Allen Jenkins

This article is about the American character actor. For other people with similar names, see Allan Jenkins (disambiguation).
Allen Jenkins
Jenkins in Havana Widows (1933)
Born
Alfred McGonegal

(1900-04-09)April 9, 1900
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 20, 1974(1974-07-20) (aged 74)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, voice actor, singer
Years active1923–1974
SpouseMary Landee
Children3

Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor, voice actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television.[1] He may be best known to some audiences as the voice of Officer Charlie Dibble in the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoon series Top Cat (1961–62).

Life and career

George Barbier, Willard Robertson, Claude Cooper, Allen Jenkins and William Foran in the original Broadway production of The Front Page (1928)

Jenkins was born on Staten Island, New York, on April 9, 1900.[2]

Jenkins had been a stage actor since 1922. He signed a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. in 1932 and established himself quickly as a gloom-faced, wisecracking character player, useful in comedies, dramas, and musicals (he was an accomplished dancer). He was a member of Hollywood's so-called "Irish Mafia", a group of Irish-American actors and friends which included Spencer Tracy, James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, and Frank McHugh.[3][4] His Warner agreement was non-exclusive so he could appear in films for other studios, such as Whirlpool (as Jack Holt's sidekick) and Dead End (as Humphrey Bogart's sidekick).

After his Warner agreement lapsed, Jenkins freelanced for the rest of his career. After World War II, when Hollywood studios made fewer feature films, Jenkins found work at lesser studios, including those of Robert L. Lippert, Monogram Pictures, and Republic Pictures. He also began appearing in the new field of television.

In 1959, Jenkins played the role of elevator operator Harry in the comedy Pillow Talk. He was a regular on the television sitcom Hey, Jeannie! (1956–57), starring Jeannie Carson and often portrayed Muggsy on the 1950s-1970s CBS series The Red Skelton Show. He was also a guest star on many other television programs, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mr. and Mrs. North, I Love Lucy, Playhouse 90, The Tab Hunter Show, The Ernie Kovacs Show, Zane Grey Theater, and Your Show of Shows. He had a cameo appearance in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Eleven days before his death, he made his final appearance, at the end of Billy Wilder's remake of The Front Page (1974); it was released posthumously.

Death

Jenkins died of lung cancer on July 20, 1974, at age 74. His body was cremated, and the ashes were scattered at sea.[5]

Complete filmography

Film

Partial television credits

References

  1. ^ Hemming, Roy (1986). The Melody Lingers On: The Great Songwriters and Their Movie Musicals. Newmarket Press. pp. 249, 295. ISBN 978-0937858578. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  2. ^ Nollen, Scott Allen (September 17, 2007). Warners Wiseguys: All 112 Films That Robinson, Cagney and Bogart Made for the Studio. McFarland. p. 11. ISBN 978-0786432622. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Diana Bertolini (April 3, 2012). "Frank McHugh: A Beloved Character Actor Who Played an Important Role in World War II". New York Public Library.
  4. ^ Tom Weaver (January 10, 2014). A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers. McFarland. p. 8. ISBN 9780786458318.
  5. ^ Wilson, Scott (16 September 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3d ed.). McFarland. p. 376. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via Google Books.
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