Percy Helton

Percy Helton
File:Percy Helton.jpg Helton in Criss Cross (1949)
Born	Percy Alfred Helton (1894-01-31)January 31, 1894 New York City, New York, USA
Died	September 11, 1971(1971-09-11) (aged 77) Hollywood, California, USA
Occupation	character actor
Years active	1915–1970
Spouse	Edna Roberta Eustace

Percy Helton (January 31, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was an American film and television character actor.

Career

Percy Helton began acting as a young child at the age of two, appearing in his father's vaudeville act. He appeared in many Broadway plays as a child actor before joining the United States Army to serve in World War I with the American Expeditionary Forces. A male soprano, he subsequently sang professionally until an accident left him with a hoarse, raspy falsetto voice and breathy delivery, which altered his career to that of an actor in a wide range of films and TV programs in the 1950s and 1960s. Among them were three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Asa Cooperman in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Pathetic Patient". Helton appeared as the drunken Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street. He also appeared in Criss Cross (1949), The Set-Up (1949), Kiss Me Deadly (1955) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). He died at age 77 two years after his final film appearance and was entombed at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Partial filmography

• The Fairy and the Waif (1915) as The Waif
• The Flower of Faith (1916) as Tom Judson
• The Master Mind (1920) as Younger brother
• Silver Wings (1922) as John (play)
• Insinuation (1922) as Jimmie
• The Offenders (1922)
• Frankie and Johnny (1936) as Undetermined role (uncredited)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as Drunken Santa Claus (uncredited)
• Call Northside 777 (1948) as William Decker - Mailman (uncredited)
• Let's Live Again (1948) as Mr. President
• Hazard (1948) as Beady Robbins
• Larceny (1948) as Charlie Jordan
• That Wonderful Urge (1948) as Monroe Township Jail Drunk (uncredited)
• Chicken Every Sunday (1949) as Mr. Sawyer (uncredited)
• Criss Cross (1949) as Frank
• Alias Nick Beal (1949) as Lawyer (uncredited)
• The Set-Up (1949) as Red
• The Crooked Way (1949) as Petey
• Lust for Gold (1949) as Barber (uncredited)
• Red, Hot and Blue (1949) as Mr. Perkins, Stage manager
• Abbott & Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) as Abernathy
• Thieves' Highway (1949) as Roadside Bar Manager (uncredited)
• My Friend Irma (1949) as Mr. Clyde
• Free for All (1949) as Joe Hershey
• The Secret Fury (1950) as Justice of the Peace Roy T. Palmer (uncredited)
• Tyrant of the Sea (1950) as Crewman (uncredited)
• Harbor of Missing Men (1950) as 'Rummy' Davis
• Wabash Avenue (1950) as Ship Captain (uncredited)
• Riding High (1950) as Pawnbroker (uncredited)
• Fancy Pants (1950) as Mayor Fogarty (uncredited)
• A Life of Her Own (1950) as Hamburger Proprietor (uncredited)
• Copper Canyon (1950) as 'Scamper' Joad
• The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950) as Reporter, Feature Syndicate
• Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) as Bellerose
• Under Mexicali Stars (1950) as Nap Wellington
• Three Guys Named Mike (1951) as Mr. Hawkins, Hotel Manager
• Inside Straight (1951) as Lawyer Anderson (uncredited)
• Night Into Morning (1951) as Drunk (uncredited)
• Never Trust a Gambler (1951) as Sunbeam Liquor Store Clerk (uncredited)
• Darling, How Could You! (1951) as Cabbie (uncredited)
• The Tall Target (1951) as Beamish - Passenger in Club Car (uncredited)
• Chain of Circumstance (1951) as Fogel
• The Family Secret (1951) as Charlie (uncredited)
• The Barefoot Mailman (1951) as Dewey Durgan (uncredited)
• The Stooge (1951) as Sam Robertson (uncredited)
• A Girl in Every Port (1952) as Drive-In Manager
• The Belle of New York (1952) as Presents Angela with Flowers (uncredited)
• I Dream of Jeanie' (1952) as Mr. Horker
• Three for Bedroom "C" (1952) as Alcoholic Train Passenger (uncredited)
• She's Back on Broadway (1953) as News Vendor (scenes deleted)
• Call Me Madam (1953) as Sen. Wilkins
• Scared Stiff (1953) as Man in Hotel Hallway (uncredited)
• Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953) as Marlowe
• Ride, Vaquero! (1953) as Storekeeper (uncredited)
• Vice Squad (1953) as Mr. Jenner (uncredited)
• Down Laredo Way (1953) as Judge Sully
• The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) as Mr. Hammersmith, Book Seller (uncredited)
• City of Bad Men (1953) as Old-Timer at Training Camp (uncredited)
• The Robe (1953) as Caleb - Wine Merchant (uncredited)
• How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) as Mr. Benton (uncredited)
• Wicked Woman (1953) as Charlie Borg
• Geraldine (1953) as Pop (uncredited)
• Lucky Me (1954) as Brown (uncredited)
• About Mrs. Leslie (1954) as Mr. Hackley
• A Star is Born (1954) as William Gregory (uncredited)
• The Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954) as Kerbelai, Hajji's Barber Father (uncredited)
• White Christmas (1954) as Train Conductor (uncredited)
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) as Coach Driver
• Crashout (1955) as Doctor Louis Barnes
• Kiss Me Deadly (1955) as Doc Kennedy
• Jail Busters (1955) as Warden B.W. Oswald
• Trial (1955) as Youval (uncredited)
• No Man's Woman (1955) as Otto Peterson
• Diane (1956) as Court Jester (uncredited)
• Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) as Peter Boggs
• Terror at Midnight (1956) as Speegie
• The Boss (1956) as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
• Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956) as Hiram, the funeral director
• The Phantom Stagecoach (1957) as Mr. Wiggins
• The Vintage (1957) as Voice Dub for Berger (uncredited)
• This Could Be the Night (1957) as Charlie (uncredited)
• Spook Chasers (1957) as Mike Clancy
• The Last Stagecoach West (1957) as Telegrapher (uncredited)
• Jailhouse Rock (1957) as Sam Brewster (uncredited)
• The Sheepman (1958) as Station Master (uncredited)
• The Proud Rebel (1958) as Photographer (uncredited)
• Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) as Waldo Pike, the Plumber (uncredited)
• Ask Any Girl (1959) as Janitor in Meg Wheeler's Building (uncredited)
• Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) as Baldy (uncredited)
• Where the Boys Are (1960) as Fairview Motel Manager (uncredited)
• Ride the High Country (1962) as Luther Samson (uncredited)
• The Music Man (1962) as Train Conductor (uncredited)
• The Wheeler Dealers (1963) as Deke (uncredited)
• 4 for Texas (1963) as Jonas Ansel
• Get Yourself A College Girl (1964) as Senator's Chauffeur (uncredited)
• Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) as Funeral Director
• Dear Brigitte (1965) as Kraft - Man at Computer Lab (uncredited)
• Zebra in the Kitchen (1965) as Mr. Richardson
• The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) as Mr. Peevey
• Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title (1966) as Diner Customer (uncredited)
• A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) as Kevin McKenzie (uncredited)
• The Big Mouth (1967) as Sanitation Man (uncredited)
• Head (1968) as Heraldic Messenger
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as Sweetface (uncredited)
• The Day of the Wolves (1971) as The Farmer
• Legend of the Northwest (1978) (Last appearance)

