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Howard Keel

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Howard Keel
Keel in trailer for Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Born
Harold Clifford Keel

(1919-04-13)April 13, 1919
Gillespie, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 7, 2004(2004-11-07) (aged 85)
Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1943–2002
Spouses
  • Rosemary Cooper
    ​
    ​
    (1943⁠–⁠1948)​
  • Helen Anderson
    ​
    (1949⁠–⁠1970)​
  • Judy Magamoll
    ​
    (m. 1970)​
Children4
President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office
1958–1959
Preceded byLeon Ames
Succeeded byRonald Reagan

Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004),[1] professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice.[2] He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the television series Dallas from 1981 to 1991.

Early life

Keel was born in Gillespie, Illinois,[2][1] the younger of two sons born to Navyman-turned-coalminer Homer Keel and his wife, Grace Margaret (née Osterkamp). Howard's elder brother was Frederick William Keel. After his father's death in 1930, Keel and his mother moved to California, where he graduated from Fallbrook High School at age 17. He worked various odd jobs until settling at Douglas Aircraft Company as a "traveling representative". He was a long haul truck driver.[citation needed]

In the 1950s, the MGM publicity department erroneously[citation needed] stated that Keel's birth name was Harold Leek.[3]

Career

At age 20, Keel was overheard singing by his landlady Mom Rider and was encouraged to take vocal lessons. One of his music heroes was the great baritone Lawrence Tibbett.[4] Keel later remarked that learning that his own voice was a basso cantante was one of the greatest disappointments of his life.[citation needed] Nevertheless, his first public performance took place 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 1945, he made his Broadway debut as a vacation replacement for John Raitt in Carousel, playing the role of Billy Bigelow from August 20 - September 8, 1945.[5][6] Two weeks later, on September 24, he took over the lead role of Curly in Oklahoma!, playing across the street at the St. James Theatre.[7][8] He temporarily left Oklahoma! to fill-in once again for John Raitt, this time from June 3 - August 31, 1946, returning to Oklahoma! afterwards.[9][10] In 1947, Oklahoma! became the first American postwar musical to travel to London, England, and Keel joined the production.[2] On April 30, 1947, at the Drury Lane Theatre, the capacity audience (which included the future Queen Elizabeth II) demanded 14 encores.

Keel made his film debut as Harold Keel at the British Lion studio in Elstree, in The Small Voice (1948),[1] released in the United States as The Hideout.[2] He played an escaped convict holding a playwright and his wife hostage in their English country cottage.[11] Additional Broadway credits include Saratoga, No Strings, and Ambassador. He appeared at The Muny in St. Louis as Adam in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Emile de Becque in South Pacific (1992), and as General Waverly in White Christmas (2000).

MGM

Esther Williams and Howard Keel

From London's West End, Keel went to Hollywood in 1949 where he was engaged by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio. He made his musical film debut as Frank Butler in the film version of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun (1950), co-starring with Betty Hutton.[2] The film was a big hit and established Keel as a star.[12]

MGM put him with Esther Williams in Pagan Love Song (1950), which was successful, but not as profitable as most Esther Williams films because it went over budget.[12] Keel had a third hit in a row with the comedy Three Guys Named Mike (1951), supporting Van Johnson and Jane Wyman.

Even more popular was Show Boat (1951), where Keel played the male lead with Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.[2] Keel was reunited with Williams in Texas Carnival (1952). He had his first flop at MGM with the comedy Callaway Went Thataway (1952) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Dorothy McGuire.[12] Lovely to Look At (1952), with Grayson and based on the stage musical Roberta, was popular but lost money.[12]

MGM tried him in the adventure film Desperate Search (1953), which was poorly received. So too was the comedy Fast Company (1953). More popular was Ride, Vaquero! (1953), with Gardner and Robert Taylor.

Warner Bros borrowed Keel to play Wild Bill Hickok with Doris Day in Calamity Jane (1953), another hit. Back at MGM, he and Grayson made Kiss Me Kate (1953), which again was liked by the public but unprofitable. The same went for Rose Marie (1954) which Keel made with Ann Blyth. However Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) with Jane Powell was a huge success, and it made MGM over $3 million in profit.[12]

Keel was one of many guest stars in Deep in My Heart (1954). He and Williams made Jupiter's Darling (1955), which lost MGM over $2 million - the first Williams movie to lose money. Kismet (1955) with Blyth also lost over $2 million, and Keel was released from his MGM contract.

