|
John Forrest "Fuzzy" Knight (May 9, 1901 – February 23, 1976) was an American film and television actor. He was also a singer, especially in his early career. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1929 and 1967, usually as a cowboy hero's comic sidekick. ==Biography== Knight was born in Fairmont, West Virginia the third child and son of James A. and Olive Knight,〔United States Federal Census 1920; Fairmont Ward 8, Marion, West Virginia; Roll: T625_1961; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 27; Image: 1015.〕 and attended nearby West Virginia University〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 235〕 where he was a cheerleader and law student. He wrote a pep song, "Fight Mountaineers," which is still frequently used by the Mountaineer Marching Band 90 years later. He also wrote the melody for a WVU song entitled "To Thee Our Alma Mater," with words by fellow graduate David A. Christopher. He formed his own band in college and played drums,〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 235〕 eventually leaving school to perform in vaudeville and in big bands such as Irving Aaronson's and George Olsen's.〔Fuzzy Knight obituary, Variety, March 3, 1976〕 Eventually his musical and comedy skills took him to New York, where he appeared in ''Earl Carroll's Vanities'' of 1927 and on Broadway in ''Here's Howe'' and ''Ned Wayburn's Gambols''.〔Internet Broadway Database http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=67987〕 He was billed under his nickname, Fuzzy (given him because of his peculiarly soft voice).〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 236〕 While touring with bands, Knight came to Hollywood and appeared in several musical short films for MGM and Paramount between 1929 and 1932.〔Fuzzy Knight obituary, Variety, March 3, 1976〕 Mae West gave him his first notable film role in ''She Done Him Wrong'', and he went on to play in hundreds of films over the next 30 years. By the 1940s, he was primarily playing in Western movies and was voted one of the Top Ten Money-Making Stars in Westerns in 1940.〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 236〕 Knight became famous to a new generation when he co-starred as Buster Crabbe's sidekick on the 1955 television series ''Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion''.〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 236〕 In semi-retirement thereafter, Knight continued to make occasional appearances in films and TV shows through 1967. He died in his sleep at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, and was survived by his wife, actress Patricia Ryan (née Thelma de Long).〔Fuzzy Knight obituary, Variety, March 3, 1976〕〔Corneau, Ernest. ''Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars''. Christopher Publishing, 1969, p. 236〕 He was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in Burbank, California. His grave is next to that of the grave of Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, Knight's two-time co-star, who died less than two weeks after Knight.〔http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=6725725&PIpi=3758001〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fuzzy Knight」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|