Howard Keel - Definition and Overview

Howard Keel, born Harold Clifford Leek (April 13, 1919–November 7, 2004) was an American actor who starred in many of the classic film musicals of the 1950s.

Born in Gillespie, Illinois, his height (6'4") and muscular build showed to great advantage in the skimpy costumes he often wore in such movies as the 1955 Jupiter's Darling, in which he played Hannibal invading Rome with his elephants. He also played Gaylord Ravenal and Wild Bill Hickok. After the studios phased out musicals in the 1960s, his (baritone) singing was no longer in much demand, and he did non-singing (and usually non-starring) roles, many of them in Westerns. He also played "Clayton Farlow" on the American television series Dallas from 1984 to 1991.

Keel died at age 85 at his home in Palm Desert, California, six weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Selected filmography

• Annie Get Your Gun (1950) (with Betty Hutton)
• Pagan Love Song (1950) (with Esther Williams)
• Show Boat (1951) (with Kathryn Grayson)
• Across the Wide Missouri (1951)
• Texas Carnival (1951) (with Esther Williams)
• Lovely to Look At (1952) (with Kathryn Grayson)
• Calamity Jane (1953) (with Doris Day)
• Ride Vaquero (1953)
• Kiss Me, Kate (1953)(with Kathryn Grayson)
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
• Rose Marie (1954) (with Ann Blyth)
• Kismet (1955)(with Ann Blyth)
• Jupiter's Darling (1955) (with Esther Williams)
• The Big Fisherman (1959)
• The War Wagon (1967)
• Dallas (TV)

External links

• Internet Movie Database page (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444476/)
• CNN obituary (http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/07/keel.obit.ap/index.html)