Howard Keel
Author: Trudy Stroup
My introduction to Howard Keel movies happened when I was about 10 years old. That was when I saw “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” for the first time. His voice was captivating; a deep rich melody that spoke to me even though I was so young. At the time, I thought that “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” was his only movie and I waited anxiously for it to return to television so I could see it once again. I loved the music, the singing, the dancing, the costumes and the story. I was hooked on musicals! But most of all I was hooked on Howard Keel.
Keel was born April 13, 1912 in Gillespie, Illinois and named Harry Clifford Keel. Howard has been quoted saying this about his childhood "I had a terrible, rotten childhood. My father made away with himself when I was 11. I had no guidance and Mom was 6 feet tall, bucktoothed and very tough. I was mean and rebellious and had a terrible, bitter temper. I got a job as an auto mechanic and would have stayed in that narrow kind of life if I hadn't discovered art. Music changed me completely." He started his career as a singing waiter and then after World War II he worked at Douglas Aircraft as a roving entertainer at many of the company's plants. He progressed to the stage in small parts and drew the attention of Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein summoned Keel to audition for one his stage companies. That production was "Oklahoma!" and Keel landed the part of Curly.
In the mid 40's Harry Clifford Keel legally changed his name to Howard Keel. His career was moving fast. Continuing on stage, "Carousel" was his next play, followed by several other stage appearances. He quickly transitioned from stage to screen scoring a contract with Metro Goldwyn-Mayer as the 40's came to a close. In 1950 Keel starred with Betty Hutton in "Annie Get Your Gun". His solid performance and baritone voice drew leading ladies of great renown including Ester Williams, Judy Garland, Doris Day and Jane Powell. Howard Keel became the go to guy for musicals and the 1950’s were the era for musicals. Keel often stated that his favorite was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", though he enjoyed all musicals he made. But his musical career was not to last.
By the end of that decade musicals were not drawing people to the box office and Keel shifted focus towards westerns and comedies. This opened up new opportunities for Keel and he found parts on comedies such as "Calaway Went Thataway" with Dorothy McGuire and "Three Guys Named Mike" with Jane Wyman. He tried westerns as well starring with Ava Gardner and Robert Taylor in "Ride, Vaquero!” His performance, some say, was his best yet. In the 60's, Keel's career came to a standstill and he was relegated to small appearances in television shows until even television appearances trickled to a stop.
But Keel didn't let that stop his artistic flow. He decided to record the music from the musicals he so loved and headed for a recording studio. It would be 1981 before Keel found success on the small screen when he was cast as Clayton Farrow, the husband of Miss Ellie Ewing on the hit show "Dallas". He stayed with the cast of "Dallas" until the show ended in 1991. It was at this point that Keel decided to write his auto-biography. "Only Make Believe: My Life in Show Business" was finished just before his death on November 7, 2004 of colon cancer.
Howard Keel was a true treasure on stage, film and television. He enjoyed a long career across the realm of entertainment and brought smiles to many along the way.
ultimatedallas.com
altfg.com
britannica.com
© 2015-2016 Trudy Stroup. All rights reserved.
Author: Trudy Stroup
My introduction to Howard Keel movies happened when I was about 10 years old. That was when I saw “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” for the first time. His voice was captivating; a deep rich melody that spoke to me even though I was so young. At the time, I thought that “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” was his only movie and I waited anxiously for it to return to television so I could see it once again. I loved the music, the singing, the dancing, the costumes and the story. I was hooked on musicals! But most of all I was hooked on Howard Keel.
Keel was born April 13, 1912 in Gillespie, Illinois and named Harry Clifford Keel. Howard has been quoted saying this about his childhood "I had a terrible, rotten childhood. My father made away with himself when I was 11. I had no guidance and Mom was 6 feet tall, bucktoothed and very tough. I was mean and rebellious and had a terrible, bitter temper. I got a job as an auto mechanic and would have stayed in that narrow kind of life if I hadn't discovered art. Music changed me completely." He started his career as a singing waiter and then after World War II he worked at Douglas Aircraft as a roving entertainer at many of the company's plants. He progressed to the stage in small parts and drew the attention of Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein summoned Keel to audition for one his stage companies. That production was "Oklahoma!" and Keel landed the part of Curly.
In the mid 40's Harry Clifford Keel legally changed his name to Howard Keel. His career was moving fast. Continuing on stage, "Carousel" was his next play, followed by several other stage appearances. He quickly transitioned from stage to screen scoring a contract with Metro Goldwyn-Mayer as the 40's came to a close. In 1950 Keel starred with Betty Hutton in "Annie Get Your Gun". His solid performance and baritone voice drew leading ladies of great renown including Ester Williams, Judy Garland, Doris Day and Jane Powell. Howard Keel became the go to guy for musicals and the 1950’s were the era for musicals. Keel often stated that his favorite was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", though he enjoyed all musicals he made. But his musical career was not to last.
By the end of that decade musicals were not drawing people to the box office and Keel shifted focus towards westerns and comedies. This opened up new opportunities for Keel and he found parts on comedies such as "Calaway Went Thataway" with Dorothy McGuire and "Three Guys Named Mike" with Jane Wyman. He tried westerns as well starring with Ava Gardner and Robert Taylor in "Ride, Vaquero!” His performance, some say, was his best yet. In the 60's, Keel's career came to a standstill and he was relegated to small appearances in television shows until even television appearances trickled to a stop.
But Keel didn't let that stop his artistic flow. He decided to record the music from the musicals he so loved and headed for a recording studio. It would be 1981 before Keel found success on the small screen when he was cast as Clayton Farrow, the husband of Miss Ellie Ewing on the hit show "Dallas". He stayed with the cast of "Dallas" until the show ended in 1991. It was at this point that Keel decided to write his auto-biography. "Only Make Believe: My Life in Show Business" was finished just before his death on November 7, 2004 of colon cancer.
Howard Keel was a true treasure on stage, film and television. He enjoyed a long career across the realm of entertainment and brought smiles to many along the way.
ultimatedallas.com
altfg.com
britannica.com
© 2015-2016 Trudy Stroup. All rights reserved.