Saturday, December 29, 2012

In Memory 2012: Harry Carey Jr. (May 16, 1921 – December 27, 2012).


Character actor Harry Carey Jr., who performed in many television shows and films including nine with movie director John Ford, has died at age 91 of natural causes. On Thursday morning in Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by family members, said his daughter, Melinda Carey.



Carey's notable big-screen credits include: a co-starring role with John Wayne in the film "3 Godfathers(1948),"(pictured above), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949)," also with Wayne, and decades later in a saloon scene in the 1990 sci-fi comedy "Back to the Future Part III."

Among other Ford-directed films in which Carey performed: "The Searchers" (1956), "Wagon Master" (1950) and "Rio Grande" (1950).

In addition to his movie career, Carey performed many times on television during an era when westerns were popular, in character roles on the shows: "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "Wagon Train" in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1950s, he had a recurring role in "The Adventures of Spin and Marty," a series of TV shorts that aired as part of "The Mickey Mouse Club."

Carey was born in 1921, the son of silent film star Harry Carey and his wife, Olive, who also was an actress. The young Carey was raised on his parents' 1,000-acre ranch in California's Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.

Carey, also performed with Wayne in the classic Howard Hawks Western movie "Red River(1948)," which also starred the his father although they had no scenes together. Among Carey's last screen performances was as the U.S. marshal in the 1993 film "Tombstone," which starred Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell.

Also, a supporting role in the 1997 TV movie "Last Stand at Saber River," which starred Tom Selleck.

The Carey family ranch, which was visited over the years by Wayne, William S. Hart and Gary Cooper, has been turned into a Los Angeles County historic park called Tesoro Adobe.

This down-to-Earth actor will truly be missed..


3 comments:

  1. I was saddedned to hear about his passing, because I watched Red River on Wednesday, with both him and Harry Sr. Trulw a great actor, I love when I spot his name on the credits.
    Happy 2013, Dawn!
    Kisses!

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  2. Dawn , for some of us our first introduction to Harry JR was on The Mickey Mouse Clubs Adventures of Spin and Marty, as the head counselor at The Triple R Ranch (man Im getting old)

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  3. Le, Thank you for stopping by and... Happy New Year!!

    Paul, I'm sure I watched him on Mickey Mouse Clubs Adventures, but.. I just don't remember. Happy New Year!!

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