Character Actor Hall of Fame: Percy Helton

• Born January 31, 1894 in New York City.
• Married to actress Edna Eustace from 1931, she was 18 years his junior. She died in 1976 at the age of 64. They had no children.
• Began his show business career while still an infant, appearing in his father Alf Helton's vaudeville act.
• As a child, he worked for famed producer David Belasco on Broadway just after the turn of the century. The great George M. Cohan used him in several plays.
• After service in WWI, and one report suggesting he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Mr. Helton returned to the stage and appeared in such Broadway productions as One Sunday Afternoon, In Love With Love, Ah, Wilderness!, To The Ladies, All the Comforts of Home, Young America and some 20 others up through the early 1940s.
• After playing a role that required him to scream for much of the play, Mr. Helton's voice became permanently hoarse, resulting in one of the most familiar voices in movies and television.
• In WWII, while too old to serve, he and his wife toured overseas to entertain the troops in such plays as The Front Page.
• In his spare time, Mr. Helton enjoyed Barbershop Quartet music and attended the famed Masquers Club in Hollywood, where he served for many years as 2nd Vice President. One of his close friends during the last 15 years of his life was fellow aged character actor Burt Mustin.
• Died September 11, 1971 in Hollywood, California from natural causes.
• Films of Percy Helton...
• DAY OF THE WOLVES 1973
  BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID 1969
  HEAD 1968
  BIG HAND FOR THE LITTLE LADY, A 1966
  DON'T WORRY, WE'LL THINK OF A TITLE 1966
  DEAR BRIGITTE 1965
  SONS OF KATIE ELDER, THE 1965
  ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN 1965
  HUSH . . . HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE 1964
  4 FOR TEXAS 1963
  WHEELER DEALERS, THE 1963
  MUSIC MAN, THE 1962
  RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY 1962
  WHERE THE BOYS ARE 1960
  PROUD REBEL, THE 1958
  SHEEPMAN, THE 1958
  RALLY 'ROUND THE FLAG, BOYS! 1958
  GUNS DON'T ARGUE 1957
  JAILHOUSE ROCK 1957
  LOOKING FOR DANGER 1957
  PHANTOM STAGECOACH, THE 1957
  SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROCK? 1957
  SPOOK CHASERS 1957
  THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT 1957
  BOSS, THE 1956
  FURY AT GUNSIGHT PASS 1956
  TERROR AT MIDNIGHT 1956
  CRASHOUT 1955
  DIANE 1955
  JAIL BUSTERS 1955
  KISS ME DEADLY 1955
  NO MAN'S WOMAN 1955
  TRIAL 1955
  ABOUT MRS. LESLIE 1954
  LUCKY ME 1954
  STAR IS BORN, A 1954
  20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA 1954
  WHITE CHRISTMAS 1954
  AFFAIRS OF DOBIE GILLIS 1953
  AMBUSH AT TOMAHAWK GAP 1953
  CALL ME MADAM 1953
  DOWN LAREDO WAY 1953
  HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE 1953
  RIDE, VAQUERO! 1953
  ROBE, THE 1953
  SCARED STIFF 1953
  STOOGE, THE 1953
  SHE'S BACK ON BROADWAY 1953
  WICKED WOMAN 1953
  BELLE OF NEW YORK, THE 1952
  GIRL IN EVERY PORT, A 1952
  I DREAM OF JEANIE 1952
  BAREFOOT MAILMAN, THE 1951
  CHAIN OF CIRCUMSTANCE 1951
  DARLING, HOW COULD YOU! 1951
  INSIDE SRAIGHT 1951
  NIGHT INTO MORNING 1951
  TALL TARGET 1951
  THREE GUYS NAMED MIKE 1951
  COPPER CANYON 1950
  CYRANO DE BERGERAC 1950
  FANCY PANTS 1950
  HARBOR OF MISSING MEN 1950
  LIFE OF HER OWN, A 1950
  RIDING HIGH 1950
  SECRET FURY, THE 1950
  SUN SETS AT DAWN, THE 1950
  UNDER MEXICALI STARS 1950
  WABASH AVENUE 1950
  ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KOPS 1949
  CRISS CROSS 1949
  CROOKED WAY, THE 1949
  FREE FOR ALL 1949
  LUST FOR GOLD 1949
  MY FRIEND IRMA 1949
  RED, HOT AND BLUE 1949
  SET-UP, THE 1949
  THIEVES' HIGHWAY 1949
  CALL NORTHSIDE 777 1948
  CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY 1948
  HAZARD 1948
  LARCENY 1948
  LET'S LIVE AGAIN 1948
  THAT WONDERFUL URGE 1948
  MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 1947
  PRISONER OF SWING 1938
  DU BARRY DID ALL RIGHT 1937
  OFFENDERS, THE 1922
  INSINUATION 1922
  SILVER WINGS 1922
  FLOWER OF AITH, THE 1916
  FAIR AND THE WAIF, THE 1915