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Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-American actor of stage, film, and television.[1] He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, such as Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) and carpetbagger Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind (1939). From 1959 to 1961, he had a lead role in the 78-episode television police drama Manhunt. He also recorded numerous stories for Peter Pan Records and was a guest star in dozens of television series as well as a supporting player in dozens of theatrical films, occasionally appearing as the leading man.

Key Information

Biography

[edit]

Jory was born in Dawson City, Yukon, to American parents. He was the boxing and wrestling champion of the U.S. Coast Guard during his military service, and he kept his burly physique.[2] He graduated from the Martha Oatman School of the Theater in Los Angeles.[3]

Jory toured with theatre troupes and appeared on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1930. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast as the villain, probably due to his distinctive, seemingly coal-black eyes that might be perceived as 'threatening'.[4] He made over 150 films and dozens of TV episodes, as well as writing two plays. His long career in radio included starring in the series Dangerously Yours.[5]

Victor Jory as Oberon in an outtake from the film A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

He is remembered for his roles as malevolent Injun Joe in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), Jonas Wilkerson, the opportunistic overseer of the slaves at Tara in Gone with the Wind,[2] and as Lamont Cranston, or 'The Shadow', in the 1940 serial film The Shadow.[6][7] He also portrayed Oberon in Max Reinhardt's film adaptation of Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)[2] starring James Cagney, Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland.

He co-starred in seven Hopalong Cassidy films between 1941 and 1943, usually cast in the role of a villain with the exception of his role as a broad-shouldered lumberjack in the film Riders of the Timberline (1941).

He starred in the radio series Dangerously Yours beginning in mid-1944. The series was retitled Matinee Theater in October 1944 and ran through April 1945. Each episode was a dramatic reworking of famous literary works. The first episode dated July 2, 1944, was "The Highwayman", a dramatic interpretation of the Alfred Noyes poem.[8][9]

In 1946, he narrated "Tubby the Tuba" for children, which was inducted in 2005 in the National Recording Registry and also introduces the orchestra to young listeners.[10] The disc sold over one million copies.[11] The story tells of a tuba who does not fit in. He also narrated "Bumpo the Ballerina", whose title character is an elephant.

From 1959 to 1961, he appeared with Patrick McVey in the 78-episode syndicated television police drama Manhunt. Jory played the lead role of Detective Lieutenant Howard Finucane. McVey was cast as police reporter Ben Andrews.[12]

In 1957, Jory was cast in the role of the Southern Baptist pastor George Washington Truett of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, in the episode "Lone Star Preacher" of the syndicated religion anthology series Crossroads.[13] In 1960 he portrayed the aging, malevolent husband of Anna Magnani’s character in The Fugitive Kind, adapted from a play by Tennessee Williams.

In 1962, he was cast as Deacon Lee in the two-part episode "Policemen Die Alone" of Leslie Nielsen's ABC crime drama The New Breed. That same year, Jory guest-starred as Mike Dahlback in the episode "Ride to a Fall" in the NBC modern Western series Empire, which featured Richard Egan as rancher Jim Redigo. He also played Helen Keller's father in The Miracle Worker,[2] for which his co-stars Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won Academy Awards.

In 1964, along with actresses Coleen Gray and Susan Seaforth, Jory testified before the United States Congress as part of "Project Prayer", arguing in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution to restore school prayer, which the United States Supreme Court struck down in two decisions in 1962 and 1963.[14]

Jory was on the faculty of the University of Utah, teaching acting in the Department of Theater. He endowed a scholarship for junior/senior students in the department known as the Victor Jory Scholarship, which continues to the current day.[15]

The High Chaparral television episode "The Peacemaker" in 1968 featured Jory as a peace envoy attempting to negotiate a treaty with Apache Native American chief Cochise.

