Gary Gray (actor)

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Gary Gray
Gary Gray-Chief Yowlachie in The Painted Hills.jpg
Gray (left) with Chief Yowlachie in a promotional poster for the 1951 film The Painted Hills
Born
Gary Dickson Gray

(1936-12-18)December 18, 1936
DiedApril 4, 2006(2006-04-04) (aged 69)
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
OccupationActor

Gary Dickson Gray (December 18, 1936 – April 4, 2006) was an American child actor in films, and as an adult in television.

Contents

Biography

Born in Los Angeles, California, Gray was the son of Jeanie Ellen Dickson and John William Gray, aka Bill Gray, a film business manager. On January 28, 1961, he married Jean Charlene Bean. The couple had four daughters and 19 grandchildren.

Acting career

It was two clients of his father's, Bert Wheeler and Jack Benny, who suggested that Gray should be used in films. Gray made his film debut in the Joan Crawford film A Woman's Face in 1941, and played minor roles in such popular films as Heaven Can Wait (1943), Gaslight (1944) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). In the 1944 short feature I Am an American he played Thomas Jefferson Kanowski, son of fictional Polish immigrant Fydor Kanowski. [1] He played more substantial roles in films such as Return of the Bad Men (1948) with Randolph Scott, Gun Smugglers (1948) with Tim Holt, Rachel and the Stranger (also 1948) with Robert Mitchum, The Next Voice You Hear (1950) with Nancy Reagan and James Whitmore, and Wild Heritage (1958) with Maureen O'Sullivan.

On April 17, 1956, Gray was cast as sixteen-year-old Jackie Jensen, later a Major League Baseball player, in "The Jackie Jensen Story", which aired on the NBC anthology series, Cavalcade of America . Jensen played himself as an adult; Vivi Janiss was cast as Jensen's mother. [2]

By the time he graduated from high school Gray had appeared in more than 70 films, however as an adult his acting roles were fairly few, and were mainly for television. By the early 1960s, he had retired from acting and concentrated on raising his family.

Business career and later life

In 1960, Gray started a swimming pool maintenance and repair business. For the last 25 years of his 38 years in the swimming pool industry, Gray worked for two of the major international manufacturers of swimming pool equipment as territory, regional, and national sales manager. Gray was a sought-after speaker and educator for the "National Spa and Pool Institute" as well as by the "Independent Pool and Spa Service Association". Gray retired from the swimming pool industry in July, 1999.

Gray collected tapes of his movies and television programs, as well as stills, posters, and lobby cards from his acting career. Beginning in the mid-90s, he was a frequent guest at film festivals throughout the United States. He enjoyed visiting with his fans, and relating many interesting stories from his lengthy career. Gray played golf as a hobby.

Personal life

Gary Gray was married to Jean Charlene Bean and had 4 children.

