Parker Fennelly

Parker Fennelly
The "Allen's Alley" cast (l to r): Fred Allen, Kenny Delmar, Minerva Pious, Peter Donald and Parker Fennelly.
Born	Parker W. Fennelly (1891-10-22)October 22, 1891 Northeast Harbor, Maine, U.S.
Died	January 22, 1988(1988-01-22) (aged 96) Peekskill, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian
Years active	1949-1971

Parker Fennelly (October 22, 1891 – January 22, 1988) was an American actor who appeared in ten films, numerous television episodes and hundreds of radio programs.

Allen's Alley

Fennelly personified the crusty New England Yankee in roles on radio, films and television. He was heard weekly as Titus Moody on the "Allen's Alley" segment of Fred Allen's radio show where he delivered his famous opening line: "Howdy, Bub."

Television and films

Note how this poster illustration was cleverly designed to disguise the face of Parker Fennelly, who stepped in to replace series regular Percy Kilbride.

Fennelly made numerous appearances on live television shows of the early 1950s, including Lux Video Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse and Studio One.

In film, Fennelly portrayed the millionaire in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry (1955), and he replaced Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle in the final film of the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series. After Angel in My Pocket (1969), his last movie role was Universal's movie How to Frame a Figg (1971) starring Don Knotts.

In later years he became a familiar face as the Pepperidge Farm's television spokesman between 1956 and 1977, delivering the slogan "Pepperidge Farm remembers" in his New England accent.

Death

The gravesite of Parker W. Fennelly and his wife

Fennelly died in 1988, aged 96. His widow, Catherine Fennelly (1892—1988), died five months later, aged 95. Their remains were interred in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Further reading

• Old-Time Radio Memories by Mel Simons (BearManor Media).

External links

• Parker Fennelly at the Internet Movie Database
• Parker Fennelly at Find a Grave