Jay Kirby (born William Bennett George, January 28, 1920 – July 30, 1964) was an American actor in films and television. He was best known for playing Johnny Travers, the youthful sidekick of
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...
in six films in the 1940s.
In 1948, he and his wife Carmelle George were divorced and the custody of their one-year-old son, Jeffrey, was given to his wife.
["Hubby's Chord Off Key for Actress' Harmony," ''Los Angeles Times'', Wednesday, December 1, 1948, page 16]
Career
Kirby was born n Kansas City,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. He began acting in films in 1942, when he was cast to replace
Russell Hayden
Russell "Lucky" Hayden (born Hayden Michael "Pate" Lucid; June 12, 1912 – June 9, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal as Lucky Jenkins in Paramount's popular Hopalong Cassidy film series.
Ear ...
as the boyish partner to cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy. He was an aviation cadet in the
U.S. Army Air Forces during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
but does not appear to have served long, as his screen appearances are continuous throughout the war and afterward for several years. In 1949 he reverted to his real name, Bill George, for his last feature film and his subsequent television roles. He died at 44 and was buried in the
Los Angeles National Cemetery
The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Sawtelle unincorporated community of the West Los Angeles neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California.
Geography
The entrance to the cemetery is located at 950 Sou ...
.
Filmography
He starred in an episode of ''The Cisco Kid''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirby, Jay
1920 births
1964 deaths
People from Missouri
20th-century American male actors
Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery
Place of death missing