In the private-eye series Mannix, which starred Mike Connors as the title character, Jory played the Armenian-American detective's widowed father, Stefan Mannix—a grape farmer in "Summer Grove", a fictitious town in California's Central Valley near Fresno (which continues to have a large Armenian population). He appeared in two episodes,"Return to Summer Grove" (1969) and "Wine from These Grapes" (1971).[16][17][18]

In 1978, near the end of his career, Jory guest starred as an aging Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in James Garner's The Rockford Files episode "The Attractive Nuisance".[19]

Jory died on February 12, 1982, at the age of 79, from a heart attack in Santa Monica, California.[1]

Jory's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6605 Hollywood Blvd

For his contribution to the motion-picture industry, Victor Jory was honored in 1960 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6605 Hollywood Blvd.[20]

Family

[edit]

Jory married actress Jean Inness in 1928. They had two children, Jon and Jean. Jon Jory headed the Actors Theater of Louisville, Kentucky, for 31 years, which he helped to build into one of America's most respected regional theater companies.[21] He left the job in 2000 to become professor of drama at the University of Washington in Seattle.[22] His daughter Jean Jory Anderson was a public-relations director of the theater department at Utah State University in Logan.[23]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1930 Renegades Officer Belonge Uncredited
1932 The Pride of the Legion Jerry Brewster
1932 Handle with Care 1st Public Enemy
1933 Second Hand Wife Lotzi Vajda
1933 State Fair Hoop Toss Barker
1933 Sailor's Luck Baron Portola - aka Darrow
1933 Infernal Machine Alfred Doreen
1933 Trick for Trick La Tour
1933 I Loved You Wednesday Randall Williams
1933 The Devil's in Love Dr. Andre Morand / Paul Vernay
1933 My Woman John Bradley
1933 Smoky Clint Peters
1934 I Believed in You Jim Crowl
1934 Murder in Trinidad Howard Sutter
1934 He Was Her Man Nick Gardella
1934 Madame Du Barry Duc Armand d'Aiguillon
1934 Pursued Beauregard
1934 Mills of the Gods Jim Devlin
1934 White Lies Terry Condon
1935 Party Wire Matthew Putnam
1935 Streamline Express Jimmy Hart
1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon - King of the Fairies
1935 Escape from Devil's Island Dario
1935 Too Tough to Kill John O'Hara
1936 Hell-Ship Morgan Jim Allen
1936 The King Steps Out Captain Palfi
1936 Meet Nero Wolfe Claude Roberts
1936 Rangle River Dick Drake Filmed in Australia[24]
1937 Bulldog Drummond at Bay Gregoroff
1937 Glamorous Night Baron Lyadeff
1937 First Lady Gordon Keane
1938 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Injun Joe
1939 Blackwell's Island Commissioner Thomas MacNair
1939 Wings of the Navy Lieutenant Parsons
1939 Dodge City Yancey
1939 Women in the Wind Doc
1939 Man of Conquest William B. Travis
1939 Susannah of the Mounties Wolf Pelt
1939 Each Dawn I Die W. J. Grayce
1939 I Stole a Million Patian
1939 Call a Messenger Ed Hogan
