HARRY CAREY JR. 1921 - 2012

 

Actor Harry Carey Jr. was born on 16 May, 1921.  He was the son of another actor, Harry Carey and actress Olive Carey.  His father-in-law was yet another actor, Paul Fix.  And his maternal grandfather was vaudeville entertainer George Fuller Golden.  Showbiz!

Carey Jr. was mainly a supporting actor, particularly in westerns.  He appeared in many films, including several with John Wayne and John Ford, and a long list of TV shows.

His first appearance in a film in the year of his birth, Desperate Trails, was uncredited.  He “played” a baby.  His first appearance in a major film was Red River (1948) directed by Howard Hawks and starred Wayne and Montgomery Clift.

With Ford, he appeared in Three Godfathers (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Wagon Master (1950), The Long Grey Line (1955), The Searchers (1956) and others.

He guest starred in many television shows including Wagon Train, Laramie and Have Gun – Will Travel.

His autobiography, Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company is a must-read for anyone interested in the golden age of westerns.

He had no doubts about the kind of career he had: 

“My journey has been that of a character actor.  I’ve worked with the great and the not-so-great. But mostly I’ve worked with men and women who loved their profession, and who like me, had kids to raise and houses to pay for.

Harry Carey Jr. died at 91 on 27 December, 2012.