Wendell Corey
| Wendell Corey | |
|---|---|
|
from the trailer for The Search (1948) | |
| Santa Monica City Council | |
|
In office 1965 – November 8, 1968 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wendell Reid Corey March 20, 1914 Dracut, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died |
November 8, 1968 (aged 54) Woodland Hills, California, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Alice Wiley (1939-1968) (his death) 4 children- Jonathan, Jennifer, Bonnie Alice, Robin |
| Occupation | Actor/Politician |
| Religion | Congregationalist |
Wendell Reid Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American actor and politician.
Early years
Corey was born in Dracut, Massachusetts,[1] the son of Milton Rothwell Corey (October 24, 1879 – October 23, 1951) and Julia Etta McKenney (April 11, 1882 – June 16, 1947). His father was a Congregationalist clergyman. Wendell was educated in Springfield. His ancestors included U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.[1]
Before becoming an actor, Corey was a washing-machine salesman in a department store.[2]
Stage
Corey "began acting in 1938 with the depression-spawned Federal Theatre Project".[3]
His Broadway debut was in Comes the Revelation (1942). After appearing in a number of supporting roles, he scored his first hit as a cynical newspaperman in Elmer Rice's comedy Dream Girl (1945). While appearing in the play, Corey was seen by producer Hal Wallis, who persuaded him to sign a contract with Paramount and pursue a motion picture career in Hollywood.
Film
His movie debut came as a gangster in Desert Fury (1947) starring John Hodiak, Lizabeth Scott, and Mary Astor. Corey appeared in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster, and a year later as Janet Leigh's fiancé in the Robert Mitchum romantic comedy Holiday Affair. He co-starred with Stanwyck twice more in 1950 in The File on Thelma Jordon and The Furies, and also opposite Joan Crawford in Harriet Craig, which was released the same year.
Corey's memorable roles include that of police Lt. Thomas Doyle in Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. He appeared in The Big Knife (1955) starring Jack Palance, Ida Lupino and Shelley Winters, The Rainmaker (1956) starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn and Loving You (1957) starring Elvis Presley and Lizabeth Scott.
Television
He starred with Casey Walters in the television series Harbor Command (1957–1958), co-starred on The Nanette Fabray Show (1961), and had the lead role in the medical drama The Eleventh Hour (1962–1963). With Fabray, Corey played a widower who married Fabray's character. Bobby Diamond also starred in the short-lived series. In The Eleventh Hour, Corey appeared as Dr. Theodore Bassett, co-starring with Jack Ging in the role of psychologist Paul Graham. In the second season of The Eleventh Hour, however, Corey was replaced by Ralph Bellamy, who assumed the role of psychiatrist Richard Starke.
Corey made guest appearances on a number of programs, including Target: The Corruptors!, Channing, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, Burke's Law, The Road West, and The Wild Wild West. He made a guest appearance during the final season of Perry Mason in 1966 as murder victim Jerome Klee in "The Case of the Unwelcome Well."
Other activities
Corey served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963 and was a member of the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild. A Republican campaigner in national politics since 1956, Corey was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in April 1965.[4] The conservative politician ran for a California seat in the United States Congress in 1966, but lost the primary election. He was still a councilman at the time of his death.
Family
Corey and Alice Wiley had one son and three daughters, Jonathan, Jennifer, Bonnie Alice, and Robin.
Death
Corey died November 8, 1968,[5] at age 54 at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital[6] in Woodland Hills, California, of cirrhosis of the liver as a result of alcoholism. Funeral services were held at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica, California.[7] He is interred in Washington Cemetery in Washington, Massachusetts.
Walk of Fame
Wendell Corey has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in TV at 6328 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.[8]
Filmography
|
|
Radio appearances
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | Away Boarders[9] |
| 1952 | Broadway Playhouse | The Big Clock[9] |
| 1953 | Theatre Guild on the Air | Kate Fennigate[10] |
| 1953 | Stars over Hollywood | Bus Driver's Holiday[11] |
References
- 1 2 Corby, Jane (January 22, 1950). "Screenings". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 27. Retrieved June 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Short Illness Claims Life Of Film Actor". Eugene Register-Guard. November 9, 1968. p. 8A. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey Dies Friday; Liver Ailment". Lawrence Journal World. November 9, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey Wins City Council Seat". Park City Daily News. April 12, 1965. p. 9. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey Dies; Veteran Movie Actor". The Morning Record. November 9, 1968. p. 5. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey Dies". Herald-Journal. November 9, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey Services Held". The Tuscaloosa News. November 12, 1968. p. 2. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ "Wendell Corey". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- 1 2 Kirby, Walter (November 16, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Kirby, Walter (May 24, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Kirby, Walter (October 11, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 50. Retrieved July 6, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wendell Corey. |
- Wendell Corey at the Internet Movie Database
- Wendell Corey at the Internet Broadway Database
- Wendell Corey at Find a Grave
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Valentine Davies |
President of Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences 1961-1963 |
Succeeded by Arthur Freed |