1939 Gone with the Wind Jonas Wilkerson - Field Overseer
1940 The Shadow Lamont Cranston / The Shadow
1940 Knights of the Range Malcolm Lascalles
1940 The Light of Western Stars Gene Stewart
1940 The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady Clay Beaudine
1940 River's End Norman Talbot
1940 Girl from Havana Tex Moore
1940 Cherokee Strip Coy Barrett Alternative title: The Indian Nation
1940 The Green Archer Spike Holland
1940 Give Us Wings Mr. Arnold Carter
1940 Lady with Red Hair Mr. Clifton
1941 Border Vigilantes Henry Logan
1941 Hoola Boola Narrator Voice, Short
1941 Bad Men of Missouri William Merrick
1941 Wide Open Town Steve Fraser
1941 Charlie Chan in Rio Marana / Alfredo Cardozo
1941 The Gay Knighties Narrator Voice, Short
1941 Riders of the Timberline Baptiste Deschamp
1941 The Stork Pays Off Deak Foster
1941 Secrets of the Lone Wolf Dapper Dan Streever
1942 Shut My Big Mouth Buckskin Bill
1942 Jasper and the Watermelons Voice, Short
1942 Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die Ike Clanton
1942 Tulips Shall Grow Narrator Voice, Short
1943 Power of the Press Oscar Trent
1943 Hoppy Serves a Writ Tom Jordan
1943 Buckskin Frontier Champ Clanton
1943 The Leather Burners Dan Slack
1943 Colt Comrades Jeb Hardin
1943 The Kansan Jeff Barat
1943 Bar 20 Mark Jackson
1943 The Unknown Guest Charles 'Chuck' Williams
1944 Jasper's Paradise Voice, Short
1945 Hot Lips Jasper Voice, Short
1945 Jasper Tell Voice, Short
1947 Shoe Shine Jasper Voice, Short
1947 Tubby the Tuba Narrator Short
1948 The Loves of Carmen García
1948 The Gallant Blade Marshal of France Mordore
1949 A Woman's Secret Brook Matthews
1949 South of St. Louis Luke Cottrell
1949 Canadian Pacific Dirk Rourke
1949 Fighting Man of the Plains Dave Oldham
1950 The Capture Father Gomez
1950 The Cariboo Trail Frank Walsh
1951 The Highwayman Lord Douglas
1951 Cave of Outlaws Ben Cross
1952 Flaming Feather Lucky Lee / The Sidewinder
1952 Son of Ali Baba Caliph
1952 Toughest Man in Arizona Frank Girard
1953 The Man from the Alamo Jess Wade
1953 Cat-Women of the Moon Kip Reissner
1954 Valley of the Kings Tuareg Chief
1954 Sabaka Ashok
1956 Manfish 'Professor' Walter Fenton
1956 Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado Jared Tetlow
1956 Death of a Scoundrel Leonard Wilson
1957 The Man Who Turned to Stone Dr. Murdock
1957 The Last Stagecoach West Rand McCord
1958 Sierra Baron Closing narrator Uncredited
1960 The Fugitive Kind Jabe M. Torrance
1961 Operation Glen Canyon Narrator Documentary
1962 The Miracle Worker Captain Arthur Keller
1964 Cheyenne Autumn Tall Tree
1968 Jigsaw Edward Arkroyd
1969 Mackenna's Gold The Narrator
1969 A Time for Dying Judge Roy Bean
1970 Trail of the Hunter Himself Documentary
1970 Flap Wounded Bear Mr. Smith (Attorney at Law) Alternative title: The Last Warrior
1973 Frasier, the Sensuous Lion Frasier's Voice Voice
1973 Papillon Indian Chief
1975 The Boy Who Talks to Whales
1977 Mission to Glory: A True Story Father Zaya
1980 The Mountain Men Iron Belly (final film role)
1987 The Puppetoon Movie Voice

