Kenne Duncan
Duncan in Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
Born
Kenneth Duncan MacLachlan

(1903-02-17)February 17, 1903
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
DiedFebruary 5, 1972(1972-02-05) (aged 68)
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeGrand View Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
Other namesKen Dincan
Kenneth Duncan
OccupationActor
Years active1928–1962

Kenne Duncan (February 17, 1903 – February 5, 1972) was a Canadian-born American B-movie character actor. Hyped professionally as "The Meanest Man in the Movies," the vast majority of his over 250 appearances on camera were Westerns, but he also did occasional forays into horror, crime drama, and science fiction. He also appeared in over a dozen serials.

Early years

Duncan was born Kenneth Duncan MacLachlan in Ontario, Canada.[1]

Before he became an actor, Duncan enjoyed riding, and for a time he worked as a jockey. His accomplishments in that field included winning the steeplechase at Blue Bonnets raceway in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[2]

Career

Duncan is best known, in some circles, for his work with Ed Wood. Duncan appeared in five Wood productions: Night of the Ghouls, Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan, Crossroad Avenger, The Sinister Urge, and The Lawless Rider, a film Wood did with Yakima Canutt in the Director's chair. Duncan's final appearances on screen were Wood's low-budget The Sinister Urge, and a bit part in an episode of Rawhide ("Incident of the Sharpshooter"). He also made television appearances, especially westerns, such as The Cisco Kid, Bat Masterson, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, and Tombstone Territory. He retired from filmmaking in 1961 at age 58.

Duncan had a reputation for being a womanizer with his female co-stars, and had a reputation in Hollywood for being very well endowed.[3] Actress Valda Hansen remarked "Kenne Duncan kept whispering obscene things in my ear, over and over between takes, such as "Do you like tongues?"....Finally I had had enough of the old wolf, so I screamed over the mikes on the set "Oh, shut up!"....and everyone cracked up."[4] Filmmaker Ron Ashcroft recalled "Kenne had a book, and it was quite thick, of the women that he had in bed. He said there was over a thousand in there. A thousand women."[3] Makeup man Harry Thomas saw Kenne Duncan naked at a Hollywood party once, and remarked years later to an interviewer "You know, all men are not created equal."[3]

Death

On February 5, 1972, Duncan committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates[5] twelve days before his 69th birthday. His friend Ron Ashcroft recalled "When he committed suicide, I couldn't believe it. He was tired of living. Just like George Sanders, he had seen everything, done everything. All he did was sit around and watch television."[6] Duncan was buried at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Ed Wood was named executor of Kenne Duncan's estate, and he held a small memorial funeral in his backyard around the swimming pool. Wood and his wife and friends took turns walking onto the diving board where each of them in turn would deliver a brief eulogy of the man.[6]

Selected filmography

Selected Television

Year Title Role Notes
1950 The Cisco Kid Station Agent Episode "Dog Story"
1950 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Jeff Barnes Episode "Greed for Gold"
1950 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Deputy Joe Parker Episode "Death Trap"
1951 The Cisco Kid Sheriff Episode "The Old Bum"
1951 The Cisco Kid Sheriff Episode "Water Rights"
1953 Death Valley Days Second Robber Season 1, Episode 9 " Cynthy's Dream Dress "
1953 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Sheriff Dunn Episode "Trader Boggs"
1953 Death Valley Days Nevada Secretary of State Season 2, Episode 2 " Little Washington"
1955 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Davie - Pierce Foreman Episode " King of the Cattle Trails"
1956 Death Valley Days Bartender Episode "Pay Dirt "
1956 Death Valley Days McConnell Episode " Year of Destiny"
1956 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Dr. Perkins Episode " The Lonesomest Man in the World"
1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Duecey Miller Episode " The Kansas Lily"
1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Kendall Episode "The Bounty Killer"
1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Caldwell Episode " Kill the Editor"
1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode "Fight for a Fugitive "
1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode " The Gatling Gun"
1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode " The Black Marshal from Deadwood"
1958 Bat Masterson Newspaper Reporter Episode " General Sherman's March Through Dodge City "
1960 Rawhide Sheriff Brown Episode "Incident of the Sharpshooter"

References

  1. ↑ Lewis, C. Jack (2002). White Horse, Black Hat: A Quarter Century on Hollywood's Poverty Row. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 125. ISBN 9780810843585.
  2. ↑ "Kenne Duncan Has Lead in Picture". The Cumberland News. Maryland, Cumberland. February 4, 1944. p. 16. Retrieved December 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. 1 2 3 Rudolph Grey, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1992). pg. 114. ISBN 978-0-922915-24-8.
  4. ↑ Rudolph Grey, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1992). pg. 90. ISBN 978-0-922915-24-8.
  5. ↑ Stewart, W. T. (1972). "Chapter 16". Those Enduring Matinee Idols. 2 (6): 231. ISSN 0040-6422.
  6. 1 2 Rudolph Grey, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1992). pg. 115. ISBN 978-0-922915-24-8.
  7. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
  8. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
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