Occupation Actor, comedian Years active 1924-1971 | Name Parker Fennelly Role Actor | |
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Spouse Catherine Fennelly (m. ?–1988) Movies and TV shows The Trouble with Harry, The Kettles on Old MacDona, It Happened to Jane, How to Frame a Figg, Headmaster Similar People Royal Dano, Alfred Hitchcock, Richard Quine, Noel Black, Alan Rafkin | ||
The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) - Hanging Around Scene (4/10) | Movieclips
Parker Fennelly (October 22, 1891 – January 22, 1988) was an American actor and playwright who appeared in ten films, numerous television episodes and hundreds of radio programs.
Contents
- The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming 1966 Hanging Around Scene 410 Movieclips
- Ride em cowboy parker fennelly john canfield
- Early life
- Stage
- Radio
- Allens Alley
- Other radio
- Television and films
- Personal life
- Recordings
- Death
- Filmography
- References
Ride em cowboy parker fennelly john canfield
Early life
The son of gardener Nathan Fennelly and Estelle Dolliver Fennelly, he was born and raised in Northeast Harbor, Maine, and studied classical acting in Boston. He was a member of Boston's Toy Theater company and participated in Chautauqua readings. He studied under performing arts educator Leland T. Powers.
Stage
In 1915 and 1916, Fennelly toured on the Midland Chatauqua Circuit with the Maud Scheerer Shakespeare Players. In 1919, he traveled and acted with the Jack X. Lewis Stock Company. Fennelly and his wife, Catherine Reynolds Fennelly, formed the Parker Fennelly Duo, presenting short plays, readings and impersonations (1921 - 1923).
Fennelly's performances on Broadway included Mr. Pitt (1924), The Small Timers (1925), Florida Girl (1925), Babbling Brookes (1927), Black Velvet (1927), The County Chairman (1936), Yours, A. Lincoln (1942), Our Town (1944), Happily Ever After (1945), Live Life Again (1945), Loco (1946), and The Southwest Corner (1955). His other Broadway credits include directing Technique (1931), providing source material for Fulton of Oak Falls (1937), and writing Cuckoos on the Hearth (1941).
Radio
Fennelly and Arthur Allen played "Yankee codgers" on two programs, The Stebbins boys of Bucksport Point and Snow Village Sketches, in the early years of radio.
Allen's Alley
Fennelly personified the crusty New England Yankee in roles on radio, films and television. He was heard weekly as Titus Moody on the "Allen's Alley" segment of Fred Allen's radio show where he delivered his famous opening line: "Howdy, Bub."
Other radio
Fennelly's other roles on radio included the following:
In 1960, Fennelly recorded Moody Speaking, a series of "sparkling one-minute and five-minute vignettes" produced by Banner Radio Company for local stations.
Television and films
Fennelly made numerous appearances on live television shows of the early 1950s, including Lux Video Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse and Studio One. In 1970-71, he played Mr. Purdy on Headmaster on CBS.
In film, Fennelly portrayed the millionaire in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry (1955), and he replaced Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle in the final film of the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series. After Angel in My Pocket (1969), his last movie role was Universal's movie How to Frame a Figg (1971) starring Don Knotts.
In later years he became a familiar face as the Pepperidge Farm's television spokesman between 1956 and the 1980s, delivering the slogan "Pepperidge Farm remembers" in his New England accent.
Personal life
In 1918, Fennelly met and married Catherine Deane "while both of them were playing in a stock company in Moline, Illinois." They had two daughters, Mary and Jane, and a son, John.
Recordings
In 1950, Fennelly made a children's record, Ride 'Em Cowboy (I and II) (CGR-1003). In 1953, he recorded another children's item, Hunters of the Sea (Record Guild 9006).
Death
Fennelly died January 22, 1988, aged 96, at his home in Peekskill, New York. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, four grandsons, and one great-grandson.
His widow, Catherine Fennelly (1892—1988), died five months later, aged 95. Their remains were interred in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.