Death

Gary Gray died on April 4, 2006, in Brush Prairie, Washington from cancer, aged 69. [3]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1941 A Woman's Face Sailor-Suited Boy in ParkFilm debut, Uncredited
Sun Valley Serenade Charles - Adopted Refugee BoyUncredited
1943 The Meanest Man in the World Second Boy With CandyUncredited
It's a Great Life Boy at Circus ShowUncredited
Hitler's Madman Little BoyUncredited
Two Tickets to London Boy Pushing SwingUncredited
Alaska Highway BoyUncredited
Heaven Can Wait Boy in ParkUncredited
Where Are Your Children? Boy in Day Care NurseryUncredited
1944 Beautiful But Broke Boy in NurseryUncredited
Address Unknown Hugo Schulz
Gaslight Boy in Park with NannyUncredited
Once Upon a Time Boy with ShoeboxUncredited
The White Cliffs of Dover Boy at Dinner TableUncredited
Meet Me in St. Louis Boy at PavilionUncredited
I'll Be Seeing You Franklin - Boy with Toy Machine GunUncredited
1945Youth for the KingdomBoy
The Clock Little Joe, Boy in ParkUncredited
Adventures of Rusty HerbieUncredited
Men in Her Diary Boy Outside Flower ShopUncredited
1946 To Each His Own Casey InghamUncredited
The Green Years Boy Making First CommunionUncredited
Rendezvous 24 'Hansel' in Radio ShowVoice, Uncredited
Little Mister Jim Neighbor BoyUncredited
Slightly Scandalous Little BoyUncredited
Three Little Girls in Blue Farm Boy with JugUncredited
Three Wise Fools Willie the SqueakUncredited
The Wonderful Ears of Johnny McGogginJohnny McGoggin
Gay BubblesJimmie
1947 My Brother Talks to Horses Boy at SchoolUncredited
Backlash ChrisUncredited
Too Many Winners Jimmy EdwardsUncredited
The Millerson Case Second Boy at SchoolUncredited
Living in a Big Way Boy at 'Broken Arms'Uncredited
High Conquest Boy on TrainUncredited
Dark Delusion Boy PatientUncredited
Swing the Western Way Boy in Grandstand at RodeoUncredited
Heaven Only Knows JimmieUncredited
1948 Tenth Avenue Angel BoyUncredited
Best Man Wins Bob Smiley
Return of the Bad Men Johnny
Fighting Back Jimmy Sanders
Night WindJohnny Benson
Rachel and the Stranger Davey
Whispering Smith Bobby, Baggs' GrandsonUncredited
Gun Smugglers Danny Reeves
1949 Henry, the Rainmaker David Latham
Streets of San Francisco Frankie Fraser
Leave It to Henry David Latham
The Girl from Jones Beach Woody Wilson
Masked Raiders Artie Trevett
The Great Lover Tommy O'Connor
1950 Father Is a Bachelor Jan Chalotte
Father Makes Good David Latham
The Next Voice You Hear... Johnny Smith
Two Weeks with Love McCormick Robinson
Father's Wild Game David Latham
1951 The Painted Hills Tommy Blake
Father Takes the Air David Latham
1951-1952 Fireside Theatre JohnnyEpisode: "The Secret"
1951-1958 Family Theater Undetermined Roles3 episodes
1952 Rodeo Joey Cartwright
1953 You Are There Young RebelEpisode: "The Boston Tea Party"
Crazylegs Teenager on Phone
1954 Annie Oakley Bucky DonavanEpisode: "Annie and the Six o' Spades"
Captain Midnight Jimmy SawyerEpisode: "Deadly Diamonds"
1955 Cavalcade of America Apple KnockerEpisode: "The Texas Rangers"
The First Hundred DaysGary
1956 Studio 57 MikeyEpisode: "The Baxter Boy"
The Lineup Bell BoyEpisode: "The Ringing Bells Case"
Teenage Rebel Freddie GreenUncredited
Emergency Hospital Earl FanmornUncredited
The Danny Thomas Show BobEpisode: "Terry at the Crossroads"
Hey, Jeannie!Undetermined RoleEpisode: "Jeannie the Caddy"
The Adventures of Jim Bowie Paul Wilkins2 episodes
December Bride Undetermined RoleEpisode: "Football Hero"
1957 I Love Lucy Fruit Basket DeliverymanEpisode: "Lucy Misses the Mertzes"
Man Without a Gun Undetermined RoleEpisode: "The Fugitive"
1957-1960 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp The Kid/Billy Clanton 3 episodes
1958 Wild Heritage Hugh Adam David Breslin
The Party Crashers Don Hartlow
26 Men Shagg TannerEpisode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1959 Trackdown Luke TurleyEpisode: "The Feud"
Tumbleweed: Baron of PurgatoryJohnny BensonEpisode: "Baron of Purgatory"
1962 Terror at Black Falls JohnnyFinal film

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References

  1. The 16 minute film, I Am an American, was featured in American theaters in connection with "I Am an American Day" (now called Constitution Day). I Am an American was produced by Gordon Hollingshead, written and directed by Crane Wilbur. Besides Gary, it featured Humphrey Bogart, Dick Haymes, Danny Kaye, Joan Leslie, Dennis Morgan, Knute Rockne, and Jay Silverheels. See: I Am An American at the TCM Movie Database and I Am an American at IMDb .
  2. "The Jackie Jensen Story on Cavalcade of America". Internet Movie Database. April 17, 1956. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  3. "Child actor Gary Gray dead at 69". UPI. Retrieved 2023-01-26.

Bibliography