Wally Brown

Wallace Edgar Brown (October 8, 1904[1] – November 13, 1961) was an American actor and comedian. In the 1940s he performed as the comic partner of Alan Carney.

For the English educator, see Wally Brown (educator). For the college football player, see Wally Brown (American football).
Wally Brown
Born
Wallace Edgar Brown

(1904-10-09)October 9, 1904
Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 13, 1961(1961-11-13) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
OccupationActor/Comedian
Years active1930s–61
Spouse(s)Mildred Lane (his death)
Children2

Early years

Wallace Edgar Brown was born in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Herbert[1] and Lillian (Garnier) Brown. His father was a Compositor for the Malden Evening News. Brown left Malden High School during his junior year, but he later graduated from Malden Commercial Business School and took courses at Chicago University. Before his career in entertainment began, he worked at a drug store soda fountain in Malden, was a second chef at a hotel in York Beach, Maine, and was a printer's devil at a print shop in Boston, among other jobs. He also performed locally with his father as an amateur.[1]

Early career

Brown debuted professionally in Beacon Falls, Pennsylvania, with the Jimmy Evans Song Box Revue. In addition to entertaining, he handled baggage for the troupe. After that, he began performing with the Carson Sisters.[1] He performed in vaudeville for years before his first appearance in film.

Film

Brown began his film career in 1942 in Hollywood at RKO Radio Pictures with the film Petticoat Larceny. When RKO decided to emulate the comedy team Abbott and Costello, he was paired with Alan Carney, creating "Brown & Carney."

The duo premiered with the military comedies Adventures of a Rookie and its sequel, Rookies in Burma. Out of their eight films together, one of the most notable was Zombies on Broadway co-starring Bela Lugosi, a semi-sequel to Val Lewton's I Walked With a Zombie. Brown and Carney's contracts were terminated in 1946, after which they pursued solo careers. In the 1940s and '50s, both appeared in various roles for Leslie Goodwins films. They reunited in 1961 in Disney's The Absent-Minded Professor.

Brown was later teamed with Tim Ryan in the Columbia Pictures short film French Fried Frolic in 1949. He was also teamed with Jack Kirkwood in four RKO Pictures short films in 1950 and 1951.

Along with Alan Carney, Brown was going to be given a role in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) but died not long before filming began.

Television and radio

In 1953, Brown had billing over an unknown Paul Newman in the fourth-season premiere episode of The Web, titled "One for the Road."

He made several guest appearances on Perry Mason, including in the role of murderer Harry Mitchell in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Gilded Lily." Wally Brown had also been a regular cast member in television shows like I Married Joan, Cimarron City, and Daniel Boone.

Brown's last years were filled with guest appearances in television, his last one in My Three Sons.

Brown served as a regular on The Abbott and Costello Show.

Personal life

Brown was married to dancer Mildred Lane, and they had a son and a daughter.[1]

Filmography

See also

Further reading
  • Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924-1984. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9

References
  1. Adams, Marjory (June 9, 1944). "Malden Film Actor Member of Newest Comedy Team". The Boston Globe. p. 9. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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