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1950 The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre Publisher Episode: "Oropalo"
1950 The Philco Television Playhouse Episode: "The Second Oldest Profession"
1950 Armstrong Circle Theatre Episode: "The First Formal"
1950 Sure as Fate Episode: "Child's Play"
1951 The Bigelow Theatre College Professor Episode: "The Sum of Seven"
1952 Tales of Tomorrow Dr. Alden / Dr. Kramer 2 episodes
1952 Studio One Dr. Kane / Interrogator / Gangster 3 episodes
1952–1953 Broadway Television Theatre Manningham 2 episodes
1953 Medallion Theatre Jean Valjean Episode: "The Bishop's Candlesticks"
1953–1956 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Ferdie Shiff / Andrew Duquette 3 episodes
1954 Moby Dick Captain Ahab Television film
1954 General Electric Theater Andrew Perry Episode: "Exit for Margo"
1954 Pond's Theater Merlin Episode: "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"
1955 Producers' Showcase Aristides Argamonte Episode: "Yellow Jack"
1955 Warner Bros. Presents Dr. Tower Episode: "King's Row"
1955–1956 Kings Row Dr. Tower
1955–1957 Climax! John Coulter / Sam Bellows / Robert 3 episodes
1956 TV Reader's Digest Antonio Rosas / Movie Producer Stanley 2 episodes
1956 Science Fiction Theatre Detective Lieutenant William Kiel Episode: "The Flicker"
1956 Telephone Time Stypulkowski Episode: "I Am Not Alone"
1956 The Alcoa Hour D'Alcala Episode: "Key Largo"
1956–1957 Omnibus Captain Kidd 2 episodes
1956–1957 Kraft Television Theatre Joe Carpenter / Frankie Sorrano / Rancher / Everett 6 episodes
1956–1957 Matinee Theatre Edward Hicks / Molara 4 episodes
1956–1959 Playhouse 90 George Bavister / Himself - Host / Captain Hume / Reverend Mr. Powell / Rear Admiral Batt 5 episodes
1957 Crossroads Reverend George Truett Episode: "Lone Star Preacher"
1957 The 20th Century Fox Hour Major Kenniston Episode: "The Still Trumpet"
1957 Ford Television Theatre Harry Bond Episode: "Moment of Decision"
1958 Studio 57 Jeweler Episode: "The Queen's Bracelet"
1958 Johnny Belinda Black McDonald TV movie
1958 Target Episode: "Counterfeit Coin"
1958 Pursuit Cop Episode: "The Silent Night"
1959 Wanted Dead or Alive Sam McGarrett Episode: "The Legend"
1959 The United States Steel Hour Fernand Episode: "Night of Betrayal"
1959–1961 Manhunt Police Lieutenant Howard Finucane / Detective Lieutenant Howard Finucane 78 episodes
1959–1962 Rawhide Hosea Brewer / Jess Hode 2 episodes
1962 Dr. Kildare Dr. Oscar Whalen Episode: "Oh, My Daughter"
1962 The New Breed Deacon Lee 2 episodes
1962 Insight Episode: "IOU, My Brother"
1962 The Untouchables Arnold Stegler Episode: "Element of Danger"
1962 87th Precinct Mike Power Episode: "The Last Stop"
1962 Empire Mike Dahlback Episode: "Ride to a Fall"
1963 Wide Country Johnny Prewitt Episode: "Step Over the Sky"
1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Detective Paul Reardon Season 1 Episode 32: "Death of a Cop"
1963 Temple Houston Claude Boley Episode: "The Twisted Rope"
1964 The Great Adventure Andrew Jackson Episode: "The Testing of Sam Houston"
1964 Suspense Sheriff Episode: "I, Bradford Charles"
1964 Burke's Law Jim Clover Episode: "Who Killed Lenore Wingfield?"
1964 Profiles in Courage Charles Carlin Episode: "Oscar W. Underwood"
1964 The Farmer's Daughter Sultan Episode: "Big Sultan, Little Sultan"
1964–1969 The Virginian Luke Nichols / Jim Kohler / Tom Brant / Carl Hendricks 5 episodes
1965 Gunsmoke Chief Joseph Episode: "Chief Joseph"
1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre Conrad Easter Episode: "That Time in Havana"
1965 Who Has Seen the Wind? Peraltor TV movie
1966 Bonanza Charles Ludlow Episode: "Ride the Wind: Part 1"
1966 Hazel Mr. Woods Episode: "How to Find Work Without Really Trying"
1966 I Spy Rafael Ortiz Episode: "Return to Glory"
1966 The Loner Old Man Ridley Episode: "The Burden of the Badge"
1966 The Legend of Jesse James Judge Parker Episode: "Things Don't Just Happen"
1966 F Troop Chief Mean Buffalo Episode: "Indian Fever"
1966 The Green Hornet Charles Delaclaire Episode: "The Frog Is a Deadly Weapon"
1966 Iron Horse Captain Anderson Episode: "The Pride of the Bottom of the Barrel"
1967 The Road West Collier Episode: "Beyond the Hill"
1967 The Time Tunnel Captain Beal Episode: "Pirates of Deadman's Island"
1967 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Dr. Turner Episode: "Fires of Death"
1967 Ironside Wally Stowe Episode: "The Past Is Prologue"
1968 The High Chaparral Mr. Kelly Episode: "The Peacemaker"
1968 The Name of the Game Victor Foss Episode: "Witness"
1969–1971 Mannix Stefan Mannix 2 episodes
1971 Longstreet Fred Hornbeck Episode: "So, Who's Fred Hornbeck?"
1972 Banacek Paul Andros Episode: "No Sign of the Cross"
1973 Circle of Fear Old Man Episode: "The Phantom of Herald Square"
1974 Nakia Ben Redearth 3 episodes
1974 Kung Fu Fred Episode: "Cry of the Night Beast"
1974 McCloud Joseph Rhigas Episode: "The Concrete Jungle Caper"
1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Charles Rolling Thunder Episode: "Bad Medicine"
1976 Perilous Voyage Dr. Henry Merrill TV movie
1977 Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected Leon Davidian Episode: "The Mask of Adonis"
1977 Alice Billy 'The Scam' Williams Episode: "The Indian Taker"
1978 The Rockford Files Eddie LaSalle Episode: "The Attractive Nuisance"
1978 Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell Shaman TV movie
1978–1979 Greatest Heroes of the Bible Narrator / Horaz 15 episodes
1979 Grandpa Goes to Washington Meyer Brockman Episode: "The Union Boys"
1980 Young Maverick Pony That Waits Episode: "Makin' Tracks"
1980 Power Hillman TV movie