Post-MGM

He returned to his first love, the stage. In 1957, he was in a short-lived revival of Carousel.[13] Keel's next film was made in Britain, the thriller Floods of Fear (1959). He returned to Hollywood to play Simon-Peter in the Biblical epic The Big Fisherman (1960). In 1959–1960, he was in the short-lived Broadway musical Saratoga. [14] Keel went to Europe to make the low-budget film Armored Command (1961). In England, he starred in The Day of the Triffids (1962).

As America's taste in entertainment changed, 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. He did Carousel in 1962 and 1966. He replaced Richard Kiley on Broadway in No Strings (1962). Keel starred in Westerns for A. C. Lyles: Waco (1966), Red Tomahawk (1966) and Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). He had a supporting part in the John Wayne movie The War Wagon (1967).

In early 1970, Keel met Judy Magamoll, who was 25 years younger than he and who knew nothing about his stardom. Years later, Keel called the relationship love at first sight, but the age difference bothered him tremendously. For Magamoll, 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. He resumed his routine of nightclub, cabaret and summer stock.

From 1971 to 1972, Keel appeared briefly in the West End and Broadway productions of the musical Ambassador, which flopped. In 1974, Keel became a father for the fourth time with the birth of his daughter Leslie Grace. In January 1986, he underwent double heart bypass surgery.

Dallas

Keel continued to tour with his wife and daughter in tow, but by 1980 had decided to make his life change. He moved his family to Oklahoma with the intention of joining an oil company. The family had barely settled down when Keel was called 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.

In 1981, after several guest appearances, Keel joined the show permanently as the dignified but hot-tempered oil baron Clayton Farlow.[2] Starting with an appearance on the fourth season, the character had been meant as a semi-replacement patriarch for the series' Jock Ewing played by Jim Davis, who had died. However, Clayton was such a hit among viewers that he was made a series regular and stayed until its end in 1991. Not only did Dallas revive his acting career, it revived his recording endeavors.[2]

Recording career

With renewed fame, Keel commenced his first solo recording career, at age 64, as well as a successful concert career in the UK. He released the album With Love in 1984, which sold poorly. However, his album And I Love You So reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart[15] and #37 in Australia in 1984.[16] The follow-up album, Reminiscing – The Howard Keel Collection peaked at #20 in the UK Albums Chart, spending 12 weeks in this listing in 1985 and 1986.[15] The album also peaked at #83 in Australia.[16] In 1988, the album Just for You reached #51 in the UK Albums Chart.[15]

In 1994, Keel and Magamoll 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). Keel attended the event for many years until 2004.

Honors

Keel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 8 February 1960. It is located at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard.

A Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars was dedicated to him in 1996.[17]

Keel was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats.

In 2019, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Personal life and death

In 1943, Keel met and married actress Rosemary Cooper. They divorced in 1948. During the London run of Oklahoma! Keel met Helen Anderson, a member of the show's chorus, and they married in January 1949. Keel and Helen divorced in 1970. Keel married airline flight attendant Judy Magamoll in December 1970.[1]

Keel had four children: three with second wife, Helen Anderson (two daughters, Kaija Liane and Kirstine Elizabeth; and a son, Gunnar Louis; one by his third wife of 34 years, Judy (a daughter, Leslie Grace); and 10 grandchildren.[1]

Keel died at his Palm Desert home on November 7, 2004, six weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer.[18]

