Kenneth E. Lynch (July 15, 1910 – February 13, 1990) was an American radio, film, and television actor with more than 180 credits to his name. He was generally known for portraying law enforcement officers and detectives. He may have been best known for his starring role as "the Lieutenant" on Dumont detective series '' The Plainclothesman'' (1949–1954), on which his face was never seen, and for his co-starring role as Sergeant Grover on '' McCloud''.

Early life

Kenneth Englehart Lynch was born on July 15, 1910 in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, the only child of Bertha Dietzel and Charles William Lynch. His father was a native of

Woburn, Massachusetts Woburn ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of governme ...

, who started his career as a coffee salesman, and then became a

creamery A creamery is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream re ...

owner in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

. His mother was from

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

, a third generation German-American. The middle name, Englehart, a mark of his German ancestry, was his maternal grandmother's maiden name.

Career

Lynch made his acting career on radio series. In 1940, on ''

The Bishop and the Gargoyle The Bishop and the Gargoyle is a 30-minute old-time radio crime drama in the United States. It was broadcast on the NBC Blue network September 30, 1936 - January 3, 1942. The program was unique in being a radio network prime-time drama with a churc ...

'', he played the Gargoyle, an ex-convict who helped the Bishop solve crimes.Frank Buxton and Bill Owen, ''The Big Broadcast'', page 39, The Viking Press, 1972 From 1942 to 1946, he was the voice of Tank Tanker, the mechanic, who aides the title character in '' Hop Harrigan''. He had roles on three daytime radio soap operas. Lynch played Victor on '' Backstage Wife'', Buck on ''

Portia Faces Life Portia Faces Life, is an American soap opera first broadcast as a radio series from 1940 to 1953, and then on television for a single season in the mid-1950s. It began in syndication on April 1, 1940, and was broadcast on some stations that carri ...

'', and Slim Stark on ''A Woman of America''. In 1950, Lynch starred in ''One Thousand Dollars Reward'', a rare crime drama, where after the crime play had ended, the host would place a telephone call to a random listener, who would then try to solve the mystery. Lynch also appeared on the radio shows '' The Falcon'', ''

21st Precinct ''21st Precinct'' (aka ''Twenty-First Precinct'' and ''Twenty First Precinct'') was a police drama broadcast on CBS radio from July 7, 1953, to July 26, 1956. It was initially a summer replacement for ''My Friend Irma''. The program was produc ...

'', and ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

''. Later, in 1952, he played both Christopher Gard and Steve Lacey in ''

Cafe Istanbul ''Cafe Istanbul'' is an old-time radio foreign intrigue and adventure program in the United States. It was broadcast on ABC January 6, 1952 - December 28, 1952. Format ''Mademoiselle Madou'' was the singer in Cafe Istanbul, a cabaret located some ...

'' on CBS radio. From 1949 to 1954, Lynch starred in '' The Plainclothesman'' on the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being ...

.Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 838-839. In his role of the lieutenant on that program, he did not appear on camera, giving the impression that viewers saw things through his eyes. He appeared in numerous television series. He made three guest appearances on '' Perry Mason'', including the role of Wallace Lang in "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop" in 1959, Robert Hayden in "The Case of the Irate Inventor" in 1960 and Customs Inspector Wendel in "The Case of the Floating Stones" in 1963. Some of the other series in which Lynch appeared are '' Peter Gunn'', '' Zorro'', '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' ("Love of a Bad Woman"), ''

'' (“Bureaucrat”), ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'' ("Cyanide Touch"), woman"), ''

'' ("Born To Hang"), '' The Asphalt Jungle'', '' Straightaway'', '' The Honeymooners'', '' The Fugitive'', '' The Andy Griffith Show'', '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'', ''

Blue Light Blue Light or Blue light may refer to: Science and technology * Portion of the visible spectrum related to the blue color ** Blue laser ** Blue LED * Cherenkov radiation, the physical phenomenon responsible for the characteristic blue glow in nucl ...

'', ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'', ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' ("

The Devil in the Dark "The Devil in the Dark" is the twenty-fifth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney, the episode first aired on March 9, 1967. In thi ...

"), '' Maverick'', '' All In The Family'' (in the famous episode, "

Archie Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

and the Lockup", where he played Guard Callaghan), '' The Twilight Zone'' (" Mr. Denton on Doomsday"), '' The Rifleman'', and ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

''. In 1960 Lynch appeared as Al Killmer in the TV western series '' Lawman'' in the episode titled "The Escape of Joe Killmer." Between 1972 and 1977, he made 16 guest appearances on '' McCloud'', performing as a police sergeant and later a detective named Grover on the series. He previously appeared in 12 episodes of ''

'', 10 episodes of ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'', nine episodes of ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', and six episodes in both '' The Virginian'' and ''

Gomer Pyle, USMC ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Show ...

''. Among the feature films in which he appeared are '' I Married a Monster from Outer Space'', '' North By Northwest'', ''

The Lawbreakers ''The Lawbreakers'' is a 1961 American film directed by Joseph M. Newman. Made in a film noir style, the crime drama is based on the pilot episode of the 1961 television series ''The Asphalt Jungle'' and stars an ensemble cast including Jack War ...

'', '' Pork Chop Hill'', '' Anatomy of a Murder'' and ''

Tora! Tora! Tora! ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' ( ja, トラ・トラ・トラ！) is a 1970 epic film, epic war film that dramatizes the Empire of Japan, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The film was produced by Elmo Williams and directed by Richard Fleischer, T ...

''. He appeared in ''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...

'' as Dr Horning in episode 22, "Experiment in Terra" (1979). Lynch's last credited performance was in the role of Rear Admiral Talbot Gray in the 1983 seven-part

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

'' The Winds of War''.

Flower business

Even though Lynch still had a very successful career as an actor by the 1970s, he began looking for another, more steady source of income. He explained in a 1975 newspaper interview: "In acting you just can't predict the jobs that will come along. If you could, you could budget." With such income uncertainty in mind as he grew older, Lynch bought a flower shop in North Hollywood a "few years" before the noted interview. He began studying floriculture, taking courses in the art of floral arranging and design, and then providing flowers for local weddings, receptions, and other events. According to Lynch, his many years of experience performing on decorated sets for movies and television series proved to be a benefit to him in his new business. "Actually," he observed, "servicing a wedding is like ordering flowers for a studio set".

Death

Lynch died at age 79 from a virus on February 13, 1990, in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

. He was buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles.

Filmography

*'' When Willie Comes Marching Home'' (1950) - (uncredited) *''

Run Silent, Run Deep ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' is a novel by Commander (later Captain) Edward L. Beach Jr. published in 1955 by Henry Holt & Co. The story describes World War II submarine warfare in the Pacific Ocean, and deals with themes of vengeance, endurance, c ...

'' (1958) - Frank (uncredited) *'' Young and Wild'' (1958) - David Whitman *''

The Bonnie Parker Story ''The Bonnie Parker Story'' is a 1958 crime film directed by William Witney. The movie is loosely based on the life of Bonnie Parker, a well-known outlaw of the 1930. The film stars Dorothy Provine as Parker; Parker's actual historical partner, Cl ...

'' (1958) - Cook *''

Man or Gun ''Man or Gun'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Albert C. Gannaway and written by Vance Skarstedt and James J. Cassity. The film stars Macdonald Carey, Audrey Totter, James Craig, James Gleason, Warren Stevens and Harry Shannon. T ...

'' (1958) - Buckstorm Corley *''

Voice in the Mirror ''Voice in the Mirror'', also known as ''How Lonely the Night'' and ''This Day Alone'', is a 1958 American CinemaScope film noir drama film directed by Harry Keller and starring Richard Egan and Julie London. Plot After sinking into the depth ...

