsis:... |
Justin Brox | 1 episode - Casket 7.3 |
| 1963 | Death Valley Days Death Valley Days Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series... |
Diamond Jim Brady | 1 episode - Diamond Jim Brady |
| 1964 | Kiss Me Kate Kiss Me Kate Kiss Me Kate was a British sitcom that ran from 1998 until 2000. It followed the everyday life of a woman counsellor, Kate , who must not only manage her clients' problems, but must also help her neighbours and unsuccessful business partner, Douglas, played by Chris Langham. Amanda Holden played... |
Fred Graham | TV Movie |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life Run for Your Life (TV series) Run for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer... |
Hardie Rankin | 1 episode - The Time of the Sharks |
| 1967 | The Red Skelton Show The Red Skelton Show The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as... |
Police Officer McGoogle | 1 episode - A Christmas Urchin |
| 1969 | Here's Lucy Here's Lucy Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create... |
1 episode - Lucy's Safari | |
| Insight Insight (TV series) Insight was an Emmy-winning syndicated television series produced by Paulist Productions that aired 250 episodes from 1960 to 1983. The series presented half-hour dramas illuminating the contemporary search for meaning, freedom, and love... |
1 episode - Is the 11:59 Late This Year? | ||
| 1976 | The Quest | Shanghai Pierce | 1 episode - Seventy-Two Hours |
| 1981–1983 | The Love Boat The Love Boat The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain... |
Duncan Harlow | 2 episodes Long Time No See/The Bear Essence/Kisses and Makeup Maid for Each Other/Lost and Found/Then There Were Two |
| 1981–1991 | Dallas Dallas (TV series) Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing... |
Clayton Farlow | 234 episodes |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island Fantasy Island Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:... |
Guest Star | 1 episode - The Big Bet/Nancy and the Thunderbirds |
| 1984 | Entertainment Express | 1 episode - Episode #2.2 | |
| 1991 | Good Sports Good Sports Good Sports is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS network in 1991, starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal.-Synopsis:The show features the two main characters, Bobby Tannen, a once-famous former football player gone to seed and Gayle Roberts, an ex-Miss America , as mismatched anchors on an... |
Sonny Gordon | 1 episode - The Return of Nick |
| Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Larry Thorson | 1 episode - A Killing in Vegas | |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is | Capt. Quentin "Jack" Jackson | TV Movie |
| 1995 | Walker Texas Ranger | Daniel Lamont | 1 episode - Blue Movies |