Henry Blair (born David Lewis Blakely; "Only Seven and a Half but Already a Veteran of Four Hollywood Films". The Vancouver Sun. September 6, 1940. p. 19. Retrieved April 26, 2024.) is an American former film and radio actor.

Early life and career Born in Los Angeles,"Behind the Radio Dial". The Weekly Kansas City Star. November 6, 1946. p. 4. Retrieved April 26, 2024. Blair is the son of Lewis Herbert Blakely and Winifred Myrtle "Winnie" Pollard,"California, County Marriages, 1850–1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8NW-KGR : 9 March 2021), Lewis Herbert Blakely and Winifred Myrtle Pollard, 10 Mar 1924; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,448. the latter a British Columbia native and a skilled performer in her own right, who—after emigrating from Vancouver to Los Angeles in 1923—founded and directed the Winifred Pollard School of Dancing from 1925 until at least 1935."Another Party! Children's St. Patrick Frolic". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. March 11, 1925. p. 5. Retrieved April 28, 2024."C of C Dance Proves Success". The Southwest Wave. April 5, 1935. p. 14. Retrieved April 28, 2024. The family resided in Roscoe, California, where Kevin attended the Vineland Elementary School."Roscoe Boy Making Good in Pictures" . Los Angeles Citizen-News. April 10, 1942. p. 2. He later attended Hollywood Professional School and Chapman College."Short and Simple Ads Best, Boys Tell Club". Hollywood Citizen-News. May 4, 1948. p. 12. Retrieved April 26, 2024."Chapman Drama Club to Give Play". Hollywood Citizen-News. November 24, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved April 25, 2024.

Of particular note among Blair's recurring radio credits are his portrayal of Ricky Nelson on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from its inception in 1944 until 1949 (at which point Nelson himself joined the cast),Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio . New York: Oxford University Press. p. 11. . as well as the roles of "Donnie Henderson" on Beulah,"Radio Highlights: Juvenile Stars on 'Beulah" Show; Henry Blair Plays Donnie Henderson" . The Tampa Times. November 22, 1949. p. 14. See also: Ames, Walter (1952). "All-Star Revue Reverting to Delayed, Kinescope Production" . Los Angeles Times. p. 24. "Skipper" on One Man's Family, "Little Quincey" on The Baby Snooks Show, "Eddie Powers" on Masquerade, and Blair's favorite among his radio characters, "Little Beaver" on Red Ryder.Carlile, Tom (December 1, 1946). "Saturday Heroes" . The Cincinnati Enquirer. One especially notable non-recurring highlight was the April 29, 1947 episode of My Favorite Story, featuring Blair as the title character in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, as adapted for radio by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.Palmer, Zuma (May 1, 1947). "AFRA Players Do Some Fine Acting". Hollywood Citizen-News. p. 30. Retrieved April 26, 2024.

On the night of February 11, 1948 (as reported the following day by The Hollywood Reporter), Blair made his 1,000th radio appearance. On February 11, 1951, Blair, along with fellow "Radiomites" Michael Blair—no relation—and Norma Jean Nilssen, were the featured guests on local disc jockey Al Jarvis's talk show on KLAC-TV in Los Angeles.

Amidst Blair's largely unsung film career, consisting principally of bit parts, often uncredited, one notable exception stands out. Zeroing in on Blair's contribution to Trail Blazers (Allied Artists' 1953 juvenile delinquency-themed second feature), the Waterloo Courier concludes its otherwise purely descriptive three-sentence review, "Henry Blair, as Spike, whose destructive prank more than once put police upon his trail, is excellent, particularly in those scenes depicting him as a reformed youngster.""Iowa Will Have Latest Bowery Boys Film Tue; Alan Hale Jr. Stars in Second Feature, 'The Trail Blazers'; Destructive Pranks". The Waterloo Courier. July 5, 1953. p. 22.

Apart from Blair's radio work, notable audio-only assignments include voicing the title characters, respectively, on three albums produced by Alan Livingston: Sparky and the Talking Train, Sparky's Magic Piano, and Rusty in Orchestraville.Ober, Harold (November 9, 1947) "Record Roundup". Asbury Park Press. November 9, 1947. p. 8. Retrieved April 28, 2024.Miles, Betty (May 2, 1948). "Record Row". The Washington Star. p. D-9. Retrieved April 28, 2024.Frank, Sam (January 17, 1994). "Pioneer of Classical Music for Kids". The Los Angeles Times. p. F5. Retrieved April 28, 2024. Onscreen, he voiced the titular antagonist of MGM's 1944 animated cartoon short subject, Barney Bear's Polar Pest.Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. Orlando, FL: BearManor Media.fan tv 2023 (November 23, 2020). "Barney Bear's Polar Pest (1944) HD Intro & Outro" . YouTube.

