Fred Howard Wright

Frederick Howard Wright (September 30, 1896 – July 2, 1990), credited variously as Fred Howard (for his writing, and for all stage and radio performances), Howard Wright (for his later film and TV work), and, more recently still, Fred Howard Wright, was an American songwriter, vaudeville performer, and character actor of theatre, radio, film and television, best remembered as one half—along with fellow songwriter Nat Vincent—of the popular vaudeville, radio, recording, and songwriting duo, The Happy Chappies. Wright was the middle child of five, born to Lucy Simonds (née Wheeler) and William Sherman Wright. He first performed in public at age 9, when, as a reward for having sold the most tickets to a high school operetta, he was tasked not merely with formally presenting the frieze purchased by proceeds from the production, but also asked to sing at the ceremony. After attending the University of California, San Diego, Eventually rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant,

Over the next decade, Wright—as Fred Howard—established himself as a successful stage performer, writer, producer, and director, specializing in musical comedy. His singing was showcased in the trio, Harmony Three.

By February 1929, Wright—who, as a solo act, had previously appeared in at least one revue also featuring his soon-to-be partner's recently formed duo —had officially become one half of the Happy Chappies, replacing pianist Nat Vincent's previous partner, tenor Harry Morton, while also facilitating Wright's radio debut on San Francisco's KFRC. —at least as late as the summer of 1937.

In April 1938, Wright appeared at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in the Lambs Club's annual Spring Gambol, co-starring with Walter Woolf King and Gene Wolf in the brief operetta, Tempest in a Teapot, with words and music by Wright.

As a radio actor, some of Wright's more notable roles were C. Pemberton Tooley in Ma Perkins, Mr. Pringle—father of Oogie—in A Date with Judy, and Pa Buskirk on The Opie Cates Show

From 1949 through 1952, Wright was the principal writer on The Ruggles, the Charlie Ruggles sitcom created by Irving Phillips.

From Fred Howard to Howard Wright In March 1949, Wright—still billed as "Fred Howard"—made his TV debut, starring alongside K. T. Stevens, Marc Lawrence, in the Don Lee Television Workshop episode, "Shoes and Souls". One additional "Fred Howard" credit, for a 1951 appearance on Racket Squad, preceded the actor's unnoticed—and, accordingly, never explained—1953 professional transition to "Howard Wright" on The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok.

Among Wright's more notable television credits are two The Twilight Zone episodes, as "Judge Hardy" in the Season Three episode, "The Jungle (The Twilight Zone)" and an unnamed judge in the previous season's What's in the Box. He also appeared on numerous episodes of the westerns, Bonanza and Death Valley Days.

In his rave review of the 1956 Barry Shipman/William Witney western drama, Stranger at My Door, Variety's William Brogdon—as "Brog"—made a point of assigning every bit as much credit to the film's principal supporting players as to the stars. The above mentioned players earn plaudits for characters compellingly performed and right along with them are Louis Jean Heydt, as the sheriff, Howard Wright, a doctor, Slim Pickens, horse trader and millwright, and Malcolm Atterbury, a circuit rider.

Personal life and death In 1919 or 1920, Wright became the husband of Jean—elsewhere identified as Laura—Henley, with whom he had one child, a daughter, Jo Ann. —and no later than October 1930, when Greek-born Theofani Arminda Pappadakis became the next Mrs. Wright, as she would remain until her death on March 4, 1963. Their union produced one child, a daughter, Patsy Zo. In 1969, Wright once again was wed, this time to Helen Louise Daves (née Young); she died in 1985.

Wright died on July 2, 1990, at age 93. His remains are interred at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.

