Fred A. Kelsey
Fred A. Kelsey
Ohio-born Fred Kelsey was so firmly typed as a comedy cop in Hollywood films that in the 1944 MGM cartoon classic Who Killed Who?, animator Tex Avery deliberately designed his detective protagonist to look like Kelsey -- mustache, heavy eyebrows, derby hat and all. In films from 1909, Kelsey started out as a director (frequently billed as" Fred A. Kelcey"), but by the '20s he was well into his established characterization as the beat cop or detective who was forever falling asleep on the job or jumping to the wrong conclusion. Often Kelsey's dialogue was confined to one word: "Sayyyyy....!" He seemed to be busiest at Warner Bros. and Columbia, appearing in fleeting bits at the former studio (butchers, bartenders, house detectives), and enjoying more sizeable roles in the B-films, short subjects and serials at the latter studio. From 1940 through 1943, Kelsey had a continuing role as dim-witted police sergeant Dickens in Columbia's Lone Wolf B-picture series. Seldom given a screen credit, Fred Kelsey was curiously afforded prominent featured billing in 20th Century-Fox's O. Henry's Full House (1952), in which he was barely recognizable as a street-corner Santa Claus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Filmography of Fred A. Kelsey:
- Detour to Danger with Eddie Parker , Eddie Kane , Si Jenks
- O. Henry's Full House with Charles Laughton , Marilyn Monroe , David Wayne , Richard Widmark , Anne Baxter , Dale "Robin" Robertson , Fred Allen , Jeanne Crain , Richard Rober , Jean Peters , Gregory Ratoff , Richard Garrick , Oscar Levant , Farley Granger , Irving Bacon , Robert Easton , Fritz Feld , James Flavin , Kathleen Freeman , Steven Geray , Harry Hayden , Frank Jaquet , Norman Leavitt , Stuart Randall , Sig Rumann , Ruth Warren , Billy Wayne , Will Wright , Hal Smith , Warren Stevens
- Gentleman Jim with Errol Flynn , Alexis Smith , Jack Carson , Alan Sr. Hale , John Loder , Ward Bond , William Frawley , Minor Watson , Rhys Williams , Arthur Shields , Dorothy Vaughan , James Flavin , Pat Flaherty , Wallis Clark , Edwin Stanley , Clara Blandick , Monte Blue , Wade Boteler , William B. Davidson , Jean DelVal , Lester Dorr , Mary Gordon , Frank S. Hagney , William Hopper , Milton Kibbee , Mike Mazurki , Lon McCallister , Pat O'Malley , Emmett Vogan , Charles Wilson
- Yankee Doodle Dandy with James Cagney , Joan Leslie , Walter Huston , Richard Whorf , Jeanne Cagney , George Tobias , Rosemary DeCamp , Frances Langford , George Barbier , S.Z. Sakall , Walter Catlett , Eddie Jr. Foy , Minor Watson , Chester Clute , Eddie Acuff , Murray Alper , Leon Belasco , Walter Brooke , Spencer Charters , Wallis Clark , William B. Davidson , Ann Doran , Frank Faylen , Pat Flaherty , James Flavin , William Forrest , Creighton Hale , John Hamilton , Harry Hayden , William Hopper , Edward Keane , Audrey Long , Lon McCallister , George Meeker , Dolores Moran , Garry Owen , Francis Pierlot , Joyce Reynolds , Ruth Robinson , Sid Saylor , Charles B. Smith , Dick Wessel , Michael Curtiz , Tom Dugan
- Twentieth Century with John Barrymore , Carole Lombard , Walter Connolly , Roscoe Karns , Etienne Girardot , Ralph Forbes , Edgar Kennedy , Dale Fuller , James P. Burtis , Herman Bing , James Burke , Eddy Chandler , Pat Flaherty , Edward Gargan , Sherry Hall , Howard C. Hickman , Gaylord "Steve" Pendleton , George H. Reed , Harry Semels , Fred "Snowflake" Toones , Charles Lane
- They Died With Their Boots On with Errol Flynn , Olivia DeHavilland , Arthur Kennedy , Charles Grapewin , Regis Toomey , Gene Lockhart , Stanley Ridges , Anthony Quinn , Walter Hampden , John Litel , Joseph Sawyer , Frank Wilcox , Selmer Jackson , Minor Watson , Sydney Greenstreet , Hattie R. McDaniel , Eddie Acuff , Irving Bacon , Roy Barcroft , Hobart Bosworth , Virginia Brissac , Walter Brooke , Lane R. Chandler , Spencer Charters , George Pat Collins , Joseph Crehan , Steven Darrell , Joe Devlin , George Eldredge , Frank Ferguson , William Forrest , Saul Gorss , John Hamilton , Herbert Heywood , Russell Hicks , William Hopper , Edward Keane , Joseph King , Arthur Loft , Ian MacDonald , Sam McDaniel , Jack Mower , Anna Q. Nilsson , Frank Orth , Eddie Parker , Eleanor Parker , Bob Perry , Aileen Pringle , George H. Reed , Renie Riano , Addison W. Richards , John Ridgely , James Seay , Harry Strang , Ray Teal , Minerva Urecal , Dick Wessel , Gig Young , Francis Ford
