Wendell Holmes (actor)
American actor (1914–1962)
Wendell Holmes
Born (1914-08-17 ) August 17, 1914Died April 27, 1962(1962-04-27) (aged 47) Other names Oliver Wendell Holmes Alma mater Ohio State University Occupation Actor Years active 1934–1962 Spouse(s) Lois Jesson Holmes (1938–?)Adrienne Marden (1956–1962) (divorced)
Wendell Holmes (August 17, 1914 – April 27, 1962) was an American actor whose career included work in radio ,[ 1] television,[ 2] Broadway ,[ 3] and film .[ 4]
Early years
Holmes was born Oliver Wendell Holmes in Cheshire, Ohio to Ferdie and Ada Holmes.[ 5]
Census records indicate that by 1930 the family was living in Columbus, Ohio .[ 6]
Career
An article appearing in The Des Moines Register (1941) mentions Holmes being born on a farm and describes his winning a Chautauqua competition at age six, entering high school at age ten, and graduating from Ohio State University at age 18 with a degree in Education. It further states that instead of becoming an educator, Holmes hitch-hiked to New York and began working as an actor, starting his radio career in 1934.[ 7]
An article appearing in The Daily Dispatch (1949) mentions that Holmes' parents were school teachers and adds to the Chautauqua event by noting it took place in Middleport, Ohio , where a talent scout signed him up for more work.[ 8]
The same Daily Dispatch article (1949) quotes Holmes as saying at the time, "There are about 5,000 radio actors here, and last year they averaged $16 a week salary. Only about 500 manage to earn a truckdriver's living...When I started in 1934 I got $20 a week for working in 30 shows.[ 9] "
During the years 1948–49, Holmes appeared as Dr. Watson in the radio adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starring John Stanley , but was credited as "George Spelvin " to avoid confusion between his actual surname and the surname of the show's protagonist.[ 10] [ 11] [ 12]
Over the years, Holmes acted in more than 40 radio dramas, 50 TV episodes, and 10 movies.
Personal life
On June 20, 1938, Holmes married actress Lois E Jesson in Manhattan, New York.[ 13] Following his divorce (date unknown) from Jesson, Holmes married actress Adrienne Marden in Santa Monica, California, on August 12, 1956.[ 14]
Wendell Holmes died of what is thought to have been a heart attack in Paris, France, on April 27, 1962.[ 15]
Radio acting
Filmography
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1941
Always Tomorrow: The Portrait of an American Business
Bottler
Promotional film, Uncredited
1949
Lost Boundaries
Mr. Morris Mitchell
Movie
1955
Medic
Dr. Welch
Episode: "Dr. Impossible"
1955
The Man Behind the Badge
Lawrence Deshaw
Episode: "The Case of the Dying Past"[ 55]
1955
The Man Behind the Badge
Pawling
Episode: "The Case of the Part-Time Cop"
1955
Mr. Citizen
Minor role, Episode: "One for the Padre"
1957
Official Detective
Wendell Jordan
Episode: "Body in the Trunk"
1957
The Court of Last Resort
Terry Booth
Episode: "The Clarence Redding Case"[ 56]
1958
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Henry C. Farnsworth
Season 3 Episode 36: "The Safe Place"[ 57]
1958
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Herrick, the Prosecutor
Season 4 Episode 5: "The $2,000,000 Defense"[ 58]
1958
The Californians
Krego
Episode: "Death By Proxy"
1958
Young and Wild
Lewis J. Christopher
Movie
1958
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Seth Morton
Episode: "Man on the Street"
1958
Father Knows Best
Dr. Runeberg
Episode: "Be Kind to Bud Week"
1958
I Want to Live!
