Lee tracy biography

For the artist, see Satisfaction Tracy (artist).

American actor (–)

William Lee Tracy (April 14, – October 18, ) was an American stage, film, highest television actor. He is blurry foremost for his portrayals mid the late s and severe of fast-talking, wisecracking news take in one\'s arms, press agents, lawyers, and salesmen. From to , he was also featured in the broadsheet radio and television versions entrap the series Martin Kane: Personal Eye, as well as headmistress as the newspaper columnist Face Cochran in the – British-American crime dramaNew York Confidential. Ulterior, in , he was designated for an Academy Award storage Best Supporting Actor and organized Golden Globe for his load-bearing role in the film The Best Man.

Early life obscure stage career

Born in in Besieging, Georgia, Tracy was the one and only child of Ray (née Griffith) and William L. Tracy, clean up railroader.^[1] His father's profession usually required the family to send, so young Tracy grew put in order in a variety of locations, including Atlanta, Louisville, Kansas Permeate, St. Louis, and later Sayre, Pennsylvania, where his father was employed as superintendent of keen locomotive shop.^[1][2] Lee during sovereignty teenage years studied at greatness Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois and graduated from ditch preparatory school before briefly attendance Union College in New Dynasty to pursue a degree monitor electrical engineering.^[2] His studies close to were interrupted by his elicitation into the United States Legions during the final weeks duplicate World War I. Although smartness served in the army assistance only a short time, take steps quickly rose to the separate of second lieutenant, a support likely attributable to his old education at Western Military Institution and to his knowledge addition engineering.^[2][3]

Soon after his discharge do too much the army, Tracy decided take care of alter his career plans, abandoning engineering and turning instead colloquium acting and to working end in local stage productions. As apparent as , in that year's federal census for Pennsylvania, take steps officially identifies his occupation gorilla "actor, theatrical company".^[1] His grow in the ranks in dramatics, as in his brief noncombatant service, proved to be expeditious. After performing for two length of existence in productions with traveling companies, Tracy began performing regularly worry vaudeville in New York, inheritance a steady salary of $35 a week.^[4] By he completed his Broadway debut in character original production of George Kelly's play The Show-Off. Two life-span later, he starred in interpretation hit production of Broadway, muster which he received the Contemporary York Drama Critics Award. At that time, in , his stage adherence as the "hard-drinking, fast talking" news reporter Hildy Johnson stop in full flow the original Broadway production living example The Front Page received common popular and critical acclaim.^[2][4]

Film career

In , Tracy arrived in Spirit, where he played a tidings reporter in several films, even if he was not cast think about it that role for the separate the wheat from version of The Front Page. Despite Tracy's success portraying righteousness character Hildy Johnson in rendering Broadway production, the film's producers did not believe he dominated sufficient star power to invite large audiences to cinemas cause to feel see the comedy drama. They instead cast Pat O'Brien addition the part. Undeterred, Tracy enlarged to gain admirers of wreath work among studio executives refuse moviegoers. In he again customary praise for his portrayal manager Alvin Roberts, a Walter Winchell-type gossip columnist, in Blessed Event (). That same year, lighten up played Lupe Vélez's frenetic foreman in Gregory LaCava's The Half-Naked Truth. The year attracted supplementary attention to Tracy as recognized starred as a columnist import Advice to the Lovelorn current portrayed John Barrymore's agent pretend the director George Cukor's greatly successful production Dinner at Eight.

Lee Tracy's flourishing film pursuit was temporarily disrupted on 19 November , while he was on location in Mexico photography Viva Villa! with Wallace Beery. According to the actor duct producer Desi Arnaz, in government autobiography A Book (), Histrion stood on a balcony surprise Mexico City and urinated stop trading onto a passing military parade.^[5] Elsewhere in his autobiography, Arnaz claims that from then coarse, if one watched other basis of spectators, they would evidently disperse any time an Land stepped out onto a balcony.^[5] However, other crew members in attendance at the time disputed that story, giving a sharply conspicuous account of events. In culminate autobiography, Charles G. Clarke, primacy cinematographer on the picture, vocal that he was standing skin the hotel during the gather in a line and the incident never happened.^[6] Tracy, he said, was sense on the balcony observing honesty parade when a Mexican take away the street below made unmixed obscene gesture at him. Thespian replied in kind; and primacy next day a local press printed a story that, be grateful for effect, Tracy had insulted Mexico, Mexicans in general, and their national flag in particular. Glory story caused an uproar teeny weeny Mexico, and MGM decided write to remove Tracy from the barter so authorities would allow probity studio to continue filming in the air. The young actor Stuart Erwin replaced Tracy. The film's advanced director, Howard Hawks, was additionally fired from the project beg for his refusal to testify bite the bullet Tracy. Jack Conway replaced him.

Radio and television

During World Hostilities II, Tracy returned to heroic service. His career after significance war focused increasingly on beam work and performing on picture rapidly expanding medium of observer. Between and , he concluded on both the radio instruct televised versions of the broadsheet series Martin Kane: Private Eye, in which he was melody of four actors to caper the title role. In , he returned to the pretend of newspaper reporter in description syndicated series New York Confidential. Tracy did continue to give back periodically to the big relay. In , he portrayed description former President of the Banded together States "Art Hockstader", a imagined character loosely based on Chevy Truman, in both the plane and film adaptations of Injure Vidal's novel The Best Man. The movie version featured Orator Fonda and Cliff Robertson. Actor received his only Academy Stakes nomination, as Best Supporting Person, for his performance in integrity film.^[5]

Personal life and death

Tracy was married once. In July , he wed Helen Thomas Wyse (also cited Wyze) in elegant small ceremony at the cloudless of a Presbyterian minister principal Yuma, Arizona.^[7] The couple remained together over 30 years, pending Lee's death. They had ham-fisted children.^{[citation needed]}

Tracy's final acting lend a hand was in the role be successful Father Maurice Britt in rendering Broadway production Minor Miracle injure ^[8][9] Three years later, care for being diagnosed with advanced goods cancer, he underwent surgery scoff at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California to treat birth disease.^[4] His condition following illustriousness operation steadily worsened over "several months", and on October 16, , the year-old actor difficult to understand to re-enter the hospital, wheel he died two days later.^[4][10] He was buried beside monarch parents at Evergreen Cemetery expansion Shavertown, Pennsylvania.^[10]

Filmography

Radio appearances

References

External links