Harold Clayton Lloyd Jr. (January 25, 1931 – June 9, 1971) was an American actor and singer.
Career
The third child and only son of the silent film comedian
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55.
One of the most influent ...
and former actress
Mildred Davis, Lloyd made several
B-movies in the 1950s and 1960s, including ''
The Flaming Urge'' (1953) (one of only two starring roles) and ''
Frankenstein's Daughter'' (1958). In 1959, he had a role in the film ''
Girls Town'', which features
Charles Chaplin Jr., son of famous silent movie comedian
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
. He was given production roles in the compilations of his father's films, released in the early 1960s. As a singer, he performed in several films, had moderate successes in cabaret in Hollywood and elsewhere, and released an album of romantic ballads in 1965 titled ''Intimate Style''.
Personal life
Lloyd (known as Dukey to his family) found it difficult to live in the shadow of his famous father, and was an alcoholic from his twenties onward. In addition, he struggled with his homosexuality at a time when it was considered socially unacceptable. Author Tom Dardis notes that Lloyd Sr. was understanding of his son's sexuality and protective of his son, given Lloyd Jr.'s tendency toward violent lovers. Consequently, the younger Lloyd often returned to
Greenacres, the family estate, battered and bruised after his encounters. His father's tolerance had its limits, however, and Lloyd Sr. blamed his own absences during his son's childhood for his sexuality.
In 1953, he briefly was engaged to the Chilean actress
Marina Cisternas. In 1960, he was again engaged, this time to Parisian socialite Irene Barrelet de Ricou, daughter of French tennis player Paul Barrelet de Ricou and socialite Louise Barrelet de Ricou. Irene was warned by many, including
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, not to marry Lloyd, but it was not until she caught him with another man that the wedding was canceled.
He had a home in Palm Springs, California.
Death
Lloyd suffered a massive
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in 1965 from which he never fully recovered. He died on June 9, 1971, at age 40, three months after the death of his father.
He was interred with his parents in a crypt in the Great Mausoleum's Begonia Corridor at
Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Filmography
References
External links
*
Review of ''Frankenstein's Daughter''''The Flaming Urge'' online at The Internet Archive*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd, Harold Jr.
1931 births
1971 deaths
American male film actors
American gay actors
American gay musicians
American LGBTQ singers
Male actors from Beverly Hills, California
Musicians from Palm Springs, California
Musicians from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from Palm Springs, California
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Gay singers
LGBTQ people from California
20th-century American LGBTQ people