Radio appearances

[edit]
Year Program Episode/source
1953 Grand Central Station Lost Year (with daughter Jean)[25]
1959 Suspense Death Notice

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Victor Jory

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Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-born American actor renowned for his extensive work in stage, film, radio, and television over five decades. Born in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, to American parents, Jory began his career in theater after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he excelled as a boxing and wrestling champion. He gained prominence in the 1930s through Shakespearean roles on Broadway and early Hollywood films, transitioning to character parts that often featured him as menacing antagonists or authoritative figures. Jory's most iconic film role was as the opportunistic overseer Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind (1939), a performance that highlighted his skill in portraying ruthless ambition. He also delivered a chilling depiction of the villainous Injun Joe in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), cementing his reputation for embodying dark, manipulative characters. Over his career, he appeared in more than 150 films, including Westerns like the Hopalong Cassidy series and serials such as the 1940 film serial The Shadow. In addition to cinema, Jory maintained a robust stage presence, portraying Oberon in Max Reinhardt's 1935 film adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream and later writing two plays himself. His television work included leading the series Manhunt (1959–1961) and guest appearances in shows like Rawhide and Gunsmoke. Jory received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his motion picture contributions, recognizing his versatile and enduring impact on entertainment.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Victor Jory was born on November 23, 1902, in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. His parents were American citizens, though their names and specific backgrounds are not widely documented in available records. Limited historical accounts suggest his family resided in the Yukon during his early years, potentially linked to the region's mining boom, but verifiable details on familial professions or heritage prior to his birth remain scarce.

Education and Early Training

Jory relocated with his family to Pasadena, California, during his adolescence, where he completed secondary education before briefly attending the University of California at Berkeley for one year around 1920. He departed university without a degree to focus on acting pursuits. His initial theatrical training occurred at the Pasadena Playhouse, a prominent institution for aspiring performers, where he studied acting shortly after turning 18. Complementing this, Jory enrolled at the Martha Oatman School of the Theater in Los Angeles, graduating from the program that emphasized dramatic arts and technical skills. These institutions provided foundational instruction in stagecraft, voice, and performance, preparing him for professional engagements. Following formal studies, Jory undertook an extended apprenticeship in regional theater, touring with stock companies for nearly a decade and honing skills through practical repertory work across the United States. This hands-on experience, rather than extended academic tenure, shaped his versatile approach to classical and contemporary roles.