Filmography

Film

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1948 The Small Voice Boke alternate title: The Hideout
1950 Annie Get Your Gun Frank Butler
Pagan Love Song Hazard Endicott
1951 Three Guys Named Mike Mike Jamison
Show Boat Gaylord Ravenal
Texas Carnival Slim Shelby
Across the Wide Missouri Narrator voice, uncredited
Callaway Went Thataway Stretch Barnes / Smoky Callaway alternate title: The Star Said No
1952 Lovely to Look At Tony Naylor
Desperate Search Vince Heldon
The Hoaxters Narrator documentary
1953 Fast Company Rick Grayton
Ride, Vaquero! King Cameron
Calamity Jane Wild Bill Hickok
Kiss Me Kate Fred Graham/Petruchio
1954 Rose Marie Capt. Mike Malone
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Adam Pontipee
Deep in My Heart Specialty in 'My Maryland'
1955 Jupiter's Darling Hannibal
Kismet The Poet
1959 Floods of Fear Donovan
The Big Fisherman Simon Peter
1961 Armored Command Col. Devlin
1962 The Day of the Triffids Bill Masen
1965 The Man from Button Willow Vocalist (opening and closing credits) uncredited
1966 Waco Waco
1967 Red Tomahawk Capt. Tom York
The War Wagon Levi Walking Bear
1968 Arizona Bushwhackers Lee Travis
1994 That's Entertainment! III Himself
2002 My Father's House Roy Mardis

Television

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1957 Zane Grey Theater Will Gorman episode: "Gift from a Gunman"
1957 The Polly Bergen Show Himself episode: "December 7, 1957"
1958 Roberta John Kent Television film
1961 Tales of Wells Fargo Justin Brox episode: "Casket 7.3"
1963 Death Valley Days Diamond Jim Brady episode: "Diamond Jim Brady"
1965 Run for Your Life Hardie Rankin episode: "The Time of the Sharks"
1967 The Red Skelton Show Police Officer McGoogle episode: "A Christmas Urchin"
1969 Here's Lucy Mr. Livingston episode: "Lucy's Safari"
1969 Insight Himself episode: "Is the 11:59 Late This Year?"
1976 The Quest Shanghai Pierce episode: "Seventy-Two Hours"
1981 The Love Boat Duncan Harlow episode: "Maid for Each Other/Lost and Found/Then There Were Two"
1981–1991 Dallas Clayton Farlow 234 episodes
1982 Fantasy Island Colonel episode: "The Big Bet/Nancy and the Thunderbirds"
1983 The Love Boat Kyle Cummings episode: "Long Time No See/The Bear Essence/Kisses and Makeup"
1984 Entertainment Express Himself episode: "Episode #2.2"
1984 Live from Her Majesty's Himself episode: "April 15, 1984"
1985 Doris Day’s Best Friends Himself episode: "Episode #1.14"
1986 Great Performances Himself episode: "Irving Berlin's America"
1991 Good Sports Sonny Gordon episode: "The Return of Nick"
1991 Murder, She Wrote Larry Thorson episode: "A Killing in Vegas"
1993 Bruce's Guest Night himself "Guest" BBC programme
1994 Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is Captain Quentin "Jack" Jackson television film
1995 Walker, Texas Ranger D.L. Dade episode: "Blue Movies"

Stage work

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Howard Keel". the Guardian. 2004-11-09. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 699/700. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  3. ^ Ginny Billings (1990). The Billings Rollography: Pianists. Rock Soup. p. 184.
  4. ^ "Actor Howard Keel Dies". www.cbsnews.com. 8 November 2004. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  5. ^ "Daily News 20 Aug 1945, page 335". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  6. ^ "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 09 Sep 1945, page Page 25". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  7. ^ "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 09 Sep 1945, page Page 25". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  8. ^ "Oklahoma! – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  9. ^ "Dunkirk Evening Observer 05 Jun 1946, page Page 9". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  10. ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 26 Aug 1946, page Page 20". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  11. ^ "Annie's Handsome Man". The Sunday Herald (Sydney). Sydney. 18 June 1950. p. 4 Supplement: Features. Retrieved 17 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ a b c d e The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  13. ^ "Carousel – Broadway Musical – 1957 Revival". IBDb.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  14. ^ "Saratoga – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDb.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 297. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  16. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 164. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ^ . May 8, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20190418002837/http://www.palmspringswalkofstars.com/web-storage/Stars/Stars+dedicated+by+date.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ Sheila Whitaker (November 9, 2004). "Howard Keel". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2022.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Howard Keel.
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