Television appearances

• Adventures of Superman (1953, Episode 36, "The Face and the Voice") as Hamlet
• The Life of Riley (1953) as Mr. Cox
• The Lone Ranger (1955) as Pete Travis
• Father Knows Best (1957) as Desk Clerk
• Maverick (1957-1960) as Bradley / Mr. Venner
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1961) as Cyrus Rutherford / Morton / Newspaperman / Building super / George the Janitor / Lawyer /Gerald Eaton
• Lawman (1959-1961) as Thatcher / Ellery Purvy / Oren
• Gunsmoke (1959-1966) as Mr. Early / Arbuckle / Duffer / Otie
• Bonanza (1959-1967) as Bleeker / Pete / Lafe / Blurry Jones
• The Untouchables (1960) as Jocko Monaghan / Mr. Meyer
• Law of the Plainsman (1960) as Del Martin
• Mr. Lucky (1960) as Pop Markel
• Laramie (1961-1963) as Opie / Clemson Frazer / Wes Snyder - Auctioneer
• Cheyenne (1961) as Matthew Beasely
• Perry Mason (1961-1965) as Hotel Desk Clerk / Asa Cooperman / Pawnbroker
• Mister Ed (1962-1965) as Zoo Attendant / Dr. Evans
• The Twilight Zone (1963-1964) as Lapham / Tom Poulter
• Bewitched (1964)
• The Fugitive (1964) as Hobo
• Petticoat Junction (1965-1970) as Mr. Benton / Hinky Mittenfloss
• Green Acres (1966-1969) as Luke Needlinger / Ira Hatch / Willie
• The Jerry Lewis Show (1967)
• Green Hornet (1967, Episode 20 "Ace in the Hole") as Gus
• The Mothers-In-Law (1967) as Dean Roberts
• The Virginian (1967, "Execution at Triste") as Dean Roberts
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1968-1969) as Homer Cratchit
• Batman (1968) as Gus
• Get Smart (1968) as A.J. Pfister
• Land of the Giants (1968) as Akman
• The Wild Wild West (1968) as Proprietor
• Love American Style (1970) as Wharton (segment "Love and Those Poor Crusaders' Wives")
• Mission: Impossible (1971) as Dailey

References

: http://newspaperarchive.com/portsmouth-herald/1931-10-27/

External links

• Percy Helton at IMDb
• Percy Helton at the Internet Broadway Database
• Percy Helton at Find a Grave
• young Percy Helton on left in Silver Wings (1922)- (University of Washington, Sayre collection)