Howard Petrie
| Howard Petrie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Howard Alexander Petrie November 22, 1906 Beverly, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died |
March 24, 1968 (aged 61) Keene, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1929-1965 |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Wood |
Howard Alexander Petrie (November 22, 1906 - March 24, 1968) was an American radio, television, and film actor.
Early life
Howard Petrie was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on November 22, 1906. When Howard was three years old his family moved to Concord, Massachusetts The Petries later lived in Arlington, Massachusetts and then Somerville, Massachusetts, where Howard Petrie received his secondary school education. A talented musician, he conducted his high school glee club and played with various instrumental groups. He was a member of the debating team, a captain in the School Regiment and Chairman of the Senior Night Committee.
Petrie appeared in school dramatic productions including a starring role as "Marquis de la Seigliere" in the senior class play and the Jules Sandeau three-act comedy, Mademoiselle de la Seigliere.
Radio career
After he graduated from Somerville High School in 1924, Petrie worked briefly as a bank clerk and a securities salesman. While on a sales call to a radio station, his sonorous bass voice landed him a job. He joined WBZ Radio in Boston in 1929 as a junior announcer. After ten months at the WBZ studios, Petrie left for New York City in June, 1930 where he joined the staff of NBC. Petrie soon became the head announcer for many of the network's shows. His first major network assignment was on Everything Goes, starring Garry Moore. He was the announcer for scores of shows including Abbie's Irish Rose, Big Sister, Camel Caravan, Blondie, The Ray Bolger Show, The Judy Canova Show, The Jimmy Durante Show, and The Garry Moore Show.
While at NBC he met his future wife, Alice Wood who was employed at NBC between 1931 and 1936. The Petries had one son.
In 1936, Petrie won the prestigious Batten, Barten and Durstine Award for Good Announcing. In 1942 he was the recipient of the H.P. Davis Memorial Announcers' Award for "personality, adaptability, diction, voice and versatility." Petrie moved to California in 1943 to become the announcer for The Judy Canova Show. As a "personality announcer," he became a character in the show.
Film and television career
In 1947, a movie producer who was looking for a tall man for a character role, saw Petrie on the radio stage and offered him the part. At 6 feet four and 240 pounds, Petrie played numerous "big man" roles. He worked as a character actor in over thirty feature films and forty television shows. He often appeared in Westerns in both mediums.
Later years and death
Howard Petrie had been living in semi-retirement at his home, Autumn Hill, in Walpole, New Hampshire, when he died in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 24, 1968.
Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Joe | George Baxter | |
| The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival | George Baxter, in "Fabulous Joe" | ||
| 1950 | Fancy Pants | Secret Service Man | Uncredited |
| Walk Softly, Stranger | Bowen | ||
| Rocky Mountain | Cole Smith/California Beal | ||
| 1951 | Cattle Drive | Cap | |
| The Golden Horde | Tugluk | Alternative title: The Golden Horde of Genghis Khan | |
| 1952 | Bend of the River | Tom Hendricks | Alternative title: Where the River Bends |
| Red Ball Express | Major General Lee Gordon | ||
| Carbine Williams | Sheriff | ||
| 1953 | Fair Wind to Java | Reeder | |
| The Veils of Bagdad | Karsh | ||
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Pete Perkins | |
| The Bounty Hunter | Sheriff Brand | ||
| 1955 | Rage at Dawn | Lattimore, Prosecuting Attorney | Alternative title: Seven Bad Men |
| How to Be Very, Very Popular | Desk Sergeant | ||
| 1956 | The Maverick Queen | Butch Cassidy | |
| A Kiss Before Dying | Howard Chesser, Chief of Police | ||
| 1957 | The Tin Star | Mayor Harvey King | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | Waterfront | Hugh Perry | 1 episode |
| 1955 | The Ford Television Theatre | Baker | 1 episode |
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Abe Brant | 1 episode |
| 1957 | Broken Arrow | Sam Carson | 1 episode |
| Letter to Loretta | Scoutmaster | 1 episode | |
| Casey Jones | George Newsome | 1 episode | |
| 1958 | The Californians | Stryker | 1 episode |
| Alcoa Theatre | Lieutenant Gifford | 1 episode | |
| 1959 | Frontier Justice | Kroll | 1 episode |
| Bonanza | Major Ormsby | 1 episode | |
| Lawman | Hal Mead | 1 episode | |
| Maverick | Mike Burke | 1 episode | |
| Colt .45 | John Porter | 1 episode | |
| The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Abbott | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade | Major Kennedy | 1 episode |
| M Squad | Mr. Patrick - Head of heist team | 1 episode | |
| Have Gun – Will Travel | Jack Foster | 1 episode | |
| Mr. Lucky | John Dort | 1 episode | |
| Johnny Ringo | Ed Blanchard | 1 episode | |
| Bat Masterson | Hugh Blaine | 4 episodes | |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Governor Gibbs | 2 episodes | |
| Bronco | Rigby | 1 episode | |
| Hennesey | Admiral Wright | 1 episode | |
| Peter Gunn | Lockland | 1 episode | |
| 1960–1962 | Death Valley Days | Joseph Hooker | 2 episodes |
| 1961 | National Velvet | Bjorensen | 1 episode |
| The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Col. McCurdy | 1 episode | |
| 1964–1965 | The Edge of Night | Otto Zimerman | Unknown episodes |
References
- Beverly (Mass.) City Directory and North Shore Map. Crowley and Lunt, 1907, 1908, 1909.
- Birth record: 1906, Vol. 558, page 407. Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910. From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.
- Buxton, Frank, and Bill Owen. The Big Broadcast, 1920-1950. New York: Viking Press, 1976.
- Dunning, John. Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976. Englewood Cliffs. N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1976.
- Frizzell, Martha McDanolds. A History of Walpole, New Hampshire. Walpole: Walpole Historical Society, 1963, page 263.
- Jones, Ken D., Arthur F. McClure and Alfred E. Twomey. Character People, The Stalwarts of the Cinema. Secaucus, N.J.:, 1976, page 163.
- "Howard Petrie, 61, A Radio Announcer and Actor, Is Dead." March 26, 1968, New York Times, page 46.
- "Obituaries," March 27, 1968, Boston Globe, page 44.
- Poindexter, Ray. Golden Throats and Silver Tongues: The Radio Announcers. Conway, Ark: River Road Press, 1978, page 68.
- Somerville (Mass.) City Directory. Boston: W.A. Greenough Co., 1924, pages 122, 457.
- The Radiator, 1924. Somerville (Mass.) High School Yearbook.
- U.S. Census Records, 1910 and 1920, for Beverly and Arlington, Massachusetts.
External links
- Howard Petrie at the Internet Movie Database
- Photo of "Howard Petrie". The LAB On-Line Photo Archive. Library of American Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- Howard Petrie photos Selected images from Howard Petrie's career.
- Howard Petrie at Radioindex.com
- Howard Petrie at Find a Grave
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