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EspañolJACK OAKIE
'Jack Oakie' (November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, largely starring in films (but also working on stage, radio, and television). He was born Lewis Delaney Offield in Sedalia, Missouri, but grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, whence he obtained his "Oakie" nickname. His adopted first name, Jack, was the name of the first character he played on stage.
| Contents |
| Early career |
| Film career |
| Marriages and television work |
| Memorials |
| Estate to be redeveloped |
| References |
| Filmography |
| Bibliography |
| External links |
Early career
He worked as a runner on Wall Street, New York, and narrowly escaped being killed in the Wall Street bombing of 16 September 1920. While in New York, he started appearing in amateur theatre as a mimic and a comedian, finally making his professional debut on Broadway in 1923 as a chorus boy in a production of "Little Nelly Kelly" by George M. Cohan.
He worked in various musicals and comedies on Broadway from 1923 to 1927, when he moved to Hollywood to start working in movies (just at the end of the silent film era). Oakie appeared in five silent films during 1927 and 1928. As the age of the "talkies" dawned he signed with Paramount Pictures, making his first talking film, ''The Dummy'', in 1929.
Film career
After his contract with Paramount ended in 1934, Oakie decided to freelance, and was remarkably successful. He appeared in 87 films, mostly made during the 1930s and 1940s. One of particular interest is the film ''Too Much Harmony'' (1933), in which the part of Oakie's on-screen mother was played by his real mother Mary Evelyn Offield. During the 1930s he was known as "The World's Oldest Freshman", as a result of appearing in numerous films with a collegiate theme, between 1931 and 1941. He was also known for refusing to wear screen make-up of any kind, and the frequent use of double-take in his comedy. Oakie has been quoted[1] as once saying of his studio career:
Not being tied to a film studio contract, Oakie branched into radio, and had his own radio show between 1936-38.
Jack Oakie is probably most notable for his portrayal of Benzino Napaloni, the boisterous dictator of Bacteria, in Charlie Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (1940), for which he received an Oscar nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Award. This role was a broad parody of the fascist dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini.
Marriages and television work
Oakie was married twice, his first marriage to Venita Varden in 1936 ended in divorce in 1945 (she died in 1948 in the crash of United Airlines Flight 624 at Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania). In 1950, he married a second time to actress Victoria Horne with whom he remained until his passing in 1978.
Later in his career he appeared in various individual episodes of a number of television shows, including ''The Real McCoys'' (1957), ''Daniel Boone'' (1966), and ''Bonanza'' (1966).
He died suddenly on 23rd January 1978 in Los Angeles, California from an aortic aneurysm; his remains are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale (top of the hill, Whispering Pines section), in Los Angeles County.
Memorials
In 1981, the "Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film" was established as an annual event of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the inaugural presentation, Oakie was described as "a master of comic timing and a beloved figure in the industry."[2]
A small display celebrating the comedy and fame of Jack Oakie is on display at Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard, and his hand and footprints may be found at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Estate to be redeveloped
Oakie made his home in Northridge in the San Fernando Valley, in 1940-41 buying the 11-acre estate of actress Barbara Stanwyck, located at 18650 Devonshire Street (just west of Reseda Boulevard). Here he planted a citrus orchard and bred Afghan Hounds at one time having up to 100 dogs on the property. After his death his wife Victoria remained in the home until her death, leaving the property to the University of Southern California (USC). A January 2007 article in the Los Angeles Daily News reported that Oakie's estate, one of the last remnants of the large Northridge estates famed for thoroughbred breeding, has been sold by the USC to a developer and is slated for subdivision into 29 homes. The article mentioned however that Oakie's house, originally commissioned by Barbara Stanwyck and designed by Paul Williams, will remain; possibly as a community centre.[3]
References
1. Jack Oakie biography at the Internet Movie Database website. Accessed 16 June 2007.
2. "The Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website. Accessed 16 June 2007.
3. Kevin Roderick, "Oakie estate to be developed", blog article dated 13 January 2007, 7:55pm. Accessed 16 June 2007. (The URL for the LA Daily News article by Dennis McCarthy is dead, as at 16 June 2007).
Filmography
Bibliography
''When the Line Is Straight: Jack Oakie's Comedy in Motion Pictures'' (1997), one of the books published by Oakie's widow, Victoria Horne Oakie.
★ Jack Oakie's Double Takes, Jack Oakie, , , Strawberry Hill Press, , ISBN 0-89407-019-3 ''Autobiography published posthumously by Oakie's widow on 1 January 1980. 240 pages.''
★ "Dear Jack": Hollywood birthday reminiscences to Jack Oakie, Victoria Horne Oakie, , , Strawberry Hill Press, , ISBN 0-89407-113-0, ISBN 978-0894071133 ''Letters of congratulation and reminiscence sent from almost 150 celebrities to Jack Oakie in celebration of his 70th birthday. Compiled & edited by Mrs Oakie to commemorate his 90th birthday. 140 pages.''
External links
★
★ Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film (official website)
★ Biography of Jack Oakie
★ NY Times Biography of Jack Oakie
★ Jack Oakie's Gravesite
★ Overhead shot of Jack Oakie's estate (circa 2006-07, prior to redevelopment)
★ Photographs of Jack Oakie
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