- The Noose Hangs High with Lou Costello , Bud Abbott , Cathy Downs , Joseph Calleia , Leon Errol , Mike Mazurki , Fritz Feld , Ellen Corby , Pat Flaherty , James Flavin , Bess Flowers , Ben Hall , Russell Hicks , Lyle Latell , Paul Maxey , Isabel Randolph , Minerva Urecal , Herb Vigran , Ben Welden , Frank O'Connor , Benny Rubin
- The Man Who Came to Dinner with Bette Davis , Ann Sheridan , Monty Woolley , Billie Burke , Jimmy Durante , Richard Travis , Reginald Gardiner , Grant Mitchell , George Barbier , Mary Wickes , Laura Hope Crewes , Edwin Stanley , Charles Drake , Chester Clute , John Ridgely , Ernie S. Adams , Eddy Chandler , Frank Jr. Coghlan , Creighton Hale , Hank Mann , Frank C. Moran , Jack Mower , Cliff Saum , Billy Wayne , Gig Young
- Kings Row with Ann Sheridan , Robert Cummings , Ronald W. Reagan , Betty Field , Charles Coburn , Claude Rains , Judith Anderson , Nancy Coleman , Maria Ouspenskaya , Harry Davenport , Kaaren Verne , Ernest Cossart , Scotty Beckett , Ann E. Todd , Egon Brecher , Herbert Heywood , Hank Mann , Jack Mower , Emory Parnell , Ludwig Stossel , Minor Watson
- The Fountainhead with Gary Cooper , Patricia Neal , Raymond Massey , Kent Smith , Henry Hull , Robert Douglas , Ray Collins , Moroni Olsen , Jerome Cowan , Paul Harvey , Harry Woods , Paul Stanton , Morris Ankrum , Griff Barnett , Dorothy Christy , Tristram Coffin , Ann Doran , John Doucette , Roy Gordon , William Haade , Creighton Hale , Jonathan Hale , Thurston Hall , Selmer Jackson , Douglas Kennedy , Paul "Tiny" Newlan , Almira Sessions , Harlan Warde , Pierre Watkin , Josephine Whittell , Frank Wilcox , Isabel Withers
- Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck , Dennis Morgan , Sydney Greenstreet , Reginald Gardiner , Robert Shayne , Una O'Connor , Frank Jenks , Joyce Compton , Dick Elliott , Charles Arnt , Arthur Aylesworth , Marie Blake , John Dehner , Jody Gilbert , Olaf Hytten , Jack Mower , S.Z. Sakall , Charles Sherlock
Fred A. Kelsey Trivia
When was Fred A. Kelsey born?
Fred A. Kelsey was born on August 20, 1884
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Detour to Danger?
Fred A. Kelsey was Kelsey in Detour to Danger
What role did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Love in High Gear?
Fred A. Kelsey played Officer Duffy in Love in High Gear
Who did Fred A. Kelsey play in The Sagebrush Troubador?
Fred A. Kelsey was Hank Polk in The Sagebrush Troubador
Who did Fred A. Kelsey play in The Invisible Ghost?
Fred A. Kelsey was Ryan in The Invisible Ghost
What role did Fred A. Kelsey play in X Marks the Spot?
Fred A. Kelsey played Riley in X Marks the Spot
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Hans Christian Andersen?
Fred A. Kelsey was 1st Gendarme in Hans Christian Andersen
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in All Over Town?
Fred A. Kelsey was Inspector Murphy in All Over Town
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in O. Henry's Full House?
Fred A. Kelsey was Santa Claus, The Gift of the Magi in O. Henry's Full House
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Gentleman Jim?
Fred A. Kelsey was Sutro in Gentleman Jim
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in My Reputation?
Fred A. Kelsey was Conductor in My Reputation
What role did Fred A. Kelsey play in Lady Gangster?
Fred A. Kelsey played Cop in Lady Gangster
What role did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Blues in the Night?
Fred A. Kelsey played Bartender in Blues in the Night
What role did Fred A. Kelsey play in Yankee Doodle Dandy?
Fred A. Kelsey played Irish Cop in "Peck's Bad Boy" in Yankee Doodle Dandy
What role did Fred A. Kelsey play in Twentieth Century?
Fred A. Kelsey played Detective on Train in Twentieth Century
Who did Fred A. Kelsey play in One Frightened Night?
Fred A. Kelsey was Jenks in One Frightened Night
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in The Noose Hangs High?
Fred A. Kelsey was Cop in The Noose Hangs High
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in The Man Who Came to Dinner?
Fred A. Kelsey was Man in The Man Who Came to Dinner
What role did Fred A. Kelsey play in Kings Row?
Fred A. Kelsey played Bill Hockinson in Kings Row
Who did Fred A. Kelsey play in The Green Archer [Serial]?
Fred A. Kelsey was Capt. Thompson in The Green Archer [Serial]
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in The Fountainhead?
Fred A. Kelsey was Old Watchman in The Fountainhead
Who did Fred A. Kelsey play in The Dark Hour?
Fred A. Kelsey was Watson in The Dark Hour
Who did Fred A. Kelsey portray in Christmas in Connecticut?
Fred A. Kelsey was Harper in Christmas in Connecticut
