Content deleted Content added
No edit summary Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
Category:American radio singers |
||
| (48 intermediate revisions by 33 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{short description|Singer and actor (1912–1985)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kenny Baker
| image = KennyBakerStageDoorCanteen.jpg
| caption = in the trailer for ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'' (1943)▼
| birth_name = Kenneth Laurence Baker▼
▲| caption = in the trailer for ''[[Stage Door Canteen]]'' (1943)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1912|9|30|mf=y}} ▼
▲| birth_name = Kenneth Laurence Baker
▲| birth_date = {{birth date|1912|9|30|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|8|10|1912|9|30|mf=y}}▼
▲| birth_place = [[Monrovia, California]], [[United States|U.S.]]
▲| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|8|10|1912|9|30|mf=y}}
| occupation = Film, radio, stage actor and singer▼
▲| death_place = [[Solvang, California]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| yearsactive = 1933–1951
| spouse = Geraldyne Louise Churchill (1933-1968) (divorced, 3 children)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-05-fi-1235-story.html | title=Benny Show Singer Kenny Baker Dies : Tenor Also Appeared in Hit Films and Broadway Musicals | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 5, 1985 }}</ref><ref>https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LCXS-DXC/geraldine-louise-churchill-1911-2001</ref>
▲| occupation = Film, radio, stage actor and singer
| children = 3
}}
'''Kenneth Laurence
==Film==
Before he became a star, Baker sang as a member of the [[Vitaphone]] chorus at [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Radio Idol Kenny Baker InNew Film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35726704/kenny_baker/ |access-date=September 8, 2019 |work=Altoona Tribune |date=August 20, 1937 |location=Pennsylvania, Altoona |page=4|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
At the height of his radio fame, and after leaving the Benny show in 1939 (succeeded by [[Dennis Day]], whose [[tenor]] was similar to Baker's), he appeared in 17 film musicals, including ''[[Mr. Dodd Takes the Air]]'' (1937), ''[[At the Circus]]'' (1939), and ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946). He also starred in the 1939 movie version of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s ''[[The Mikado (1939 film)|The Mikado]]''. He later co-starred with [[Mary Martin]] in the original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of [[Kurt Weill]] and [[Ogden Nash]]'s ''[[One Touch of Venus]]'' (1943).▼
▲At the height of his radio fame, and after leaving the Benny show in 1939 (succeeded by [[Dennis Day]], whose [[tenor]] voice was very similar to Baker's), he appeared in 17 film musicals, including ''[[Mr. Dodd Takes the Air]]'' (1937), ''[[At the Circus]]'' (1939), and ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946). He also starred in the 1939 movie version of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s ''[[The Mikado (1939 film)|The Mikado]]''. He later co-starred with [[Mary Martin]] in the original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of [[Kurt Weill]] and [[Ogden Nash]]'s ''[[One Touch of Venus]]'' (1943).
==Radio==
Baker first appeared on [[The Jack Benny Program|Jack Benny's weekly radio program]] on November 3, 1935,<ref>Leff, Laura (2004): ''39 Forever – Volume 1: Radio May 1932 – May 1942''. p. 212.</ref> having been hired to replace singer [[Frank Parker (singer)|Frank Parker]].<ref>Fein, Irving A. (1977): ''Jack Benny – An Intimate Biography''. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 64.</ref> Parker had been very popular on the Benny program, and with his departure, it was widely believed that Benny would lose a large part of his audience; however, Kenny Baker is said to have won audiences over almost instantly, even surpassing Parker in popularity.<ref>Fein, Irving A. (1977): ''Jack Benny – An Intimate Biography''. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 64.</ref> Baker portrayed a high-voiced, innocent young man on the show, who would frequently cause the Jack Benny character frustration with his "silly" remarks.
After being on the Benny program 1935-1939, Baker returned to radio as a regular performer on [[Fred Allen]]'s ''[[Texaco Star Theater]]'' program (1940–1942). He was also heard on ''[[Blue Ribbon Town]]'' (1943-1944) and ''Glamour Manor'' (1945-1947). He had his own programs, the ''Kenny Baker Show'' (1954)<ref name=rs>DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. Pp. 19-20.</ref> and ''Sincerely--Kenny Baker'' (1946).<ref>{{cite news|title=Kenny Baker and Donna Dae Star In WHP Musicale; Open Tuesday 6.15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2283707/sincerely_kenny_baker/|agency=Harrisburg Telegraph|date=April 6, 1946|page=19|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = April 24, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> The latter was syndicated by Frederick W. Ziv Company via [[Electrical transcriptions|electrical transcription]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ziv ad|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-05-17-BC.pdf|accessdate=7 December 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=May 17, 1948}}</ref>▼
▲Baker's final regular appearance on Benny's radio show aired on June 25, 1939,<ref>Leff, Laura (2004): ''39 Forever – Volume 1: Radio May 1932 – May 1942''. p. 363.</ref> leaving the $3,000 per week job because he no longer wanted to play the character.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohn |first1=Art |author-link1=Art Cohn |title=Kenny Baker's Gamble Removes "Jerk" Label |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/415362704 |access-date=August 3, 2020 |work=[[Marysville, Ohio#Media|The Evening Tribune]] |agency=[[International News Service]] |location=[[New York City|New York]] |date=November 1, 1943 |publication-place=[[Marysville, Ohio]] |page=1}}</ref> He was subsequently replaced by singer [[Dennis Day]]. After
==Later years==
After retiring from performing in the early 1950s, Baker became a [[Christian Science|Christian Science practitioner]] and [[motivational speaking|motivational speaker]]
==Death==
Baker died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in [[Solvang, California]], August 10, 1985, aged 72.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Folkart |first=Burt a |date=1985-10-05 |title=Benny Show Singer Kenny Baker Dies : Tenor Also Appeared in Hit Films and Broadway Musicals |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-05-fi-1235-story.html |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Partial filmography==
* ''[[King of Burlesque]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Mr. Dodd Takes the Air]]'' (1937)
* ''[[The King and the Chorus Girl]]'' (1937)
* ''[[Turn Off the Moon]]'' (1937)
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Hit Parade of 1941]]'' (1940)
* ''[[Doughboys in Ireland]]'' (1943)
* ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'' (1943)
* ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946)
* ''[[Calendar Girl (1947 film)|Calendar Girl]]'' (1947)
==References==
{{
==External links==
{{Commons category|Kenny Baker (American performer)}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0048653|
* {{Amg name|198654
'''Audio files'''
* [http://jack_benny.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2008-09-22T23_12_18-07_00 Best of Jack Benny Spotlight Podcast! 1935-11-03
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101010073803/http://jack_benny.podomatic.com/entry/2010-10-01T06_19_01-07_00 Fred Allen Podcast 1940-10-02 (ep 01) Grab It Or Leave It
{{Authority control}}
Line 61 ⟶ 67:
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]
[[Category:American tenors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:American radio singers]]
[[Category:American Christian Scientists]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
Line 73 ⟶ 80:
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]
[[Category:RCA Victor artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
| |||