Roy Tudor Owen (20 January 1898 – 13 March 1979), known professionally as just Tudor Owen, was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

character actor. Owen is most famous for voicing the role of Towser in the 1961

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

movie ''

One Hundred and One Dalmatians ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (also simply known as ''101 Dalmatians'') is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1956 novel ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' by Dodie Smith. The ...

''.

Early life and career

Owen was born on 20 January 1898 in the

town of

Penarth Penarth (, ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a weal ...

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

. After serving with the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he went to

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

before moving to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

. He began his career in the 1926

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

Bride of the Storm ''Bride of the Storm'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent adventure film directed by J. Stuart Blackton at Warner Bros. and starring Tyrone Power, Sr. and Dolores Costello. Sheldon Lewis plays Tyrone Power's son in this picture even though, ...

'' as Funeral Harry. His next film role was 22 years later in the 1948 film ''

Up in Central Park ''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was Ro ...

''. Owen worked in radio during the 1940s and 1950s, teaming up with producer and director

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

in several programs. The first of those programs was the

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

Pat Novak, for Hire ''Pat Novak, for Hire'' is an old-time radio radio drama, detective drama series which aired from 1946 to 1947 as a West Coast regional (produced at KGO (AM), KGO in San Francisco) program and in 1949 as a nationwide program for American Broadcast ...

''. He played Novak's drunk ex-doctor friend "Jocko" Madigan.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 266. He played this role from 1946 to 1949. He again co-starred with Webb in the radio series '' Johnny Modero, Pier 23'' in 1947. Owen co-starred with Webb on radio one more time, on the radio version of the Pete Kelly franchise. He played Barney Rickett for the series's summer run in 1951. In 1951, he played the title character's editor in ''

Alias Jane Doe Alias Jane Doe is a radio adventure drama produced in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS April 7, 1951 - September 22, 1951. Summary Episodes of ''Alias Jane Doe'' related the adventures of "a female magazine reporter who dons various dis ...

''. His last radio appearance was in 1953, leaving behind such radio credits as ''University Theatre'', ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...

'', ''

Family Theater ''Family Theater'' is a weekly half-hour dramatic anthology radio program which aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States from February 13, 1947, to September 11, 1957. Production history ''Family Theater'' developed from a R ...

'', ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

'', ''

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962. The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O'B ...

'', ''

Crime Classics ''Crime Classics'' is a United States radio docudrama which aired as a sustaining series over CBS Radio from June 15, 1953, to June 30, 1954. Production Produced and directed by radio actor and director Elliott Lewis, the program was a histor ...

'' and ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. Owen also played 'Dusty' in the 1950 episode of ''The Lone Ranger'' titled 'Greed for Gold'. Shortly after Owen's last appearance in radio, he made his first appearance in television on the TV series ''

'' in 1950. As his presence became wanted more and more in the television field, his presence became less wanted in the film industry. Although he did find success in film it was not as much success as in previous years. His most successful film during this time was in the 1961

animated cartoon Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...

'' where Owen voiced the role of Towser. His last film role was a background voice role in another Disney cartoon, as a knight in '' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963). Some of his other film credits include ''

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

'', ''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'', '' Back to God's Country'', '' Perils of the Jungle'', ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song " Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a ...

'', ''

The Oklahoma Woman ''The Oklahoma Woman'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Roger Corman. Plot The film involves the return of Steve Ward, a former gunslinger recently released from federal prison, to his hometown to claim a ranch he has inherited. Upo ...

'', ''

Congo Crossing ''Congo Crossing'' is a 1956 American adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Plot Congotanga, West ...

'' and ''

Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...

''. Owen's television career expanded during the 1950s and 1960s which included recurring roles in ''

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 ...

'' and a starring role in a television series. In 1954–55, Owen co-starred as Joe Ainsley alongside Thomas Mitchell and

Kathleen Freeman Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1923August 23, 2001) was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost in ...

in the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

'' Mayor of the Town''. He retired from show business after a 1965 guest appearance on the television series ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

''.

Personal life and death

Owen married Gladys Virginia Bennett Paterno in 1953, and they remained together until he died on 13 March 1979 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California at the age of 81. He is entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Selected filmography

*''

'' (1926) - Funeral Harry *''

'' (1948) - Footman (uncredited) *''

Fighter Squadron A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, dependi ...

'' (1948) - Eddie (uncredited) *''Life of St. Paul Series'' (1949) - Dionides *'' Top o' the Morning'' (1949) - Cormac Gillespie *''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''La ...

'' (1949) - Doctor (uncredited) *'' Port of New York'' (1949) - Apartment Hotel Janitor (uncredited) *''

The Pilgrimage Play ''The Pilgrimage Play'' is a 1949 historical drama film directed by Frank Strayer, from an original screenplay by Arthur Pierson. It was adapted from the play by Christine Wetherill Stevenson. The film stars Nelson Leigh, Stephen Chase, and Le ...

'' (1949) - Nicodemus *''

'' (1950) - Jock *'' Outside the Wall'' (1950) - Watchman (uncredited) *''

The Jackpot ''The Jackpot'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang, with James Stewart and Barbara Hale in the lead roles. It features a young Natalie Wood. The screenplay was based on a John McNulty article, "The Jackpot", in ''The New York ...

'' (1950) - Police Turnkey (uncredited) *'' Frenchie'' (1950) - Toby (uncredited) *''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly ar ...

'' (1951) - Farmer Snowe (uncredited) *''

Thunder on the Hill ''Thunder on the Hill'' is a 1951 American film noir crime film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Claudette Colbert and Ann Blyth. The picture was made by Universal-International Pictures and produced by Michael Kraike from a screenplay by Osc ...