Stage Career

Broadway Debut and Early Theater Work

Jory commenced his professional stage career in the late 1920s with touring theater troupes and stock companies across North America, building experience through repertory performances. He made his initial stage appearance in Vancouver in 1929, participating in local productions before expanding into regional stock work. During this period, he performed in outdoor spectacles, including multiple iterations of the California state play Ramona in Hemet, portraying Alessandro in the 1920s and early 1930s. Between 1920 and 1932, Jory accumulated credits in over 400 plays nationwide, honing his craft in vaudeville circuits and barnstorming ensembles that emphasized versatility across dramatic and romantic leads. His entry into Broadway occurred in 1930 with a role in John L. Balderston's Berkeley Square, a time-travel fantasy that marked his New York professional debut amid the Great Depression's challenges to theater. This appearance led to subsequent featured parts in prominent productions, including Tonight or Never (1930–1931), a romantic comedy opposite Gloria Swanson, and J.M. Barrie's What Every Woman Knows (1933), where he supported Helen Hayes in a revival emphasizing domestic intrigue and wit. These early Broadway engagements showcased Jory's baritone voice and physical presence, initially typecasting him in suave, leading-man capacities before his transition to film. By the mid-1930s, while continuing stage commitments, his theater focus shifted toward classical repertory, though these formative years solidified his reputation for reliable, athletic portrayals in both intimate and large-scale venues.

Classical Roles and Shakespearean Performances

Jory performed the title role of Henry VIII in a Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's King Henry VIII, staged as part of the American Repertory Theatre's 1946-1947 season at the International Theatre; the production opened on November 6, 1946, and closed on February 21, 1947, after 131 performances. This historical drama, co-authored by Shakespeare and John Fletcher, featured Jory as the monarch amid court intrigues, papal conflicts, and the rise of Anne Boleyn, emphasizing themes of power and reformation. In the same repertory season, Jory took on the role of Ferrovius, a burly Christian convert facing gladiatorial combat, in George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion, a satirical comedy set in ancient Rome that reimagines classical legends of martyrdom and pacifism; it played from December 19, 1946, to February 22, 1947. Shaw's work, drawing from Plutarch and early Christian apocrypha, critiqued Roman imperial brutality through Ferrovius's transformation from reluctant fighter to principled non-violent. These roles highlighted Jory's versatility in period pieces evoking classical antiquity and Elizabethan drama, though his stage engagements in Shakespeare remained limited compared to modern works.

Film Career

Transition to Hollywood and Initial Roles

Following successful appearances on Broadway and with touring theater companies, Victor Jory transitioned to motion pictures in 1930, marking his entry into Hollywood after establishing a foundation in stage acting. His debut came in the Fox Film Corporation production Renegades, directed by Victor Fleming, where he portrayed the uncredited role of Officer Belonge, a French Foreign Legion officer, alongside stars Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. Jory's initial film roles often cast him in romantic leads, reflecting his stage persona as a charismatic performer, though these parts were typically supporting or secondary. His first credited screen appearance arrived in 1932 with The Pride of the Legion, in which he played the leading role of Jerry Brewster, a Marine sergeant involved in a narrative of military camaraderie and adventure. That same year, he appeared in Handle with Care as the 1st Public Enemy, beginning to showcase versatility beyond pure romance. By 1935, Jory secured a prominent supporting role as the fairy king Oberon in Warner Bros.' adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, opposite James Cagney and Mickey Rooney; this performance highlighted his commanding presence and vocal timbre, traits honed on stage, and foreshadowed his shift toward more antagonistic characters in subsequent films. These early Hollywood endeavors, numbering fewer than a dozen by mid-decade, positioned Jory as a reliable character actor amid the competitive studio system, blending his theatrical background with the demands of sound-era cinema.

Notable Villainous and Supporting Parts

Jory's film career shifted toward villainous and supporting characters in the late 1930s, leveraging his commanding presence and gravel-voiced delivery to portray antagonists effectively. In A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), he played the fairy king Oberon in a sinister interpretation that highlighted his capacity for otherworldly menace. A standout villainous role came in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), where Jory embodied Injun Joe, the brutish murderer pursuing the young protagonists with unrelenting ferocity; critics noted his "fiendish villainy" in the part. The following year, in Gone with the Wind (1939), he depicted Jonas Wilkerson, the opportunistic overseer whose resentment fuels schemes against Scarlett O'Hara's family during the Civil War aftermath. Jory also served as a primary antagonist, Glenn Irons, in the Errol Flynn Western Dodge City (1939), leading a lawless gang terrorizing the Kansas town. Throughout the early 1940s, Jory specialized in Western heavies, appearing as villains in seven Hopalong Cassidy films produced by Harry Sherman, including Steve Fraser in Wide Open Town (1941), a cattle rustler clashing with William Boyd's hero. These roles solidified his typecasting as a reliable screen heavy, often outshining leads with his intense physicality and moral ambiguity.

