Michael Raffetto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Raffetto inToday I Hang (1942) | |
| Born | Elwyn Creighton Raffetto (1899-12-31)December 31, 1899 Placerville, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 1990(1990-05-31) (aged 90) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Mike Raffetto |
| Education | BA, JD |
| Alma mater | University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1928–1961 |
| Employer | NBC Radio |
| Known for | Radio actor |
| Notable work | One Man's Family,I Love a Mystery |
| Spouse | Constance Murray Raffetto (2) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | John Augustus Raffetto (father),Lloyd Raffetto (brother),John Augustus Raffetto Jr. (brother),Alexander Howison Murray Jr. (brother-in-law) |
Michael Raffetto (bornElwyn Creighton Raffetto; December 31, 1899 – May 31, 1990) was an American radio actor who starred as Paul Barbour (1932–1956) in theNBC Radio seriesOne Man's Family and as Jack Packard inI Love a Mystery during the heyday of radio in the 1930s and 1940s.[1][2][3]
Elwyn Creighton Raffetto was born inPlacerville, California, the son ofJohn Augustus Raffetto,[3] a hotelier, and Adela Creighton.[4] (His grandparents, Domenico Raffetto and Anna Pensa, came first to nearbyNewtown, California, fromOgnio, a mountain village northeast of Genoa.[5]) He graduated cum laude from theUniversity of California at Berkeley'sBoalt Hall in 1925.[3] He practiced law in San Francisco until 1928, when he directed drama at Berkeley as well as Los Angeles'Greek Theatre[3][6][7][8]
Raffetto pitched a program concept to NBC Radio's Tom Hutchinson in San Francisco. He went on to star, direct, and produce the show, calledArm of the Law.[8] Soon after, he became the network's West Coast program director through 1933. During that time, he producedDeath Valley Days (1930).[6][8]
In 1946, he also directedMichael Shayne, Private Detective.[6]
Although he approached radio through programming, directing, and producing, Raffetto's career took off in acting.
In 1932, writerCarlton E. Morse, with whom Raffetto had already collaborated, createdOne Man's Family. Raffetto landed the lead role as the family's eldest son, Paul Barbour,[9] a fighter pilot wounded in World War I. "Raffetto brought to Paul a deep-voiced aura of strength, tenderness, and intelligence."[10] NBC Radio first broadcast the show on April 29, 1932. Raffetto stayed with the show through 1956 (and the show ended on May 8, 1959). Paul Barbour ended many episodes with the line "That's how it is with the Barbours today."[3][4][6]
In 1939, Morse startedI Love a Mystery with three cast members fromOne Man's Family, including Raffetto as Jack Packard, "a soft-spoken, taciturn hero in the best traditions of the West." Together with characters Doc Long (a "brawling womanizer") and Reggie York (a "proper Englishman"), the threesome formed a team of "specialists in adventure."[3][4][6]
"After the first several years," Raffetto often "substituted" for creator Morse, "directing and writing while he was away."[8][11]
Raffetto also starred inDeath Valley Days (1930) andAttorney for the Defense (1944).[12]
Raffetto's second wife was sculptor Constance Murray Raffetto (a "Californio" and brother ofAlexander Howison Murray Jr., descended fromEulalia Perez de Guillen Marine).[6]
Raffetto suffered from tuberculosis for much of his life. He had to leave radio twice to recover. Morse often picked him up from the hospital to act. "He'd drive me home, or I'd take the train back to the hospital," Raffetto later said. At times, episodes were broadcast from Raffetto's bedside.[8]
After leaving radio in 1956, Raffetto and his wife lived in Spain and Italy until 1960.[13] During that time, he wrote unpublished works, including a family history.[8]
Raffetto died of throat cancer at his home in Berkeley. At the time of his death, he had four daughters and five grandchildren.[6]
Raffetto's radio work lasted from 1930 to 1956 and included:[14]
Raffetto acted in small roles as early as thesilent film era in films likeTillie's Punctured Romance starringW. C. Fields. He continued to act in the 1940s and 1950s, including major films likeA Foreign Affair (1948) withMarlene Dietrich andStorm Center (1956) withBette Davis.
Raffetto's film work lasted from 1928 to 1957 and included:[16]
Raffetto's television credits include:
