Charles Kemper (September 6, 1900 – May 12, 1950) was an American character actor born in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. The heavy-set actor was for decades a successful stage actor.

Movie career

Like many actors in New York, Kemper worked in short comedies filmed at the Astoria Studios. In 1937 he was signed by Educational Pictures as a leading comic, playing timid characters in the tradition of Educational's silent-era star

Lloyd Hamilton Lloyd Vernon Hamilton (August 19, 1891 – January 19, 1935) was an American film comedian, best remembered for his work in the silent era. Career Having begun his career as an extra in theatre-productions, Hamilton first appeared on film in ...

. He soon became a foil for Educational's newest find

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

, who was then a dialect comedian. Kemper and Kaye might have continued in these miniature sketches, but the studio ceased production in mid-1938. Kemper pursued a career in Hollywood, beginning in 1945, as a character actor. Kemper had memorable supporting roles in films including '' The Southerner'' (1945), '' Scarlet Street'' (1945), ''

Gallant Journey ''Gallant Journey'' (aka ''The Great Highway'') is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford and Janet Blair. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Mo ...

'' (1946), ''

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses on ...

'' (1947), and the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

'' On Dangerous Ground'' (as Pop Daly, his last film role). Kemper died at the age of 49 when he was involved in a car accident 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, who ...

Filmography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemper, Charles American male film actors American male stage actors Road incident deaths in California 1900 births 1950 deaths 20th-century American male actors People from Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Male actors from Oklahoma