Howard Keel

Esther Williams and Howard Keel

From London's West End, Keel went to Hollywood in 1949 where he was engaged by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio. He made his musical film debut as Frank Butler in the film version of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun (1950), co-starring with Betty Hutton.[1] The film was a big hit and established Keel as a star.[4]

MGM put him opposite Esther Williams in Pagan Love Song (1950) which was successful, although not as profitable as most Esther William films because it went over budget.[4] Keel had a third hit in a row with the comedy Three Guys Named Mike (1951), supporting Van Johnson and Jane Wyman.

Even more popular was Show Boat (1951), where Keel played the male lead opposite Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.[1] Keel was reunited with Williams in Texas Carnival (1952). He had his first flop at MGM with the comedy Callaway Went Thataway (1952) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Dorothy McGuire.[4] A reunion with Grayson, Lovely to Look At (1952), based on the stage musical Roberta was popular but lost money.[4]

MGM tried him in an adventure film, Desperate Search (1953) which was poorly received. So too was the comedy Fast Company (1953). More popular was a Western with Gardner and Robert Taylor, Ride, Vaquero! (1953).

Warner Bros borrowed Keel to play Wild Bill Hickock opposite Doris Day in Calamity Jane (1953), another hit. Back at MGM he and Grayson made a third musical together, Kiss Me Kate (1953), which again was liked by the public but unprofitable. The same went for Rose Marie (1954) which Keel made with Ann Blyth. However Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) with Jane Powell was a huge success and made MGM over $3 million in profit.[4]

Keel was one of many guest stars in Deep in My Heart (1954). He and Williams made a third film together, Jupiter's Darling (1955) which lost MGM over $2 million - the first Williams movie to lose money. Kismet (1955) with Blyth also lost over two million dollars, and Keel was released from his MGM contract.

He returned to his first love, the stage. In 1957, he was in a short-lived revival of Carousel.[5] Keel's next film was made in Britain, the thriller Floods of Fear (1959). He returned to Hollywood to play Simon-Peter in a Biblical epic, The Big Fisherman (1960). In 1959-60 he was in a short-lived Broadway musical Saratoga. [6] Keel went to Europe to make a low budget war film, Armored Command (1961). In England, he starred in The Day of the Triffids (1962).

As America's taste in entertainment changed, finding jobs became more difficult for Keel. The 1960s held limited prospects for career advancement and consisted primarily of nightclub work, B-Westerns and summer stock. He did Carousel in 1962 and 1966. He replaced Richard Kiley on Broadway in No Strings (1962). Keel starred in Westerns for A. C. Lyles, Waco (1966), Red Tomahawk (1966) and Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). He had a supporting part in a John Wayne Western, The War Wagon (1967).

In early 1970, Keel met Judy Magamoll, who was twenty-five years his junior and knew nothing about his stardom. Years later, Keel called the relationship love at first sight, but the age difference bothered him tremendously. For Judy, however, it was not a problem, and with the aid of Robert Frost's poem "What Fifty Said", she convinced him to proceed with their relationship. He resumed his routine of nightclub, cabaret and summer stock jobs with his new wife at his side.

From 1971 to 1972, Keel appeared briefly in the West End and Broadway productions of the musical Ambassador, which flopped. In 1974, Keel became a father for the fourth time with the birth of his daughter, Leslie Grace. In January 1986, he underwent double heart bypass surgery.

Keel continued to tour with his wife and daughter in tow, but by 1980 had decided to make his life change. He moved his family to Oklahoma with the intention of joining an oil company. The family had barely settled down when Keel was called back to California to appear with Jane Powell on an episode of The Love Boat. While there, he was told that the producers of the television series Dallas wanted to speak with him.

In 1981, after several guest appearances, Keel joined the show permanently as the dignified but hot-tempered oil baron Clayton Farlow.[1] Starting with an appearance on the fourth season, the character had been meant as a semi-replacement patriarch for the series' Jock Ewing played by Jim Davis, who had recently died. However, Clayton was such a hit among viewers that he was made a series regular and stayed on until its end in 1991. Not only did Dallas revive his acting career, it breathed new life to his recording endeavors.[1]

With renewed fame, Keel commenced his first solo recording career, at age 64, as well as a successful concert career in the UK. He released an album in 1984, With Love, which sold poorly. However, his album And I Love You So reached #6 in the UK Albums Chart[7] and #37 in Australia in 1984.[8] The follow up album, Reminiscing – The Howard Keel Collection peaked at #20 in the UK Albums Chart, spending twelve weeks in that listing in 1985 and 1986.[7] The album also peaked at #83 in Australia.[8]

In 1988, the album Just for You reached #51 in the UK Albums Chart.[7] In 1994, Keel and Judy moved to Palm Desert, California. The Keels were active in community charity events, and attended the annual Howard Keel Golf Classic at Mere Golf Club in Cheshire, England, which raised money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Keel attended the event for many years until 2004.