Wally cox biography

American actor (1924–1973)

Wallace Maynard Cox (December 6, 1924 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor.

Without fear began his career as clever standup comedian and played high-mindedness title character of the in favour early U.S. television series Mister Peepers from 1952 to 1955. He also appeared as skilful character actor in over 20 films and dozens of overseer episodes.^[1] Cox was the words decision of the animated canine amazing Underdog in the Underdog Goggle-box series.

Early life, education, person in charge career beginnings

Cox was born privileged December 6, 1924, in Port, Michigan.^[1] When he was 10, he moved with his divorced mother (mystery author Eleanor Blake) and a younger sister wring Evanston, Illinois, where he became close friends with another youngster in the neighborhood, Marlon Brando.^[2] His family moved several age, including a move to Creative York City, and Cox gradatory from Denby High School aft they returned to Detroit.

During World War II, Cox prosperous his family returned to Additional York City, where he accompanied the City College of New-found York.^[1] He spent four months in the United States Flock. According to the accounts time off a fellow enlisted soldier, Enzyme adopted odd behaviors while undergoing basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas, such as putting enhance a uniform and full packet to pick flowers on Sundays, to receive a discharge be bereaved the Army.^[3] After his hail he attended New York University.^[4] He supported his invalid surround and sister by making ray selling jewelry in a diminutive shop, and entertaining at parties doing comedy monologues.

These under pressure to regular performances at nightclubs, including the Village Vanguard, duplicate in December 1948.^{[citation needed]}

He became Brando's roommate, and his keep a note of encouraged Cox to study picky with Stella Adler.^[2]

Career

In 1949, Helmsman appeared on the CBS fabric radio show Arthur Godfrey's Faculty Scouts, to the great entertainment of host Godfrey.

The good cheer half of his act was a monologue in a slangy, almost-mumbled punk-kid characterization, telling crowd about his friend Dufo: "What a crazy guy". The unsuspecting oaf Dufo would take batty dares and fall for realm gang's pranks time after interval, and Cox would recount class awful consequences: "Sixteen stitches.

What a crazy guy." Just orangutan the studio audience had reached a peak of laughter, Helmsman suddenly switched gears, changed signs, and sang a high-pitched difference of "The Drunkard Song" ("There is a Tavern in class Town"), punctuated by eccentric yodels. "Wallace Cox" earned a enormous hand that night, but vanished by a narrow margin command somebody to The Chordettes; yet he prefabricated enough of a hit appraise record his radio routine care for an RCA Victor single.

Depiction "Dufo" routine ("What a Mad Guy") was paired with "Tavern in the Town".^[5]

He appeared grasp Broadway musical reviews, night clubs, and early television comedy-variety programs between 1949 and 1951, inclusive of the short-lived (January–April 1949) DuMont series The School House duct CBS Television's Faye Emerson's Howling Town.

He appeared on illustriousness Goodyear Television Playhouse in 1951, starring in the comedy incident "The Copper" as the ex officio policeman. Series producer Fred Coe approached Cox about a leading role role in a proposed stand for television sitcom Mister Peepers, which he accepted. The show ran on NBC television for join years.

During this time, stylishness guest-starred on NBC's The Martha Raye Show.

Billboard magazine chronicled Cox's spectacular rise in arrangement fees: in the late Decade, it was $75 per period at New York's Village Front, $125 per week at greatness Blue Angel; $250 per period in Broadway's "Dance Me adroit Song" revue in 1950, turf the Persian Room for $500 per week.

The eight-year desirability that he signed with NBC in late 1952 paid him $100,000 for 1953.^[6]

In 1953, Cox's comedy sketches were featured exertion The Ford 50th Anniversary Show, a program that was debate live on both NBC president CBS. Cox's four sketches involve be expressed b of a man trying appoint improve his physique, an master on relaxation methods, a male practicing techniques that allow him to change from a flower to a social hit, advocate a man learning to drain.

The program attracted an opportunity of 60 million viewers. Forty discretion after the broadcast, television commentator Tom Shales recalled it brand both "a landmark in television" and "a milestone in nobleness cultural life of the '50s".^[7]

In 1959, Cox was featured intricate the guest-starring title role encircle "The Vincent Eaglewood Story" plump NBC's Western series Wagon Train.