Later Film Appearances

In the 1960s, Jory's film roles diminished in frequency as he emphasized television work, but he secured supporting parts in acclaimed dramas. He portrayed Jabe Torrance, the cancer-stricken and domineering husband of Anna Magnani's character, in Sidney Lumet's The Fugitive Kind (1960), an adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play Orpheus Descending featuring Marlon Brando as the enigmatic drifter protagonist. The performance drew on Jory's established knack for portraying petty tyrants, with critics noting the film's intense Southern Gothic atmosphere amid interpersonal tensions. Jory next appeared as Captain Arthur Keller, the disciplined father grappling with his blind and deaf daughter's challenges, in Arthur Penn's The Miracle Worker (1962), based on William Gibson's play about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. His portrayal contributed to the film's success, which earned Oscars for Best Actress (Anne Bancroft) and Best Supporting Actress (Patty Duke), grossing over $5 million domestically against a modest budget. He also had a minor role in John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn (1964), a historical Western depicting the Cheyenne Nation's forced migration, amid an ensemble including Richard Widmark and Carroll Baker. The 1970s saw sporadic feature film credits, often in genre pieces. In Franklin J. Schaffner's Papillon (1973), adapted from Henri Charrière's memoir, Jory played the Indian Chief aiding Steve McQueen's escaped convict in the Venezuelan jungle, a cameo in the $12 million production that earned $58 million worldwide. He essayed Judge Roy Bean in Budd Boetticher's low-budget Western A Time for Dying (filmed 1969, released 1971), a violent tale of frontier justice starring Audie Murphy. Jory's penultimate film role was Iron Belly, a grizzled Native American trapper, in Richard Lang's adventure The Mountain Men (1980), starring Charlton Heston and Brian Keith as fur traders clashing with Blackfoot warriors in 1830s Wyoming; the Columbia Pictures release recouped its costs modestly at the box office. His final screen appearance came posthumously via voice work in the animated anthology The Puppetoon Movie (1987), narrating segments from George Pal's stop-motion shorts. These later outings reflected Jory's versatility in authority figures and antagonists, though his output shifted toward television by the decade's end.

Radio and Television Career

Radio Roles and Voice Work

Jory starred in the lead role across multiple episodes of the radio drama series Dangerously Yours, a Vicks-sponsored program that broadcast 16 installments in 1944, with 11 episodes preserved for collectors. In voice work, he narrated the 1946 children's musical recording Tubby the Tuba, composed by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger, which earned induction into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2005 for its cultural significance in introducing orchestral instruments to young audiences. He also provided narration for the related children's piece Bumpo the Ballerina. Throughout his radio career, Jory made guest appearances on anthology programs, leveraging his distinctive baritone voice for dramatic effect. Notable roles include the episode "Old Army Buddy" on Suspense (September 8, 1957) and "The Son of Man" on CBS Radio Workshop (April 21, 1957). He further contributed to CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the 1970s, appearing in select episodes amid its run of over 1,300 broadcasts from 1974 to 1982. Archival collections document approximately 52 of his old-time radio performances, spanning drama and suspense genres.

