Howard Duff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard Duff
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Duff in 1969
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Born |
Howard Green Duff
November 24, 1913 Charleston, Washington, U.S.
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Died | July 8, 1990 |
(aged 76)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1943–1990 |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 1 |
Howard Green Duff (born November 24, 1913 – died July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in movies and on television. He also had a famous voice role on the radio.
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Early Life and Start in Acting
Howard Duff was born in Charleston, Washington, in 1913. This area is now part of Bremerton, Washington. He went to Roosevelt High School in Seattle. He started acting in school plays after he didn't make the basketball team.
After high school, Duff worked in local theaters in Seattle. When World War II started, he joined the United States Army Air Corps. He worked for their radio service, which was called the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). He was an announcer for a drama show called Suspense in 1943.
Howard Duff's Acting Career
Howard Duff had a long and successful career in entertainment. He worked in radio, movies, and television.
Becoming the Voice of Sam Spade
One of Howard Duff's most famous roles was on the radio. He played the private detective Sam Spade in the show The Adventures of Sam Spade. This show ran from 1946 to 1950.
Duff left the show in 1950. At that time, his career in movies and TV was starting to grow.
First Steps in Movies
Howard Duff signed a long-term contract with Universal Pictures. This meant he would make many movies for them. His first movie was Brute Force in 1947. He acted alongside Burt Lancaster in this film.
He then got a bigger role in The Naked City (1948). He also worked with Burt Lancaster again in All My Sons (1948). This movie was based on a famous play.
Duff soon started getting lead roles in many Westerns and crime films. Some of these movies include:
- Illegal Entry (1949)
- Red Canyon (1949)
- Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
- Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)
In 1950, he starred in Woman in Hiding. In this movie, he acted with Ida Lupino, who would later become his wife. They worked together in four more movies during the 1950s.
Working as a Freelance Actor
After leaving Universal, Duff became a "freelance" actor. This means he could choose which movies and shows to work on. He appeared in films like Spaceways (1953) and Roar of the Crowd (1953).
He continued to act with his wife, Ida Lupino, in several movies:
- Jennifer (1953)
- Private Hell 36 (1954)
- Women's Prison (1955)
- While the City Sleeps (1956)
Success on Television
Howard Duff also became very popular on television. In the 1950s, he appeared in shows like The Star and the Story and Climax!.
From 1957 to 1958, he starred with Ida Lupino in the TV show Mr. Adams and Eve. They played two movie stars who were married to each other. They also helped produce the show.
Duff appeared in many other TV series in the 1960s, including:
- Bonanza (where he played a young Mark Twain)
- The Twilight Zone (in the episode "A World of Difference")
- Batman (with Ida Lupino)
- The Virginian
He had the main role in the short-lived show Dante (1960–61). He found more success as Detective Sergeant Sam Stone in the police drama Felony Squad. This show ran from 1966 to 1969. Duff was in all 73 episodes. He also directed one episode of the show. He also directed seven episodes of the TV show Camp Runamuck.
Later Career in TV and Film
In the 1970s, Duff continued to make guest appearances on TV shows. These included The Streets of San Francisco, Police Story, and The Rockford Files. He also appeared in TV movies like A Little Game (1971).
He was part of the cast in the comedy film A Wedding (1978). He also had an important role as a lawyer in the famous movie Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), which won an Academy Award.
In the 1980s, Duff continued to appear in TV series. He was in:
- Charlie's Angels (1980)
- Murder, She Wrote (1984)
- Magnum, P.I. (1988), where he played the main character's grandfather.
- Dallas (1988)
He also had a regular role in the show Knots Landing from 1984 to 1985.
One of his last big movie roles was in the thriller No Way Out (1987). He acted alongside Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. Howard Duff's final acting roles were in 1990, shortly before he passed away. These included the TV shows Midnight Caller and The Golden Girls, and the movie Too Much Sun.
Personal Life
In October 1951, Howard Duff married actress Ida Lupino. They had a daughter named Bridget Duff, who was born in 1952. The couple separated in 1966 and later divorced in 1984. After that, he married Judy Jenkinson.
Death
Howard Duff passed away on July 8, 1990, at the age of 76. He died from a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California.
Filmography
- Brute Force (1947)
- The Naked City (1948)
- All My Sons (1948)
- The Life of Riley (1949) (voice only)
- Red Canyon (1949)
- Illegal Entry (1949)
- Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)
- Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
- Woman in Hiding (1950)
- Spy Hunt (1950)
- Shakedown (1950)
- The Lady from Texas (1951)
- Steel Town (1952)
- Models Inc. (1952)
- Roar of the Crowd (1953)
- Spaceways (1953)
- Jennifer (1953)
- Tanganyika (1954)
- Private Hell 36 (1954)
- The Yellow Mountain (1954)
- Women's Prison (1955)
- Flame of the Islands (1956)
- Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado (1956)
- While the City Sleeps (1956)
- The Broken Star (1956)
- Sierra Stranger (1957)
- Teenage Idol (1958 TV movie)
- The Twilight Zone (1960) ("A World of Difference")
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) ("The Tender Poisoner")
- Combat! (1962) ("Missing in Action")
- Boys' Night Out (1962)
- War Gods of Babylon (1962)
- Calhoun: County Agent (1964, TV Movie)
- The Changing Geometry of Flight (1965, Short) (voice only)
- Panic in the City (1968)
- D.A.: Murder One (1969, TV Movie)
- In Search of America (1971, TV Movie)
- A Little Game (1971, TV Movie)
- The Heist (1972, TV Movie)
- Snatched (1973, TV Movie)
- The Late Show (1977)
- In the Glitter Palace (1977, TV Movie)
- Actor (1978, TV Movie)
- Ski Lift to Death (1978, TV Movie)
- A Wedding (1978)
- Battered (1978 TV movie)
- Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
- Valentine Magic on Love Island (1980, TV Movie)
- Deadly Companion (1980)
- Oh, God! Book II (1980)
- The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982, TV Movie)
- This Girl for Hire (1983, TV Movie)
- Murder, She Wrote (1984)
- Love on the Run (1985, TV Movie)
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1985, 1987)
- Monster in the Closet (1986)
- Roses Are for the Rich (1987, TV Movie)
- No Way Out (1987)
- The Ed Begley Jr. Show (1989, TV Movie)
- Settle the Score (1989, TV Movie)
- Too Much Sun (1990)
See also
In Spanish: Howard Duff para niños