Templeton Fox (born Esther Fox;[1] July 24, 1913 – January 9, 1993)[2] was an American actress best known for her work in old-time radio.

Templeton Fox
Publicity Photo of Templeton Fox
Born
Esther Fox

(1913-07-24)July 24, 1913
DiedJanuary 9, 1993(1993-01-09) (aged 79)
Alma materPomona College
OccupationActress
SpouseRobert Lyon Welch
Children2

Early years

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Born in Pasadena, California,[2] Fox is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Fox.[3] She went to school in Elgin, Illinois,[2] and attended Pomona College.[4] She won a talent contest sponsored by a hotel in Los Angeles[5] and gained early acting experience at the Pasadena Community Playhouse.[2] She changed her first name after being advised by a numerologist to do so.[1]

Career

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Radio

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Before Fox became an actress, she was a singer in Los Angeles.[6] After her parents moved to Chicago, they challenged her to audition with NBC, which resulted in her gaining a contract as a dramatic actress on that network[7] in September 1935.[2] Her roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.

Program Character
Dan Harding's Wife Margot Graham[8]
Hilltop House Trudy Reynolds[9]
Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy Trudy[10]
Linda Fairchild, Stepmother Linda Fairchild[11]
The Story of Mary Marlin Bunny Mitchell[8]: 318 
This Day Is Ours Eleanor MacDonald[8]: 331 
Those We Love Ann[12]
Young Hickory Marilyn Fletcher[13]
Your Family and Mine Claudia Foster[14]

Programs on which Fox had supporting roles included Manhattan at Midnight,[15] Lights Out[16] and The Mystery Man.[17]

Film

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Fox worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, mostly in bit parts.[18] Her film credits include Tony Rome,[19] Fate Is the Hunter, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?, and Shock Treatment.[20]

Stage

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In 1942, Fox portrayed Miriam Blake in a production of Guest in the House in Boston.[21]

Television

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Fox's television appearances include roles in Hazel, Route 66, Dennis the Menace, The Thin Man, My Three Sons, Slattery's People, Gentle Ben, My Living Doll, and Peyton Place.[20] In 1975, she was a last-minute replacement to play Ralph Kramden's mother-in-law on the 25th anniversary episode of The Honeymooners after Doro Merande, the actress slated for that role, died suddenly.[22]

Personal life

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On August 15, 1938, Fox married Robert Lyon Welch in Chicago. Welch worked with a radio advertising agency.[23] She retired from acting to raise their son and daughter. Welch died in 1964. Fox died on January 9, 1993, in Los Angeles, California. [18]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Stars of the Air". The Evening Independent. Ohio, Massillon. November 6, 1936. p. 21. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ a b c d e "Highlights For Monday, April 11". Radio Mirror. 10 (1): 45. May 1938. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Weddings Announced". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. August 17, 1938. p. 15. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "American Beauties". Mount Carmel Item. Pennsylvania, Mount Carmel. Newspaper Enterprise Association. October 12, 1937. p. 5. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "Templeton Fox". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. December 29, 1935. p. 8. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  6. ^ "Began Acting in Pasadena". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. November 16, 1937. p. 14. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "News of Stars and Stations". The St. Louis Star and Times. Missouri, St. Louis. January 8, 1936. p. 20. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ a b c Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  9. ^ "Hilltop House, Kate Hopkins Change Times". The Times. Louisiana, Shreveport. October 6, 1940. p. 27. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ "Premieres". The Des Moines Register. Iowa, Des Moines. October 7, 1940. p. 13. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ "Studio Gossip". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. May 30, 1937. p. 40. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "(photo caption)". Radio Mirror. 23 (4): 92. March 1945. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Acts". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. April 25, 1937. p. 20. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  14. ^ Damai, Paul (December 10, 1939). "Radio Short Circuits". The Times. Indiana, Munster. p. 7. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  15. ^ "In New Series". Star Tribune. Minnesota, Minneapolis. July 28, 1940. p. 26. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  16. ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
  17. ^ Cox, Jim (2002). Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age. McFarland. pp. 190–191. ISBN 978-0-7864-4324-6.
  18. ^ a b Kelly, Herb (July 3, 1966). "by herb kelly". The Miami News. Florida, Miami. p. 43. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  19. ^ Reid, John Howard (2 August 2015). A Risky Business Crime in the Movies. Lulu.com. p. 150. ISBN 9781329436206. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  20. ^ a b Kelly, Herb (July 3, 1966). "Miami Was An Accident". The Miami News. Florida, Miami. p. 42. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  21. ^ "The Stage: Plymouth Theatre". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. October 20, 1942. p. 23. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  22. ^ Gardner, Marilyn; Gardner, Hy (December 14, 1975). "It Wasn't 'Sudden Fame' For Templeton Fox, Long-Time Performer". Asheville Citizen-Times. North Carolina, Asheville. p. 64. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  23. ^ "Marriages" (PDF). Billboard. August 27, 1938. pp. 34, 104. Retrieved 24 August 2018.