Don DeFore | |
|---|---|
 DeFore in 1962 | |
| Born | Donald John DeFore (1913-08-25)August 25, 1913 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1993(1993-12-22) (aged 80) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1936–1987 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
Donald John DeFore (August 25, 1913 – December 22, 1993) was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcomThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcomHazel from 1961 to 1965, the former of which earned him aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination.
DeFore was one of seven children born inCedar Rapids, Iowa, to Joseph Ervin DeFore, a railroad engineer for theChicago and North Western Railroad and a local politician, and Albina Sylvia DeFore (née Nezerka).[1] Albina, who occasionally directed plays at their local church, was the daughter ofCzech immigrants from the formerPoděbrady district.[2][3] Her father Jan Nežerka (1846–1928) was born inPísková Lhota (baptizedCatholic inKostelní Lhota) and her mother Marie Najbrtová (1852–1930) was born inChvalovice (baptizedEvangelical inHořátev).[4][5]
After graduating fromWashington High School in Cedar Rapids, DeFore attended theUniversity of Iowa.[6] He initially studied law while also playing basketball, track, and baseball before becoming interested in acting. Since acting was not a major study at the university, he left and enrolled at thePasadena Community Playhouse, where he won a scholarship and stayed for three years.[7]
During this time, four fellow students and he wrote a play calledWhere Do We Go from Here? It was presented in a little theater in Hollywood with DeFore in the cast. As a young man, DeFore toured the country in stock companies for several years before making his Broadway debut inWhere Do We Go from Here? in 1938, whenOscar Hammerstein II offered to take it to Broadway, and DeFore and five of the original cast members went along. The show ran for four weeks, and DeFore was soon recognized as a member of legitimate theater. He remained in New York and won a key role inThe Male Animal, which ran for almost eight months on Broadway[8] and eight months on the road.
In Hollywood, DeFore's first screen appearance was in a bit part in 1936'sReunion. By the early 1940s, he was appearing regularly in films such as:The Male Animal (1942),A Guy Named Joe (1943),Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944),You Came Along (1945),Without Reservations (1946),It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947),Romance on the High Seas (1948),My Friend Irma (1949), andJumping Jacks (1952). In 1946, exhibitors voted him the fourth-most promising "star of tomorrow".[9]
DeFore also worked in radio, performing on such programs asSuspense,Old Gold Comedy Theater, andLux Radio Theatre, but he is best known for his work in television. Beginning in 1952, DeFore had a recurring role as the Nelsons' friendly neighbor, "Thorny", on theABC sitcomThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,[10] earning a nomination in 1955 for aBest Supporting Actor in a Regular SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award.[11] In time, though, the role of Thorny was superseded byLyle Talbot as Joe Randolph, andMary Jane Croft as his wife Clara.
From 1954 to 1955, he served as president of theNational Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was instrumental in arranging for theEmmy Awards to be broadcast on national television for the first time on March 7, 1955.[10] He also served on the board of theScreen Actors Guild.[12]
From 1961 to 1965, DeFore was a co-star of the television seriesHazel as George Baxter, employer of the spirited, domineering housekeeper Hazel Burke, played byShirley Booth and based on the cartoon character appearing inThe Saturday Evening Post.[10] DeFore was not the original actor to portray George Baxter. In the pilot episode, the role was played by character actorEdward Andrews. DeFore took over the role when the series was green-lighted. The series ran onNBC for four seasons (1961–65); DeFore and his co-starWhitney Blake were written out of the series whenCBS picked up the series for its final season (1965–66).[13]
In 1970, DeFore appeared as Mayor Evans on the TV WesternThe Men from Shiloh in the episode titled "Colonel Mackenzie Versus the West". In that role, he played a murderer, which was a major shift from the comedy roles for which he was better known onThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet andHazel.
For his contribution to the television industry, Don DeFore has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame located at 6804 Hollywood Blvd.[14]
In 1965, DeFore and his daughter Penny wroteWith All My Love, a book detailing Penny's experiences working in a Korean orphanage. DeFore's memoirs, "Hollywood DeFore 'n After", were never published, however, his youngest son, Ron, included portions in his book,Growing Up in Disneyland, Waldorf Publishing 2019, along with his own biography. The title was a metaphor for his life in a celebrity family but was also literal as his father was the only person to own a food establishment bearing the name of a real person: "Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue" in Frontierland, 1957–1962.[15]
DeFore married singer Marion Holmes (January 21, 1918 – November 17, 2011) on February 14, 1942.Judy Garland served as Holmes'smatron of honor.[16] Holmes performed with theHenry Busse Orchestra from 1935 to 1939, and later with Art Kassel and his "Castles in the Air" from 1939 until their marriage.[17] They had five children: Penny, David, Dawn, Ron, and Autumn. They remained married until DeFore's death in 1993.[16]
DeFore and his family were longtime residents of theMandeville Canyon section ofBrentwood and attended the Village Church of Westwood Lutheran.[18] DeFore served as Brentwood's honorary mayor and also served as a member of the advisory committee for theCalifornia Department of Rehabilitation.[19] DeFore was also a 33rd degree Scottish Rite and Master MasonFreemason.[19]
From 1957 to 1962, DeFore and his family operated the Silver Banjo Barbecue, a restaurant located inFrontierland ofDisneyland Park inAnaheim, California.[16] In July 1969, DeFore served as the American delegate at theMoscow International Film Festival.[2]
A long-timeRepublican, DeFore supportedBarry Goldwater in the1964 United States presidential election and was a delegate at the1976 and1980 Republican National Conventions.[20] His friend, former actor and 40th President of the United StatesRonald Reagan, appointed him to the Presidential Advisory Council to thePeace Corps.[21] His youngest son, Ron, also held political positions within the Reagan Administration, which he highlights in his book,Growing Up in Disneyland, Waldorf Publishing, 2019, that was both an autobiography and partial biography of his father.
On December 22, 1993, DeFore died of cardiac arrest atSaint John's Health Center inSanta Monica, California.[21] His cremated remains are interred at theWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[22]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 7th Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Nominated |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