Detective
Movie
1958
Leave It to Beaver
Mr. T.J. Willet
Episode: "Music Lesson"[ 59]
1958
Perry Mason
Dr. Forbes
Episode: "The Case of the Desperate Daughter"
1958
Perry Mason
Howard Evans
Episode: "The Case of the Sardonic Sergeant"
1959
Good Day for a Hanging
Tallant Joslin
Movie
1959
Never Steal Anything Small
George Alper
Movie, Uncredited
1959
Gunsmoke
Betchel
Episode: "Doc Quits"
1959
Behind Closed Doors
Boris Gorin
Episode: "The Geneva Story"
1959
Zorro
Storekeeper
Episode: "The Brooch"
1959
Zorro
Storekeeper Avila
Episode: "The Missing Father"
1959
Zorro
Episode: "Please Believe Me"
1959
Compulsion
Jonas Kessler
Movie, Uncredited
1959
Playhouse 90
Judge Ives
Episode: "Judgment at Nuremberg"
1959
The Rough Riders
Sam Hanks
Episode: "Hired Gun"
1959
But Not for Me
Miles Montgomery
Movie
1959
Edge of Eternity
Sam Houghton
Movie
1959
The Twilight Zone
Cooper
Episode: "Escape Clause "
1959
Man with a Camera
Carl Ganza
Episode: ":Missing"
1959
Special Agent 7
Neeley
Episode: "Male Order"
1959
Lawman
Cal Nibley
Episode: "The Press"
1959
Leave It to Beaver
Mr. T.J. Willet
Episode: "Beaver's Hero"[ 60]
1959
Maverick
Mayor Uli Bemus
Episode: "The Cats of Paradise"
1959
The Texan
Marshal Sommers
Episode: "Dangerous Ground"
1959
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Lieutenant Holson
Episode: "So Tender, So Profane"
1960
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
John B. Halverson
Season 5 Episode 19: "Not the Running Type"[ 61]
1960
Bonanza
Judge Scribner
Episode: "Death at Dawn"[ 62]
1960
Hawaiian Eye
Dr. Abner Moses Good
Episode: "The Kamehameha Cloak"
1960
Leave It to Beaver
Andy Hadlock
Episode: "Beaver and Andy"[ 63]
1960
Tales of Wells Fargo
Governor
Episode: "The Governor's Visit"
1960
Black Saddle
Doc Hazen
Episode: "Mr. Simpson"
1960
Zane Grey Theater
Cobson, Auctioneer
Episode: "Never Too Late"
1960
Maverick
Colonel Dutton
Episode: "Greenbacks, Unlimited"
1960
Perry Mason
District Attorney Williams
Episode: "The Case of the Bashful Burro"
1960
Startime
Rigsby
Episode: "Incident at a Corner"
1960
Mr. Lucky
David Bullitt
Episode: "Hit and Run"
1960
Because They're Young
Principal Dolan
Movie
1960
Overland Trail
Mayor Bill Filmore
Episode: "First Stage to Denver"
1960
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Minor role, Episode: "City in Bondage"
1960
Hawaiian Eye
Sam Perkins
Episode: "Little Blalah"
1960
Peter Gunn
Janos Thorwald
Episode: "The Semi-Private Eye"
1960
Inherit The Wind
Banker, Critic at City Meeting
Movie, Uncredited
1960
Elmer Gantry
Reverend Ulrich
Movie
1960
The Texan
Henry Morton
Episode: "24 Hours to Live"
1960
Bonanza
Judge Rand
Episode: "Badge Without Honor"[ 64]
1960
The Westerner
Henry Hadley
Episode: "Mrs. Kennedy"
1960
The Great Imposter
Surgeon Commander Winston
Movie, Uncredited
1960
Shotgun Slade
Minor role, Episode: "A Plate of Death"
1960
Grand Jury
Taylor
Episode: "Condemned"
1961
The Absent Minded Professor
General Poynter
Movie
1961
Checkmate
Mervin Everhardt
Episode: "Portrait of a Man Running"
1961
Bus Stop
Dean Drayton
Episode: "Success Story"
1961
Follow The Sun
The Judge
Episode: "The Woman Who Never Was"
1961
The Untouchables
The Judge
Episode: "Loophole"
1961
Dr. Kildare
Judge Inley
Episode: "Hit and Run"
1961
Leave It to Beaver
Mr. Blair
Episode: "Beaver's English Test"[ 65]
1962
Hazel
Mr. Wagner
Episode: "Hazel's Dog Days"
1962
Leave It to Beaver
Mr. Blair
Episode: "Farewell to Penny"[ 66]
1962
Room for One More
Judge
Episode: "The Anniversary"
1962
Lawman
Frank MacStrowd
Episode: "The Barber"
1962
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Sylvester Tupper
Season 7 Episode 34: "The Twelve Hour Caper"[ 67] (final appearance)
Citations
^ Terrace p. 80
^ Pressnell/McGee p. 37
^ "('Wendell Holmes' search results)" . Playbill . Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ Andreychuk, Ed (2005). Burt Lancaster: A Filmography and Biography . McFarland & Company. p. 110. ISBN 9780786404360 .
^ "Ohio, County Births, 1841–2003" . FamilySearch . March 13, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ "United States Census, 1930" . FamilySearch . Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ "Descendant of Writer Now Plays on Radio Serial" . The Des Moines Register . October 27, 1941. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ "At 34, Wendell Holmes Isn't Making as Much as When 6" . The Dispatch . May 28, 1949. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ "At 34, Wendell Holmes Isn't Making as Much as When 6" . The Dispatch . May 28, 1949. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ Dickerson, Ian (2019). Sherlock Holmes and His Adventures on American Radio . BearManor Media. p. 258. ISBN 978-1629335087 .
^ a b " "mp3" .
^ Harmon, Jim (2011). Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media . McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 175. ISBN 9780786485086 .
^ "Index to Marriages, New York City Clerk's Office, New York City" . New York Municipal Archives; New York City; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 5 . New York Municipal Archives. June 20, 1938. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ "Adrienne Marden and Wendell Holmes Wed" . The Corpus Christi Caller-Times . Texas, Corpus Christi. Associated Press. August 13, 1956. p. 19. Retrieved July 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Report of the Death of An American Citizen: Holmes, Oliver Wendell" . Foreign Service of the United States of America . Department of State. May 18, 1962. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
^ Terrace, Vincent (2015). Radio Programs, 1924–1984 . McFarland. p. 80. ISBN 9781476605289 .
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General bibliography
Andreychuk, Ed. Burt Lancaster: A Filmography and Biography . McFarland, 2005.
Presnell, Don and McGee, Marty. A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959–1964 . McFarland, 2015.
Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows . McFarland, 2015.
External links