Howard Keel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howard Keel
Keel in trailer for Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Born	Harold Clifford Keel (1919-04-13)April 13, 1919 Gillespie, Illinois, U.S.
Died	November 7, 2004(2004-11-07) (aged 85) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1943–2002
Spouse(s)	Rosemary Cooper ​ (1943⁠–⁠1948)​ Helen Anderson ​ (1949⁠–⁠1970)​ Judy Magamoll ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	4
Relatives	Bodie Olmos (grandson)
12th President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office 1958–1959
Preceded by	Leon Ames
Succeeded by	Ronald Reagan

Howard Keel (born Harold Clifford Keel; April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004) was a famous American actor and singer. He was known for his strong, deep singing voice. Howard Keel starred in many popular movie musicals in the 1950s. Later, he became well-known for his role in the TV show Dallas from 1981 to 1991.

Early Life and Beginnings

Howard Keel was born in Gillespie, Illinois. His father was a coal miner, and his family was very poor. Sometimes, a teacher would even give him lunch.

When he was 11, his father passed away. Howard and his mother then moved to California. He finished high school at age 17. Before becoming an actor, he worked different jobs, including being a truck driver.

At 20, his landlady heard him singing and told him to take singing lessons. He loved the famous singer Lawrence Tibbett. Howard was a bit sad to learn his own voice was a basso cantante (a very deep singing voice). But he still performed for the first time in 1941. He sang in a show called Saul.

Career Highlights

In 1945, Howard Keel started working on Broadway shows. He was a backup singer for Carousel. Then he got a role in Oklahoma!. Both shows were created by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. One amazing time, he performed the main roles in both Carousel and Oklahoma! on the same day!

In 1947, Oklahoma! became the first American musical to go to London, England, after World War II. Howard Keel went with the show. The audience, including the future Queen Elizabeth II, loved it so much they asked for 14 encores!

Howard Keel made his first movie in Britain in 1948. It was a thriller called The Small Voice. He played an escaped criminal.

Hollywood Musicals (MGM)

Esther Williams and Howard Keel

In 1949, Howard Keel moved to Hollywood. He joined the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) movie studio. His first musical film was Annie Get Your Gun (1950). He starred with Betty Hutton. This movie was a huge hit and made him a star.

He then starred with Esther Williams in Pagan Love Song (1950). Another big success was Show Boat (1951). In this film, he sang opposite Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner. He made more movies with Esther Williams, like Texas Carnival (1952).

Howard Keel also made Westerns and comedies. He starred with Doris Day in the popular movie Calamity Jane (1953). He and Kathryn Grayson made two more musicals: Kiss Me Kate (1953) and Rose Marie (1954).

One of his most famous movies was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). He starred with Jane Powell. This movie was a massive success for MGM. His last musical for MGM was Kismet (1955). After this, his contract with MGM ended.

Later Career and Dallas

After his time at MGM, Howard Keel went back to performing on stage. He also appeared in some movies, including the thriller Floods of Fear (1959) and the Biblical movie The Big Fisherman (1960). He also starred in the science fiction film The Day of the Triffids (1962).

In the 1960s, it became harder to find big movie roles. Howard Keel mostly worked in nightclubs and summer theater. He also appeared in some Western movies, like Waco (1966) and The War Wagon (1967) with John Wayne.

In 1970, Howard Keel met Judy Magamoll. She was much younger than him, but they fell in love and got married. They had a daughter named Leslie Grace in 1974.

In 1981, Howard Keel's career got a big boost. He was asked to join the TV show Dallas. He played the character Clayton Farlow, a rich oil baron. His character was very popular, and he stayed on the show until it ended in 1991. Dallas helped him become famous again.

Recording and Later Years

Because of his renewed fame from Dallas, Howard Keel started a solo singing career. He released an album called And I Love You So in 1984. It became a hit in the UK and Australia. Another album, Reminiscing – The Howard Keel Collection, also did well.

In 1994, Howard and Judy moved to Palm Desert, California. They were involved in many charity events. Howard Keel attended a golf tournament in England that raised money for children's charities for many years.

Honors and Awards

Howard Keel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. You can find it at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard.

He also has a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in California, which he received in 1996.

In 2019, he was added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. This is at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Personal Life and Death

Howard Keel was married three times. His first marriage was to Rosemary Cooper in 1943, and they divorced in 1948. He then married Helen Anderson in 1949, and they had three children: Kaija, Kirstine, and Gunnar. They divorced in 1970. Later that year, he married Judy Magamoll. They had one daughter, Leslie Grace. Howard Keel had ten grandchildren, including actor Bodie Olmos.

Howard Keel passed away at his home in Palm Desert, California, on November 7, 2004. He was 85 years old. His ashes were scattered in three places that were special to him: a golf club in England, Liverpool John Lennon Airport in England, and Tuscany, Italy.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage Work

See also

In Spanish: Howard Keel para niños