'' (1958) - Frank - Bartender *'' I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' (1958) - Dr. Wayne *''

Unwed Mother A single parent is a person who has a child or children but does not have a spouse or live-in partner to assist in the upbringing or support of the child. Reasons for becoming a single parent include divorce, break-up, abandonment, becoming wid ...

'' (1958) - Ray Curtis *''

Paratroop Command ''Paratroop Command'' is a 1959 American war film directed by William Witney, starring Richard Bakalyan, Ken Lynch and Jack Hogan. American International Pictures originally released the film as a double feature with '' Submarine Seahawk''. Pl ...

'' (1959) - The Lieutenant *'' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959) - Maj. Gen. Trudeau *'' Anatomy of a Murder'' (1959) - Det. Sgt. James Durgo *''

The Legend of Tom Dooley ''The Legend of Tom Dooley'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Ted Post and starring Michael Landon, Jo Morrow, Jack Hogan, Richard Rust, Dee Pollock and Ken Lynch. It was based on the 90-year-old folk song " Tom Dooley", which had been ...

'' (1959) - Father *'' North by Northwest'' (1959) - Charlie - Chicago Policeman, one of the two police officers who take Cary Grant to the airport after the auction scene. *''

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs ''The Dark at the Top of the Stairs'' is a 1957 play by William Inge about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. It was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play in 1958 and was made into a film of the same name in 196 ...

'' (1960) - Harry Ralston *''

Seven Ways from Sundown ''Seven Ways from Sundown'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Audie Murphy and Barry Sullivan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Clair Huffaker, who also wrote the script. Young cast member Teddy Ro ...

'' (1960) - Graves *''

Portrait of a Mobster ''Portrait of a Mobster'' is a 1961 American crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Vic Morrow, Leslie Parrish and Ray Danton repeating his role as Jack Diamond (gangster), 'Legs' Diamond.PORTRAIT OF A MOBSTER, Monthly Film Bulletin; ...

'' (1961) - Lieutenant D. Corbin *''

The Honeymoon Machine ''The Honeymoon Machine'' is a 1961 American comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Steve McQueen, Brigid Bazlen, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss, Jack Mullaney, and Dean Jagger, based on the 1959 Broadway play ''The Golden Fleecing'' by ...

'' (1961) - Capt. James Angle *'' Walk on the Wild Side'' (1962) - Frank Bonito *'' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962) - Proprietor (uncredited) *''

Dead Ringer Dead Ringer or Dead Ringers may refer to: * Dead ringer (idiom) Books * ''The Dead Ringer'', a 1948 mystery novel by Fredric Brown * ''Dead Ringer'', novel in the '' Rosato & Associates'' series * ''Dead Ringer'' (comics), a Marvel Comics cha ...

'' (1964) - Captain Johnson *''

Apache Rifles ''Apache Rifles'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy. The film was shot at Bronson Canyon and Red Rock Canyon State Park, California. It was the first of four Audie Murphy films for producer Gra ...

'' (1964) - Hodges *'' Dear Heart'' (1964) - The Masher *''

Mister Buddwing ''Mister Buddwing'' is a 1966 American film drama directed by Delbert Mann and starring James Garner. The film depicts a well-dressed man who finds himself on a bench in Central Park with no idea who he is. He proceeds to wander around Manhatta ...

'' (1966) - Dan *'' Hotel'' (1967) - Joe Laswell *'' P.J.'' (1968) - Thorson *'' Never a Dull Moment'' (1968) - Police Lieutenant (uncredited) *''

'' (1970) - Rear Adm. John H. Newton - USS Lexington (uncredited) *'' Across 110th Street'' (1972) - Tailor Shop Patrolman *''Bard Charleston Charlie'' (1973) - Sheriff Koontz *'' Willie Dynamite'' (1974) - Judge #1 *'' W'' (1974) - Guard

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Ken 1910 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male television actors American male radio actors Male actors from New York (state) Actors from Albany, New York American people of German descent Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Western (genre) television actors