'' (1951) - Old Man (uncredited) *''

Dick Turpin's Ride ''Dick Turpin's Ride'' (reissued as ''The Lady and the Bandit'') is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Louis Hayward. It follows the career of the eighteenth century highwaymen Dick Turpin. It is based on the poem ...

'' (1951) - Mason (uncredited) *'' Angels in the Outfield'' (1951) - Father O'Houlihan (uncredited) *''

The Sea Hornet ''The Sea Hornet'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Joseph Kane and written by Gerald Drayson Adams. The film stars Rod Cameron, Adele Mara, Lorna Gray, Chill Wills, Jim Davis and Richard Jaeckel. The film was released on November ...

'' (1951) - Salvage Company Clerk (uncredited) *'' Steel Town'' (1952) - McIntosh (uncredited) *'' Deadline – U.S.A.'' (1952) - Watchman (uncredited) *''

Talk About a Stranger ''Talk About a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by David Bradley and starring George Murphy, Nancy Davis and Billy Gray. The motion picture was shot by noted cinematographer John Alton, A.S.C. and was based on Charlotte Armstron ...

'' (1952) - Sergeant Magnusson (uncredited) *'' When in Rome'' (1952) - Father McGinniss *''

The World in His Arms ''The World in His Arms'' is a 1952 seafaring adventure film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Gregory Peck, Ann Blyth and Anthony Quinn, with John McIntire, Carl Esmond, Andrea King, Eugenie Leontovich, Hans Conried, and Sig Ruman. Made by U ...

'' (1952) - Old Sailor (uncredited) *''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1952) - Citizen (uncredited) *''

Against All Flags ''Against All Flags'' is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman and Douglas Sirk and starring Errol Flynn as Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens and Anthony Quinn as Roc Brasiliano. The film's plot is set in ...

'' (1952) - Williams *''

'' (1952) - Romley *''

My Cousin Rachel ''My Cousin Rachel'' is a Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1951. Bearing thematic similarities to her earlier and more famous novel '' Rebecca'', it is a mystery-romance, set primarily on a large estate in ...

'' (1952) - Seecombe *''

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...

'' (1952) - Warden (uncredited) *''

Treasure of the Golden Condor ''Treasure of the Golden Condor'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Delmer Daves, starring Cornel Wilde and Constance Smith, and released by Twentieth Century Fox. The film is a remake of the 1942 film '' Son of Fury: Th ...

'' (1953) - Fontaine (uncredited) *'' Perils of the Jungle'' (1953) - Commissioner *'' Dangerous When Wet'' (1953) - Old Salt *''

Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

'' (1953) - Blacksmith (uncredited) *''

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 ...

'' (1953) - Mr. Otis (uncredited) *'' Back to God's Country'' (1953) - Fitzsimmons *''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1954) - Patriarch (uncredited) *'' Yankee Pasha'' (1954) - Elias Derby *''

Arrow in the Dust ''Arrow In the Dust'' is a 1954 American western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray and Keith Larsen.Pitts p.15 Shot in Technicolor, it was produced and distributed by Allied Artists. The film is based o ...

'' (1954) - Tillotson *''

'' (1954) - Archie Beaton *''

The Sea Chase ''The Sea Chase'' is a 1955 World War II drama film starring John Wayne and Lana Turner, and featuring David Farrar, Lyle Bettger, and Tab Hunter. It was directed by John Farrow from a screenplay by James Warner Bellah and John Twist based on th ...

'' (1955) - Trawler Survivor (uncredited) *''

The King's Thief ''The King's Thief'' is a 1955 swashbuckling CinemaScope adventure film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who replaced Hugo Fregonese during filming. Released on August 5, 1955, the film takes place in London at the time of Charles II and stars A ...

'' (1955) - Simon *''

The Court Jester ''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. The movie was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman ...

'' (1955) - Friar (uncredited) *''

'' (1956) - Ed Grant *''

'' (1956) - Emile Zorfus *'' Duel at Apache Wells'' (1957) - Dr. Munn (uncredited) *''

The Lonely Man ''The Lonely Man'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Henry Levin and written by Harry Essex and Robert Smith. The film stars Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Elaine Aiken,Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Elisha Cook, Jr., Claude Akin ...

'' (1957) - Mr. MacGregor (uncredited) *''

The Story of Mankind ''The Story of Mankind'' is a book written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon. It was published in 1921. In 1922, it was awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children ...

'' (1957) - High Tribunal Clerk *'' Jet Over the Atlantic'' (1959) - Mr. Priestwood *''

North to Alaska ''North to Alaska'' is a 1960 comedic Western/Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 play ' ...

'' (1960) - Purser (uncredited) *''

'' (1961) - Towser (voice) *''

Frontier Uprising ''Frontier Uprising'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Jim Davis, Nancy Hadley and Ken Mayer. It is a remake of ''Kit Carson'' (1940).Most Dangerous Man Alive ''Most Dangerous Man Alive'' is a 1961 American science fiction film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus, directed by Allan Dwan (the final film of his long career), that stars Ron Randell, Debra Paget, and Elaine Stewart. The film was distributed ...

'' (1961) - Dr. Meeker *''

The Notorious Landlady ''The Notorious Landlady'' is a 1962 American comedy mystery film starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Fred Astaire.''Variety'' film review; June 27, 1962, page 6.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; June 30, 1962, page 98. The film was directed b ...

'' (1962) - Farmer (uncredited) *''

'' (1962) - Chancellor *'' How the West Was Won'' (1962) - Parson Alec Harvey (uncredited) *'' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963) - Knights / Nobles in Crowd (voice, uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Tudor 1898 births 1979 deaths Welsh male film actors Welsh male radio actors Welsh male television actors People from Penarth Royal Army Medical Corps soldiers British Army personnel of World War I Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Welsh emigrants to the United States Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) British expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century Welsh male actors