Television Guest Spots and Series

Jory portrayed Detective Lieutenant Howard Finucane, a hard-nosed San Diego police investigator, in the lead role of the syndicated crime drama Manhunt, which aired 78 episodes from 1959 to 1961 alongside Patrick McVey as his partner. The series focused on procedural investigations of robberies, murders, and other felonies, drawing comparisons to Dragnet in format. His television guest work spanned anthology dramas and genre series, beginning with an early appearance on Playhouse 90 in 1956. In the 1960s, he guest-starred as Wally Stowe in the Ironside episode "The Past Is Prologue" (1967), portraying a character tied to the wheelchair-bound detective's backstory. He also appeared as Mike Dahlback in the Empire episode "Ride to a Fall" (1963), a modern western involving ranching conflicts. During the 1970s, Jory continued with supporting roles in popular series, including an aging FBI agent in The Rockford Files episode "The Attractive Nuisance" (1977). Other appearances encompassed Paul Andros in Banacek (1972), Fred in Kung Fu (1972), and Joseph Rhigas in McCloud (1970), often leveraging his authoritative presence in mystery and action-oriented narratives. These roles highlighted his versatility beyond film villainy, contributing to dozens of episodic credits across westerns, police procedurals, and suspense shows.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Victor Jory married actress Jean Inness on December 23, 1928. The couple remained together until Inness's death on December 27, 1978. Inness, born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1900, appeared in films such as Gun Fever (1958) and performed alongside Jory in various stage productions. Jory and Inness had two children: a son, Jon Jory, and a daughter, Jean Jory. Jon Jory became a prominent theater director and producer, serving as artistic director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky, for 31 years starting in 1963, during which he transformed it into one of the leading regional theaters in the United States, known for its Humana Festival of New American Plays. The younger Jean Jory pursued a lower-profile life, with limited public records of her professional endeavors. Following Inness's death, Jory did not remarry.

Military Service and Other Pursuits

Jory served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, enlisting around 1943 amid his early acting career. His athletic build proved advantageous in service, where he distinguished himself as the boxing and wrestling champion of the Coast Guard, competing successfully against personnel across units. This prowess reflected his pre-military physical conditioning, including boxing and wrestling pursuits from youth that honed his burly frame for both competitive sports and later dramatic roles requiring physicality. Beyond military duties, Jory maintained an interest in athletics post-discharge, sustaining the fitness regimen that had defined his service era, though he did not pursue professional sports competitively after the war. Limited public records detail other non-acting endeavors, with his energies primarily redirecting to theater and film upon return to civilian life under postwar opportunities like the G.I. Bill, which facilitated his settlement in California.

Legacy

Recognition and Influence

Victor Jory was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 at 6605 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the motion picture industry. This honor acknowledges his extensive film career spanning over five decades and nearly 150 credits. Earlier in his career, Jory received the Photoplay Award for Best Performance of the Month in October 1933 for his role in The Devil's in Love. Jory's influence in acting is primarily through his portrayals of complex antagonists and supporting characters, leveraging his commanding screen presence and resonant voice to define morally ambiguous figures in Westerns and film noir. He is particularly remembered for voicing Lamont Cranston, the alter ego of The Shadow, in radio serials from 1937 to 1943, which solidified the character's enigmatic persona in pulp fiction adaptations and influenced subsequent audio dramas. Roles such as the ruthless overseer Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind (1939) and the menacing Injun Joe in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) exemplified his skill in embodying villainy, contributing to the archetype of the suave yet dangerous heavy in mid-20th-century cinema. As a versatile character actor, Jory's consistent work across stage, screen, radio, and television bridged classical theater with popular genres, mentoring younger performers through ensemble casts and demonstrating the enduring value of vocal modulation and physical authority in supporting roles. His legacy persists in the tradition of reliable antagonists who elevate narratives without dominating leads, as seen in his seven appearances as villains opposite Hopalong Cassidy between 1941 and 1943.

Death and Posthumous Assessment

Victor Jory died of a heart attack on February 12, 1982, at the age of 79 in Santa Monica, California. He was discovered by police in his home, with death possibly occurring as early as the preceding Wednesday from natural causes. At the time, Jory was actively teaching acting classes, and his absence from a scheduled session prompted concern from a student. In his will, Jory bequeathed his estimated $565,000 estate to his son, Jon Jory. Posthumously, Jory is assessed as a durable character actor whose gravel-voiced portrayals of villains, such as Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Lamont Cranston in The Shadow serials, defined his screen legacy despite his stronger classical stage background. His 1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame star at 6605 Hollywood Boulevard endures as recognition of over 120 film roles and a career spanning stage, radio, and television. Assessments highlight his versatility in antagonist parts across Westerns and serials, though he occasionally played protagonists, underscoring a reliable but typecast presence in mid-20th-century Hollywood. No major reevaluations or controversies have emerged in later scholarship, with contemporary views affirming his technical proficiency in voice and menace over leading-man appeal.

References

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