Jeff York

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jeff York (* 23. March 1912 in Los Angeles , California as Granville Owen Scofield ; † 11. October 1995 in Woodland Hills , California) was an American actor .

life and career

Jeff York was born in Los Angeles, but grew up in San José from infancy . He studied at San Jose State Teachers College and was a professional boxer for a year and a half before turning to acting. After a short stint on the stage, he joined Hollywood cinema in 1937 . His debut in Kid Galahad went unmentioned in the credits , but this was followed by several substantial roles in B-films . Through the mediation of Garson Kanin and successful test recordings, York received a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in late 1941 , but was called up a little later for three years in the United States Army during the Second World War . After his discharge from the army, he got some supporting roles at MGM, for example in 1945 as a soldier in speedboats off Bataan and in 1946 as a patrolman who almost witnessed a murder, in the film noir In the Net of Passions with Lana Turner and John Garfield . In the lavish literary film Die Wildnis ruft he was also seen in 1946 as Oliver Hutto , a friend of the main character portrayed by Claude Jarman junior .

When MGM did not renew his contract, York was forced to work as a freelance actor and the quality of his roles deteriorated. In 1950 he was not mentioned for his small roles in the film classics Father of the Bride and Asphalt Jungle . The increasingly popular television brought his career a renewed upswing . In the Disney series Disney Land , he played the historical figure-based Keelboat rental company Mike Fink as a self- important adventurer. At Disney they took a liking to York and put him in 1956 on the side of Fess Parker in larger roles in the movies Davy Crockett and the River Pirates , Train of the Fearless and In a Secret Mission . In the Disney children's book adaptation Johnny Tremain , he played another historical figure with the lawyer James Otis Jr. In the successful dog film His friend Jello in 1957, he played the role of grandfather Bud Searcy , which he took up again six years later in the less popular sequel In the Valley of the Apaches . In the western series Gold in Alaska , York was seen in one of the leading roles as the leisurely gold prospector Reno McKee in 1959 and 1960 .

In the 1960s, there were little worthwhile roles for York and he ended his film career in 1967 after a supporting role in the comedy Tammy and the Millionaire . Little is known about his further life until his death in 1995 at the age of 83. After a divorced first marriage, York was married to Hazel Anna Hakes from 1955 until her death in 1991.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jeff York (1912-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial. Retrieved April 28, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Jeff York (1912-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial. Retrieved April 28, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME York, Jeff
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Scofield, Granville Owen (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 23, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Los Angeles , California
DATE OF DEATH October 11, 1995
Place of death Woodland Hills , California