Partial filmography

Dust Be My Destiny (1939)"Only Seven and a Half But Already a Veteran of Four Hollywood Pictures". The Vancouver Sun. September 6, 1940. p. 19. Private Detective (1939) – Bobby Lannon Emergency Squad (1940) – Ada's sonMarks, Perry (February 23, 1940). "New Angle in Rio's Western". Harrisburg Telegraph. p. 17. Retrieved April 28, 2024. The House Across the Bay (1940) – Small boy who trips and falls while chasing older girl on the ferry returning from Alcatraz (uncredited)"Former Southwest Youth Now Appearing in Movies". The Southwest Wave. March 22, 1940. p. 2.Reel Classics (February 26, 2024). "House Across The Bay 1940 – Full Movie, George Raft, Joan Bennett, Lloyd Nolan, Comedy, Crime". YouTube. Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) – Tad Lincoln (uncredited) Calling Philo Vance (1940) – Hans Snauble (uncredited)Over50andFantabulous (April 24, 2024). "Calling Philo Vance 1940". YouTube. The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940) Foreign Correspondent (1940) – Boy who speaks in Westminster Cathedral tower scene (uncredited) Wildcat Bus (1940) – BoyKinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (2005). The Films of Fay Wray. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 158. . Little Nellie Kelly (1940) – Dennis, as a childGevinson, Alan, ed. (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911–1960. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 601. . Maisie Was a Lady (1940) – ChildHenry Blair Filmography . American Film Institute. Affectionately Yours (1940) – little boyRinggold, Gene (1980). The Films of Rita Hayworth. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press. p. 120. . Blossoms in the Dust (1940) – Child (uncredited) Three Cheers for the Irish (1940)"Young Actor Here". The Victoria Daily Times. September 19, 1940. p. 5. Bad Men of Missouri (1941) – Tod DaltonHanson, Patricia King, ed. (1999). AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States; Volume F4: Feature Films, 1941–1950; Film Entries A-L. p. 137. . Kings Row (1942) – Willie Macintosh (uncredited)"Radio Veteran at 13". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 10, 1946. Sec. 4, p. 9. Retrieved April 26, 2024.Michael, Paul; Parish, John Robert (1969). The American Movies : The History, Films, Awards : A Pictorial Encyclopedia. New York: Galahad Books. p. 190. . Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – George M. Cohan at 7 (uncredited)McCabe, John (1997). Cagney. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 411. .Dunne, Michael (2004). American Film Musical Themes and Forms. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 132. . Busses Roar (1942) – Billy (uncredited)McClelland, Doug (2003). Eleanor Parker: Woman of a Thousand Faces. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press. p. 29. . Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942) – Hardy's young friend Air Force (1943) – Quincannon's sonMichael, Paul; Parish, John Robert, op. cit., p. 46.Davenport, Robert Ralsey (2004). The Encyclopedia of War Movies : The Authoritative Guide to Movies About Wars of the Twentieth Century. New York: Facts on File. pp. 6, 135, 399. . The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) – Boy Barney Bear's Polar Pest (short, 1944) – Nephew (uncredited) It's a Pleasure (1945) – Boy hockey player (uncredited) The Hucksters (1947) – Radio voice (uncredited) Tenth Avenue Angel (1948) – Rad ArdleyAyer, Belle (Mar 25, 1948). "Film Fanfare". Rock Island Argus. p. 5. Hills of Home (1948) – Boy (uncredited) The Happy Years (1950) – Joe Crocker (uncredited)Hanson, Patricia King, ed. (1999). AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States; Volume F4: Feature Films, 1941–1950; Film Entries A-L. p. 978. . Come Fill the Cup (1951) – Bobby, the copy boy (uncredited)Nash, Jay Robert (1985). The Motion Picture Guide, C-D, 1927–1983. Chicago, IL: Cinebooks. pp. 461, 644. . Flesh and Fury (1952) – Student (uncredited) Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok S3, EP15: "The Boy and the Bandit" (May 5, 1952) – Jimmy PetersPitts, Michael R. (2009). Western Film Series of the Sound Era. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 412. . The Winning Team (1952) – Batboy (uncredited)Erickson, Hal (2002). The Baseball Filmography, 1915 through 2001, 2d ed.. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 475. . Hans Christian Andersen (1952) – Backstage Little Mermaid crew member who says "Overture in three minutes" Gang Busters "The Duchess Spinelli Case" (1952) – Robert Gerrard Girls in the Night (1953) – Bit role (uncredited) Trail Blazers (1953) – Spike All I Desire (1953) – Senior (uncredited) Saginaw Trail (1953) – Philippe Brissac Francis Joins the WACS (1954) – Tommy, the bank messenger (uncredited) Climax! S1, E4: "Sorry, Wrong Number" (November 4, 1954) Public Defender S2, E24: "Mama's Boy" (February 10, 1955) – Jimmy The Halls of Ivy S1, E22: "Stolen First Edition" (March 15, 1955) Adventures of Superman S4, E2: "The Unlucky Number" (February 5, 1956) – Bobby ExbrookHayde, Michael J. (2013). Flights of Fantasy: The Unauthorized but True Story of Radio & TV's Adventures of Superman. Duncan, OK: BearManor Media. . The Devil's Hairpin (1957) – Newsboy Father Knows Best S4, E2: "A Matter of Pride" (Jun 4, 1958) – RayYouTube Movies & TV. Father Knows Best: "A Matter of Pride". YouTube. S5, E4: "Voice from the Past" (October 6, 1958) – RayYouTube Movies & TV. "Father Knows Best: S5 E4 – Voice from the Past". YouTube. S5, E15: "The Basketball Coach" (December 22, 1958) – RayYouTube Movies & TV. "Father Knows Best: S5 E15 – The Basketball Coach". YouTube.

References

External links

Henry Blair at Old Time Radio Researchers.