Jack Oakie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Oakie
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Oakie in 1941
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| Born |
Lewis Delaney Offield
November 12, 1903 Sedalia, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | January 23, 1978 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1923–1971 |
| Spouse(s) |
Venita Varden
(m. 1936; div. 1945)Victoria Horne
(m. 1950) |
Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was a famous American actor. He starred in many films, but also worked on stage, radio, and television. One of his most famous roles was playing Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin's movie The Great Dictator (1940). For this role, he was nominated for an Oscar.
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Early Life and Childhood
Jack Oakie was born in Sedalia, Missouri, on November 12, 1903. His birth name was Lewis Delaney Offield. His dad, James, sold grain, and his mom, Evelyn, was a psychology teacher. When Jack was five, his family moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma. This is where he got his nickname "Oakie." His first name, Jack, came from the first character he ever played on stage.
Young Lewis grew up mostly in Oklahoma. He also spent time with his grandmother in Kansas City, Missouri. While there, he delivered newspapers for The Kansas City Star. He remembered making extra money selling special editions during the 1916 presidential election.
Starting His Career
Before becoming an actor, Jack worked as a runner on Wall Street in New York City. He was lucky to avoid being hurt in a bombing there in 1920. In New York, he started performing in amateur shows. He was good at mimicking others and telling jokes.
His first professional acting job was on Broadway in 1923. He was a chorus boy in a musical called Little Nellie Kelly. He performed in many musicals and comedies on Broadway until 1927. Then, he moved to Hollywood to act in movies.
Movie Star Years
Jack Oakie started acting in silent films in 1927. When movies started having sound (called "talkies"), he signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. His first talking movie was The Dummy in 1929.
After his contract with Paramount ended in 1934, Jack decided to work independently. He was very successful, appearing in 87 films! Most of these were made in the 1930s and 1940s. In the movie Too Much Harmony (1933), his real mom played his on-screen mother.
During the 1930s, Jack was known as "The World's Oldest Freshman." This was because he often played college students in his films. He was also known for not wearing much makeup for his roles. He often used a funny comedy trick called a "double-take," where an actor looks at something, looks away, and then quickly looks back with a surprised expression.
Jack once said that his movies were like "bread and butter pictures" for the studio. This meant they didn't cost much to make but earned a lot of money. They helped support bigger, more expensive movies that didn't always make a profit.
The Great Dictator Role
One of Jack Oakie's most famous roles was in Charlie Chaplin's movie The Great Dictator (1940). He played Benzino Napaloni, a loud and funny dictator. This character was a funny imitation, or parody, of the real-life leader of Italy, Benito Mussolini. For this role, Jack was nominated for an Oscar.
Radio and Television Appearances
Since Jack wasn't tied to one movie studio, he also worked in radio. He even had his own radio show from 1936 to 1938.
Later in his career, he appeared on several television shows. These included The Real McCoys (1963), Daniel Boone (1966), and Bonanza (1966).
Family Life and Home
Jack Oakie was married twice. His first marriage was to Venita Varden in 1936. They divorced in 1944.
His second marriage was in 1950 to actress Victoria Horne. They lived together at their home called "Oakridge" until Jack's death in 1978.
Jack Oakie passed away on January 23, 1978, in Los Angeles, California. He was 74 years old. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
The Oakridge Estate
Jack and Victoria Oakie lived on their large 11-acre estate called "Oakridge." It was located in Northridge, a part of Los Angeles. They bought the property in 1940 from actress Barbara Stanwyck. The main house was designed by a famous architect named Paul Williams.
Jack planted a citrus orchard and raised Afghan Hound dogs there. At one point, he had up to 100 dogs!
After Jack's death, Victoria continued to live at Oakridge. She later left the estate to the University of Southern California. The city of Los Angeles bought Oakridge in 2009. It is now considered an important historical place. The city plans to use it as a park and a community center. The Paul Williams house and its grounds are a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
Jack Oakie's Legacy
Jack Oakie left a lasting mark on comedy and film. In 1981, the "Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film" was started. This is an annual event held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the same group that gives out the Oscars. At the first lecture, Jack was called "a master of comic timing and a beloved figure."
In 2003, a special teaching position, called the Jack Oakie Endowed Chair in Comedy, was created at the University of Southern California.
Jack Oakie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard. You can also find his hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
There are displays celebrating Jack Oakie at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital and the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys, California. A plaque also marks the spot where he was born in Sedalia, Missouri.
Jack Oakie is even mentioned in the movie Barton Fink by the Coen Brothers.
See also
In Spanish: Jack Oakie para niños
