Harry Carey Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Carey in 1948 | |
| Born | Henry George Carey Jr. (1921-05-16)May 16, 1921 |
| Died | December 27, 2012(2012-12-27) (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1946–2010 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Paul Fix (father-in-law) George Fuller Golden (grandfather) |
| Website | harrycareyjr |
| Signature | |
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Henry George Carey Jr. (May 16, 1921 – December 27, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 90 films, including severalJohn FordWesterns, as well as numerous television series.[1]
Carey was born on a ranch near theSaugus neighborhood ofSanta Clarita, California, the son of actorHarry Carey (1878–1947) and actressOlive Carey (1896–1988). As a child, he learned to speak Navajo.[2] His maternal grandfather was vaudeville entertainerGeorge Fuller Golden. As a boy, he was nicknamed "Dobe", short for adobe, because of the color of his hair. He grew up on his parents' ranch in Santa Clarita; they had horses and cattle.[1] His family ranch was later turned into a historic park by Los Angeles County and was named Tesoro Adobe Park.[1]
DuringWorld War II, Carey Jr. served six years in theUnited States Navy[3] as aPharmacist Mate 2nd Class (medical corpsman) in thePacific War. However, he was transferred back to the United States (against his wishes) to serve with his father's good friend the directorJohn Ford in a Naval photographic unit attached to theOffice of Strategic Services (OSS).[4] He then helped to make training films for the navy and the OSS.[1][5]
After leaving the navy, Carey attempted a singing career to avoid acting but was unsuccessful.[6] He began acting in theJohn Ford Stock Company with his father.[1] Carey collaborated frequently with director John Ford, who was a close friend. He appeared in such notable Ford films as3 Godfathers (1948),She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949),The Searchers (1956), andCheyenne Autumn (1964).[citation needed] Both of his parents had appearances in Ford's films as well. He can be seen in a very early episode ofThe Lone Ranger.He became a respectedcharacter actor like his father. Carey appeared in manyWesterns. He made four films with directorHoward Hawks. The first wasRed River, which featured both Carey and his father in separate scenes, followed byMonkey Business,Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, andRio Bravo. Carey is credited inRio Bravo, but his scenes were cut. Carey speculated that Hawks either did not like Carey's outfit or cut the scene because Carey addressed Hawks as "Howard" instead of "Mr. Hawks".[7]
Carey also collaborated withJohn Wayne with whom he made nine films. He got to work with Wayne first inRed River and last inCahill U.S. Marshal.[1] He also starred in nine films alongsideBen Johnson includingRio Grande andCherry 2000.[citation needed] Between 1955 and 1957, Carey appeared as ranch counselor Bill Burnett in the serialSpin and Marty, seen onWalt Disney'sMickey Mouse Club.[8] ADVD version ofThe Adventures of Spin & Marty was released in December 2005 as part of theWalt Disney Treasures series. Carey was interviewed byLeonard Maltin on the 50th anniversary of the series' debut as a DVD bonus feature.[9] In the 1960s, Carey appeared on such western series asHave Gun - Will Travel andThe Legend of Jesse James.[citation needed]
On April 29, 1962, Carey was cast as Mitch Evers in the episode "Cort" of theABC-WB Western series,Lawman, withJohn Russell andPeter Brown. In the story line, Cort Evers (Kevin Hagen), who is much younger than he appears, seeks revenge against his brother Mitch, whom he mistakenly blames for betraying sixUnion Army prisoners from their hometown during theAmerican Civil War. Mitch is compelled to confront Cort in a shootout during which he explains that it had been Cort himself, under the influence of a fever, who betrayed the prisoners. Cort faints to the ground as he remembers the startling truth of his brother's words.[citation needed]
1972 saw Carey in a mostly comedic role as the character "Holy Joe" in theTerence HillSpaghetti WesternMan of the East. In 1980, Carey portrayed George Arthur in the movieThe Long Riders, a film about the exploits ofJesse James.In 1984, he played Mr. Anderson inGremlins. In 1985, Carey played the aging biker Red in the movieMask.[10] In 1987, Carey was a featured actor in the film,The Whales of August, withBette Davis,Lillian Gish,Vincent Price, andAnn Sothern. In this film, Carey portrayed a good-natured and noisy handyman and delivered his lines in a perfectMaine accent.[citation needed] In 1990, Carey appeared in the filmBack to the Future Part III in the saloon scene set in 1885. In 1993, he made a cameo in the filmTombstone as MarshalFred White.[6]
Carey appeared inTales from the Set, a series of video interviews in which he discussed various individuals with whom he worked. The series debuted inFrance at the Epona Festival, an event devoted to horses, in October 2007.[11] In 2009, Carey and his partner Clyde Lucas completedTrader Horn: The Journey Back, a remembrance of the 1931 adventure film featuring the elder Carey.[12] Carey attempted to produce a feature film calledComanche Stallion, a project which John Ford had considered making in the early 1960s, based on the 1958 book by Tom Millstead.[13]
He married Marilyn Fix, daughter of actorPaul Fix, in 1944. They had four children: Steven, Melinda, Thomas, and Patricia.[citation needed]
Carey wrote an autobiography,Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company, which was published in 1996.[14]
Carey died of natural causes in a hospice on Thursday, December 27, 2012, inSanta Barbara at the age of 91.[1] His ashes are interred atWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[15] Survivors included his wife, the former actress Marilyn Frances Fix Carey (died 25 April 2017); a son, Thomas; two daughters, Melinda and Patricia; and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son Steven Carey, who died in 1989. At the time of his death, he was reported to be the last living member of the John Ford Stock Company, though in realityJohn Wayne's sonPatrick Wayne survived him.[6]
For his contribution to the television industry, Carey was given a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6363 Vine Street.[16] In 1987, Carey received the Golden Boot award from the Motion Pictures & Television Fund Foundation.[10] In 2003, he was inducted into theWestern Performers Hall of Fame at theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inOklahoma City.[10] That same year he also received the Silver Spur award that was given to him by Reel Cowboys.[10]
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