Percy Kilbride
Biography
Percy Kilbride was an American character actor whose specialty was rural types, above all Pa Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle films with Marjorie Main. Born in San Francisco, he began in the theater there in 1900 at 12 as a call boy at the Central Theatre, spent five years on local stages, then played light comedy with stock companies before moving to Broadway, where he first played a French dandy of the 18th century in A Tale of Two Cities. His film debut came as Jakey in White Woman (1933). Jack Benny had him repeat his Broadway role for the screen in George Washington Slept Here, and he had a featured part in Crazy House (1943). He appeared in The Southerner (1945). The Egg and I (1947) teamed him with Marjorie Main as folksy neighbors, and audience reaction led to the Kettle series. He left that series in 1953.
76years old at death
- Born San Francisco
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
- Also credited as Percy William Kilbride
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 7 years1943 to 1950
First and latest
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First role
Kilbride started in the theater in 1900, when he was 12, as a call boy at the Central Theatre in San Francisco. After five years on that city's stage, he took light-comedy parts with stock companies in Boston, Albany, Syracuse, Trenton and Philadelphia.
Big break
In 1942 Kilbride quit Broadway permanently after Jack Benny asked him to play his stage part again in the movie of George Washington Slept Here.
A role that slipped away
Kilbride was picked for Return of the Texan but was shelved in favor of Walter Brennan because the front office feared audiences could not forget his shiftless Pa Kettle character.
A role that slipped away
Kilbride turned down dozens of offers to do television series, saying he would consider one-shot appearances but would not let himself get tied down to one character.
Percy Kilbride movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Eight actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Dana Andrews's page
Jerome Cowan's page
Paul Harvey's page
Beulah Bondi's page
Paul E. Burns's page
Charles Bickford's page
Also two films together2 more actors
- Donald MeekState Fair (1945) and Keeper of the Flame (1943)
- Margaret HamiltonRiding High (1950) and Guest in the House (1944)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.