Guy Kibbee

Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor.

Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the El Paso Herald-Post newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age 7.

Career Kibbee began his entertainment career on Mississippi riverboats. He became an actor in traveling stock companies. He began to lose his hair at 19. In his early days on stage, he was a romantic leading man. Shortly afterwards, Paramount Pictures signed Kibbee, and he moved to California. He later became part of the Warner Bros. stock company, contract actors who cycled through different productions in supporting roles. Kibbee's specialty was daft and jovial characters; he is perhaps best remembered for the films 42nd Street (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Captain Blood (1935), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), though he also played the expatriate inn owner in Joan Crawford's Rain (1932). One of his few starring performances during this period was the title role of Babbitt (1934), a much altered and compressed version of the Sinclair Lewis novel.

Guy Kibbee (left), Dr. Irving Leroy Ress (center back), Leo Carrillo (right), 1950 He is also remembered for his performance as Mr. Webb, editor of the Grover's Corners, New Hampshire newspaper, and father of Emily Webb (played by Martha Scott) in the film version of the classic Thornton Wilder play Our Town.

Personal life Kibbee's first wife was Helen Shay, with whom he raised a family in Staten Island until their divorce. One of their sons was Robert Kibbee, an academic who became chancellor of the City University of New York.

His second wife was the former Ethel "Brownie" Reed. They had a daughter, Shirley Ann, and were married for 31 years.

In popular culture "Guy Kibbee eggs" is a breakfast dish consisting of a hole cut out of the center of a slice of bread, and an egg cracked into it, all of which is fried in a skillet. The actor prepared this dish in the 1935 Warner Bros. film Mary Jane's Pa, hence the nickname. The dish is also known by other names, such as "egg in a basket", "egg in a frame", "Rocky Mountain Toast", and "Frog in a Hole".

Kibbee is also mentioned in the iconic Hot August Night concert/album performed by Neil Diamond in 1972 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles:

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1931 For Sale Mr. Hart Short, Uncredited Stolen Heaven Police Commissioner Film debut Man of the World Harry Taylor City Streets Pop Cooley Laughing Sinners Cass Wheeler How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 6: 'The Big Irons Short, Uncredited Side Show Colonel Gowdy New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford Police Sergeant McGonigal Flying High Fred Smith Blonde Crazy A. Rupert Johnson Jr.1932 Union Depot Scrap Iron Scratch Alternative title: Gentleman for a Day Taxi! Pop Riley High Pressure Clifford Gray Fireman, Save My Child Pop Devlin Play Girl Finkelwald The Crowd Roars Pop Greer The Mouthpiece Bartender Two Seconds Bookie The Strange Love of Molly Louvain Pop The Dark Horse Zachary Hicks Winner Take All Pop Slavin Crooner Mike Big City Blues Hummell Rain Joe Horn Scarlet Dawn Mr. Murphy The Conquerors Dr. Blake Central Park Charlie Cabot1933 42nd Street Abner Dillon Girl Missing Kenneth Van Dusen Lilly Turner Doc McGill Gold Diggers of 1933 Faneul H. Peabody The Life of Jimmy Dolan Phlaxer Alternative title: The Kid's Last Fight The Silk Express Detective McDuff How to Break 90 #2: Position and Back Swing Uncredited Short, Uncredited Lady for a Day Judge Henry G. Blake Footlight Parade Si Gould Havana Widows Deacon R. Jones The World Changes James Clafflin Convention City George Ellerbe Lost film1934 Easy to Love Justice of the Peace Wonder Bar Simpson Harold Teen Joe "Pa" Lovewell Merry Wives of Reno Tom Fraser The Merry Frinks Uncle Newt Frink Dames Horace Peter Hemingway Big Hearted Herbert Herbert [Kalness] Babbitt George F. Babbitt Title role1935 While the Patient Slept [Police Lieutenant] Lance O'Leary Mary Jane's Pa Sam Preston Going Highbrow Matt Upshaw Don't Bet on Blondes Colonel Jefferson Davis Youngblood I Live for Love Henderson Captain Blood Hagthorpe 1936 Little Lord Fauntleroy Silas Hobbs Captain January Captain January I Married a Doctor Samuel Clark The Big Noise Julius Trent Earthworm Tractors Sam Johnson M'Liss Washoe Smith The Captain's Kid Asa Plunkett Three Men on a Horse Carver1937 Mama Steps Out Leonard "Len" Cuppy Don't Tell the Wife Malcolm J. "Dinky" Winthrop Jim Hanvey, Detective James Woolford "Jim" Hanvey Mountain Justice Doctor John Aloysius Barnard Riding on Air J. Rutherford "Doc" Waddington The Big Shot Dr. Bertram Simms The Bad Man of Brimstone Francis X. "Eight Ball" Harrison 1938 Of Human Hearts George Ames Joy of Living Dennis Garret Three Comrades Alfons Rich Man, Poor Girl Pa Thayer Three Loves Has Nancy Pa Briggs1939 Let Freedom Ring David Bronson It's a Wonderful World Fred "Cap" Streeter Babes in Arms Judge John Black Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Governor Hubert "Happy" Hopper Bad Little Angel Luther Marvin Henry Goes Arizona Judge Van Treece1940 Our Town Mr. Webb Street of Memories Harry Brent Chad Hanna Huguenine 1941 Scattergood BainesScattergood Baines Scattergood Pulls the Strings Scattergood Meets Broadway It Started with Eve Bishop Maxwell Design for Scandal Judge Graham 1942 This Time for Keeps Harry Bryant Scattergood Rides High Scattergood Baines Sunday Punch "Pops" Muller Miss Annie Rooney Grandpa Rooney There's One Born Every Minute Lester Cadwalader, Sr. Tish Judge Horace Bowser Scattergood Survives a Murder Scattergood Baines Whistling in Dixie Judge George Lee1943 Cinderella Swings It Scattergood Baines Power of the Press Ulysses Bradford Girl Crazy Dean Phineas Armour Learn and Live Saint Peter 1944 Dixie Jamboree Captain Jackson of the Ellabella 1945 The Horn Blows at Midnight Radio Director/The Chief1946 Cowboy Blues Dusty Nelson Singing on the Trail Dusty Wyatt Alternative title: Lookin' for Someone Gentleman Joe Palooka Uncle Charlie Lone Star Moonlight Amos Norton Alternative title: Amongst the Thieves1947 Over the Santa Fe Trail Biscuits The Red Stallion Ed Thompson The Romance of Rosy Ridge Cal Baggett 1948 Fort Apache Captain Dr. Wilkens Alternative title: War Party 3 Godfathers Judge Final film

Television appearances Year Title Role Notes 1948 Kraft Television Theatre Ed 1 episode 1949–1950 The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre 4 episodes 1950 The Billy Rose Show 1 episode, (final appearance)