Duke York
| Duke York | |
|---|---|
 Duke York plays a docile wolfman who goes berserk whenever he hears music in the Three Stooges film Idle Roomers. | |
| Born |
Charles Everest Sinsabaugh October 17, 1908 Danby, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
January 24, 1952 (aged 43) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Years active | 1932-1952 |
Duke York (October 17, 1908 – January 24, 1952) was an American film actor and stuntman. Born in Danby, New York, York was born Charles Everest Sinsabaugh. He appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952.
Career
Modern viewers will remember York for his portrayals of grotesque monsters, ape men, or other scary goon-like characters in Three Stooges short films such as Three Little Twirps, Idle Roomers, Shivering Sherlocks, and Who Done It?. His most prominent non-monster role was as Kelly in Higher Than a Kite. York also played the role of King Kala in the serial Flash Gordon.[1]
Personal life
Duke York a tall actor at 7'0 in his private life however, was quite unlucky in love. He married in the 1930s to a movie stunt woman, Frances Miles, but the union was ended by divorce in 1941. Several years later, York was dating a Beverly Hills brunette named Catherine Moench. They planned to marry, but she called it off, saying that he was "quite jealous and had misunderstood various actions" of hers in the past. York eventually admitted to Moench that he was wrong, and wanted to get back together, but she didn't want to.
Death
On January 24th, 1952, during a lengthy phone call to Moench, several times during which he threatened suicide, he finally picked up a handgun he had nearby, and shot himself in the head while still on the phone. His body was discovered by a friend and fellow actor George Cleveland.
Selected filmography
- For Crimin' Out Loud (1956) [archive footage]
- Of Cash and Hash (1955) [archive footage]
- Trail Blazers (1953)
- My Favorite Spy (1951)
- Oh! Susanna (1951)
- Northwest Territory (1951)
- Snow Dog (1950)
- Call of the Klondike (1950)
- Who Done It? (1949)
- Stampede (1949)
- Shivering Sherlocks (1948)
- Road to Rio (1947)
- Idle Roomers (1944)
- Higher Than a Kite (1943)
- Three Little Twirps (1943)
- Woman of the Year (1942)
- Give Out, Sisters (1942)
- "Some More of Samoa" (1941)
- Topper Returns (1941)
- How High Is Up? (1940)
- Nutty but Nice (1940)
- The Three Mesquiteers (1936) - Chuck (one-armed vet)
- Flash Gordon (1936)
References
- ↑ Three Stooges Journal, Vol. 12, p. 5
