Percy Kilbride was a popular American character actor who made a career of playing country “hicks”, most memorably as Pa Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle series of feature films. He had a long and successful career in theater and film, but his life was cut short by a tragic accident that left him with fatal head injuries. In this article, we will explore the life and legacy of Percy Kilbride, as well as the circumstances of his death.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Percy William Kilbride was born on July 16, 1888, in San Francisco, California, to a Canadian father and a Maryland native mother. He began working in the theater in 1900, at the age of 12, as a call boy at San Francisco’s Central Theatre. After five years on the San Francisco stage, he played light-comedy roles for stock companies in Boston, Albany, Syracuse, Trenton, and Philadelphia. He eventually left to become an actor on Broadway, where he debuted in A Tale of Two Cities in 1928.
His film debut was as Jakey in White Woman (1933), a Pre-Code film starring Carole Lombard. He left Broadway for good in 1942, when Jack Benny insisted that Kilbride reprise his Broadway role in the film version of George Washington Slept Here. He followed up the Benny film with a featured role in the Olsen and Johnson comedy Crazy House (1943). In 1945, he appeared in The Southerner, directed by Jean Renoir.
The Ma and Pa Kettle Series
In 1947, he and Marjorie Main appeared in The Egg and I, starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert as a sophisticated couple taking on farm life. Main and Kilbride were featured as folksy neighbors Ma and Pa Kettle, and audience response prompted the popular Ma and Pa Kettle series. Pa Kettle became Kilbride’s most famous role: the gentle-spirited and incredibly lazy Pa seldom raised his voice, and was always ready to help friends—by borrowing from other friends, or assigning any kind of labor to his American Indian friends Geoduck and Crowbar.
The series consisted of nine films, released between 1947 and 1957, with Kilbride appearing in eight of them. The films were lucrative and well-received by the public, but they also typecast Kilbride as a rural buffoon, limiting his opportunities for other roles. He tried to break away from Pa Kettle, playing character roles in other films through 1950, but he became so familiar in the Kettle pictures that he wound up playing that role almost exclusively.
Percy Kilbride Cause of Death
Kilbride withdrew from the series in 1953, after filming Ma and Pa Kettle Hit the Road Home. It was released in 1954 as Ma and Pa Kettle at Home. He retired from acting and planned to move to New York and pursue television guest appearances. However, his plans were shattered by a tragic accident that occurred on September 21, 1953.
Kilbride and actor Ralph Belmont were walking through Kilbride’s neighborhood at night when they were struck by a car. Belmont died instantly, while Kilbride suffered severe head injuries. He underwent brain surgery on November 11, 1953, but his condition did not improve. He died on December 11, 1954, at the age of 76, from arteriosclerosis and terminal pneumonia. He was buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.
Legacy and Influence
Percy Kilbride was a talented and versatile actor who brought humor and warmth to his roles. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Pa Kettle, a character that resonated with millions of Americans who enjoyed his simple and honest approach to life. He was also a respected and well-liked person in the industry, who refused to be paid more or less than what he considered a fair salary. He was unmarried and had no children, but he left behind a legacy of laughter and entertainment that continues to delight audiences today.
According to Wikipedia, Kilbride’s trademark derby hat that he wore as Pa Kettle is now in the Smithsonian Institution. His films are also preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 2002. He is regarded as one of the greatest character actors of all time, and his influence can be seen in many comedians and actors who followed in his footsteps.