He played a prominent orientation role as Preacher Goodman make a purchase of Spencer's Mountain (1963), a Argosy sonar operator in The Bedford Incident (1964), and a hooked doctor opposite Marlon Brando confined the World War II expectation film Morituri (1965).

Other roles included the hero of character series The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, based on a escort of short stories by Saint Gallico and co-starring Ainslie Pryor.

He was a regular citizen of the upper left right-angled on the television game agricultural show Hollywood Squares, and voiced picture animated cartoon character Underdog.^[8][9] Be active also was a guest use up the game show What's Loose Line? and on the preliminary episodes of Mission: Impossible roost It Takes a Thief.

Helmsman made several appearances on Here's Lucy, as well as The Beverly Hillbillies, Lost in Space, I Spy and evening disclose shows. He played a housebreaker in an episode of Car 54, Where Are You?. Filth also appeared on The Gloaming Zone, season five, episode numeral 140, titled "From Agnes—With Love".

He played character roles beckon more than 20 motion flicks and worked frequently as neat guest star in television pageant, comedy and variety series execute the 1960s and early Decade. These included a supporting representation capacity in 20th Century Fox's raw film Something's Got to Give (1962), which is Marilyn Monroe's last film.

He was earmark as a down-on-his-luck prospector hunting a better life for culminate family in an episode waste Alias Smith and Jones, regular Western comedy; and in Up Your Teddy Bear (aka Mother) (1970), he starred with Julie Newmar. His television and winnow persona was that of smart shy, timid but kind person who wore thick eyeglasses other spoke in a pedantic, high voice.

Cox wrote a back copy of books, including Mister Peepers: A Sort of Novel, co-written with William Redfield,^[10] which was created by adapting several scripts from the television series; My Life as a Small Boy, an idealized depiction of top childhood; a parody and make progress of Horatio Alger in Ralph Makes Good, which was unquestionably originally a screen treatment beg for an unmade film intended agree to star Cox; and a apprentice book, The Tenth Life be more or less Osiris Oakes.

Personal life

In span 1950s article on Cox's mound Mister Peepers, Popular Science rumored that Cox kept a diminutive workshop in his dressing allowance. (Cox's Hollywood Squares colleague Cock Marshall recalled in his essay Backstage with the Original Feel Square that Cox installed pointer maintained all the wiring problem his own home.)

While unwind maintained a meek onscreen face, TV viewers did get great glimpse of Cox's physicality slash an episode of I've Got a Secret, aired on Possibly will 11, 1960, in which of course and host Garry Moore ran around the stage assembling collection while the panel was blind.

On the May 15, 1974, installment of The Tonight Show, actor Robert Blake spoke suggest how much he missed rulership good friend Cox, who was described as being adventurous elitist athletic.

A Democrat, Cox based the campaign of Adlai Diplomat during the 1952 presidential election.^[11]

Cox married three times—to Marilyn Gennaro, Milagros Tirado, and Patricia Tiernan.

He was survived by fulfil third wife and his bend in half children.^[2]

Cox and Brando remained initiate friends throughout Cox's life, take Brando appeared unannounced at Cox's wake. Brando is also story to have kept Cox's ornamentation in his bedroom and conversed with them nightly.^[2] Their lock friendship was the subject sun-up rumors.

Brando told a journalist: "If Saphead had been a woman, Distracted would have married him added we would have lived joyously ever after."^[12] Writer-editor Beauregard Houston-Montgomery said that while under integrity influence of marijuana, Brando low him that Cox had back number the love of his life.^[13]

Death

Cox was found dead on Feb 15, 1973, in his bring in in the Bel Air division of Los Angeles; he was 48.^[1][14] According to the dissection, Cox died of a handover attack caused by a thrombosis occlusion.^[14] Initial reports indicated zigzag he wished to have negation funeral and that his ornament be scattered at sea.^[14] Marvellous subsequent report indicated that cap ashes were put in secondhand goods those of Brando and other close friend Sam Gilman, roost scattered in Death Valley plus Tahiti.^[2]

Partial filmography

References

External links