Selected filmography Films

Soundtrack The Fiddlin' Buckaroo (1933) – writer: "My Pretty Quadroon" Round-Up Time in Texas (1937) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" Jezebel (1938) – writer: "My Pretty Quadroon" Western Jamboree (1938) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" Loaded Pistols (1948) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" Under Mexicali Stars (1950) – writer: "Old Black Mountain Trail" Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951) – writer: "The Strawberry Roan" A Prairie Home Companion (2006) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage"

Acting All performances credited as "Howard Wright" unless otherwise indicated. Six Bridges to Cross (1955) – Judge Cell 2455, Death Row (1955) – Judge One Desire (1955) – Judge Congin Headline Hunters (1955) – Harry Bradley Seminole Uprising (1955) – Col. Hannah The Gun That Won the West (1955) – Gen. John Pope A Day of Fury (1956) – Mayor Alston Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! (1956) – Harry Teasdale Stranger at My Door (1956) – Doc Parks The Spider (1958) – Jake War of the Colossal Beast (1958) – Medical corps officer The Bonnie Parker Story (1958) – Old man The Legend of Tom Dooley (1959) – Sheriff Joe Dobbs Young Jesse James (1960) – Mr. Jenkins Five Minutes to Live (1960) – Pop (as Fred Howard) The Louisiana Hussy (1960) – Cob The Chase (1966) – Theodore Crain (uncredited) Good Times (1967) – Old timer Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice (1969) – Mourner The Legend of Earl Durand (1974) – Mr. Clark

Television

Soundtrack The Gene Autry Show Season 1 Episode 6 "The Double Switch" (1950) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" (uncredited) Season 1 Episode 12 "The Poisoned Waterhole" (1950) – writer: "Mellow Mountain Moon" (uncredited) Season 1 Episode 19 "Hot Lead" (1950) – writer: "The Strawberry Roan" (uncredited) Season 4 Episode 10 "Outlaw of Blue Mesa" (1954) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" (uncredited) Season 5 Episode 2 "Stage to San Dimas" (1955) – writer: "Mellow Mountain Moon" (uncredited) Season 5 Episode 8 "Go West, Young Lady" (1955) – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage" (uncredited) The Muppet Show (1979) Season 4 Episode 9 "Beverly Sills" – writer: "When the Bloom Is on the Sage"

Acting All performances credited as "Howard Wright" unless otherwise indicated. Don Lee Television Workshop (1949) "Shoes and Souls" – Unknown role (as Fred Howard) Racket Squad "The Case of the Not-So-Old Masters" (1951) – Unknown role (as Fred Howard) The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok "Wagon Wheel Trail" (1953) – Sam Varney I Led Three Lives (1954) Season 1 Episode 38 "Unexpected Trip" – Wyman Stories of the Century Season 1 Episode 25 "Ben Thompson" (1954) – Murdered passenger Season 2 Episode 1 "Burt Alvord" (1955) – Sheriff Alvord Death Valley Days Season 3 Episode 3 "Halfway Girl" (1954) – Joe McLean Season 7 Episode 12 "Old Gabe" (1958) – J. Groves Season 7 Episode 22 "Price of a Passport" (1959) – Sylvester Pattie Season 11 Episode 12 "The Private Mint of Clark, Gruber and Co." (1962) – Judge Season 14 Episode 24 "The Four Dollar Suit" (1966) – Judge Season 14 Episode 26 "Lady of the Plains" (1966) – Henry Otis Celebrity Playhouse (1956) Season 1 Episode 31 "No Escape" – Mr. Karnes Ford Television Theatre (1956) Season 4 Episode 34 "Sheila" – Mr. Kerrigan Annie Oakley (1956) "The Robin Hood Kid" – Martin Owen The Joseph Cotten Show – On Trial (1956) Season 1 Episode 3 "The Nevada Nightingale" – Al Wilson The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu (1956) Season 1 Episode 10 "The Counterfeiters of Dr. Fu Manchu" – Walter Stafford Hey, Jeannie! (1957) Season 1 Episode 19 "The Business Girl" – Lt. Gen. Jordan Season 1 Episode 22 "Jeannie the WAC" – Lynch The Web (1957) Season 1 Episode 4 "Hurricane Coming" – Mr. Karnes The Twilight Zone Season 3 Episode 12 "The Jungle" (1961) – Hardy Season 5 Episode 24 "What's in the Box" (1964) – Judge Bonanza Season 3 Episode 5 – "The Burma Rarity" (1961) – Insurance man Season 3 Episode 20 – "The Auld Sod" (1962) – Howie Season 4 Episode 21 – "The Hayburner" (1964) – Sam Finney Season 6 Episode 21 – "The Search" (1965) – Abe Jenkins Season 7 Episode 8 – "The Meredith Smith" (1965) – Cal Season 8 Episode 11 – "The Oath" (1966) – Sam