Byron Palmer (21 June 1920 – 30 September 2009) was an American film, television and stage actor under contract with 20th Century Fox.

Early years

Palmer was the second of four children of '' Harlan G. Palmer''; a politician, judge, and most notably the owner and publisher of the historic '' Hollywood Citizen News''. While attending ''

Occidental College Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...

'', Palmer wrote obituaries for his father's paper and later joined CBS as a page eventually leading him to become a ''

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

'' radio news reporter and announcer. During World War II, Palmer joined the Army Air Forces and ran a radio station on an island in the Pacific. Between news broadcasts, he sang tenor on the air with a quartet called the Music Mates. Soldiers sent him fan mail that persuaded him to take voice lessons after the war.

Film and stage

Palmer made his debut in film in the 1953 film ''

Tonight We Sing ''Tonight We Sing'' is a 1953 American musical biopic film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring David Wayne, Ezio Pinza and Roberta Peters. It is based on the life and career of the celebrated impresario Sol Hurok. The film is based on the 1 ...

''. He starred with ''

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

'' in ''

Man in the Attic ''Man in the Attic'' is a 1953 mystery film directed by Hugo Fregonese. It was released in the United States on December 23 by Twentieth Century Fox. The movie is based on the 1913 novel '' The Lodger'' by Marie Belloc Lowndes, which fictionaliz ...

'', with ''

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and '' Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

'' in ''

The Best Things in Life Are Free "The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film '' Mo' Money'', starring Damon Wayans. The song was ...

'' and in several other films including ''

Emergency Hospital ''Emergency Hospital'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Lee Sholem and written by Don Martin. The film stars Walter Reed, Margaret Lindsay, John Archer, Byron Palmer, Rita Johnson and Peg La Centra. The film was released on November 2, ...

'' and ''

Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki'' is a 1955 American comedy film directed by Lee Sholem. It is the seventh installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in his final starring role. Pl ...

'' and the 1956 film '' Glory''. After acting as master of ceremonies for a touring “Hollywood on Ice” show, he starred with ''

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

'' in ''

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...

'' on Broadway in 1948. He was also featured in the early 1950s Broadway revue "Bless You All" with ''

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...

''. and the 1956 film '' Glory''.

Television

Palmer hosted the

Miss Universe 1958 Miss Universe 1958, the 7th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 25 July 1958 in Long Beach, California, United States. 36 contestants competed where finally, Miss Colombia, 19-year-old Luz Marina Zuluaga won the competition, and was crowned by Gl ...

and

Miss Universe 1959 Miss Universe 1959, the 8th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 24 July 1959 at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States. 34 contestants competed and in the end Akiko Kojima of Japan won the competition, becoming the ...

beauty pageants on the

and

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

television networks. Additionally, he hosted the syndicated variety program "This is Your Music" in 1955 and was co-host of ''

Bride and Groom Bride and Groom may refer to: * ''Bride and Groom'' (radio program) (1945-1950), an old-time radio program * ''Bride and Groom'' (TV series) (1951-1958), based on the radio show * Bride and Groom (rock formation) * ''Bride and Groom'' (book), a ...

'', which was originally broadcast on CBS and later on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

in the 1950s. Palmer made a number of television appearances, including episodes of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' in the 1950s and 1960s,''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' in 1949, ''

The Betty White Show The Betty White Show refers to several shows hosted by Betty White: * The Betty White Show (1952 TV series), which aired on NBC in 1954, having originated locally two years prior * The Betty White Show (1977 TV series), which aired on CBS in 1 ...

'' in 1954, ''

Pete and Gladys ''Pete and Gladys'' is an American sitcom television series starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was b ...

'', ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and ''Loc ...

'', '' Lawman'', '' Soldiers of Fortune'', ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'', ''

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...

'' and more.

Personal life

Palmer married his high school sweetheart, JoAnn Ramson, in 1944. He later re-married to beauty queen and actress Ruth Hampton in 1954. In 1982, Palmer re-married once again to actress and professional dancer Georgine Darcy who is best known for her role as Miss Torso in the highly acclaimed

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

film ''

Rear Window ''Rear Window'' is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". Originally released by Paramount Pictures, the film st ...

''.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1920 births 2009 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors {{US-actor-stub