Kenne Duncan

Kenne Duncan (February 17, 1903 – February 5, 1972) was a Canadian-born American B-movie character actor with more than 250 screen credits. Hyped professionally as the "Meanest Man in the Movies", the vast majority of his film appearances were Westerns, but he also acted in some horror, crime-drama and science-fiction films. He also appeared in several serials.

Early years Duncan was born Kenneth Duncan MacLachlan in Ontario, Canada.

Before he became an actor, Duncan enjoyed riding, and for a time worked as a jockey. His racing accomplishments included winning the steeplechase at the Blue Bonnets raceway in Montreal.

Career Duncan may be best known for his work with Ed Wood. Duncan appeared in five Wood productions: Night of the Ghouls, Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan, Crossroad Avenger, The Sinister Urge and The Lawless Rider, a film that Wood wrote and produced but with Yakima Canutt as the director. Duncan's final appearances on screen were Wood's low-budget The Sinister Urge and a bit part in an episode of Rawhide ("Incident of the Sharpshooter"). He also made television appearances, especially Westerns, such as The Cisco Kid, Bat Masterson, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone Territory. He retired from filmmaking in 1961 at age 58.

Duncan had a reputation as a womanizer with his female costars. Actress Valda Hansen remarked: "Kenne Duncan kept whispering obscene things in my ear, over and over between takes, such as 'Do you like tongues?' ... Finally I had had enough of the old wolf, so I screamed over the mikes on the set 'Oh, shut up!' ... and everyone cracked up." Filmmaker Ron Ashcroft recalled: "Kenne had a book, and it was quite thick, of the women that he had in bed. He said there was over a thousand in there. A thousand women." twelve days before his 69th birthday. His friend Ron Ashcroft recalled: "When he committed suicide, I couldn't believe it. He was tired of living. Just like George Sanders, he had seen everything, done everything. All he did was sit around and watch television." Duncan is interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Wood was named the executor of Duncan's estate, and he held a small memorial funeral in his backyard around the swimming pool. Wood and his wife and friends took turns walking onto the diving board, where each of them would deliver a brief eulogy. ) - Abu The Sombrero Kid (1942) - Pete Raymond - Henchman (uncredited) Law and Order (1942) - Henchman Durgan The Secret Code (1942, Serial) - Marvin [Chs.1-3,5-6] Isle of Missing Men (1942) - Bob Henderson Foreign Agent (1942) - Tom, Federal Agent (uncredited) Overland Stagecoach (1942) - Posse Rider (uncredited) Texas to Bataan (1942) - Captain Anders Valley of Hunted Men (1942) - Nazi (uncredited) Outlaws of Boulder Pass (1942) - Henchman Mulie Red River Robin Hood (1942) - Henchman Ed Rance Trail Riders (1942) - Marshal Frank Hammond The Valley of Vanishing Men (1942, Serial) - Logan (uncredited) The Sundown Kid (1942) - Henchman The Kid Rides Again (1943) - Cowboy in Saloon (uncredited) Cheyenne Roundup (1943) - Express Rider (uncredited) Santa Fe Scouts (1943) - Hoodlum (uncredited) Wild Horse Stampede (1943) - Hanley Wolves of the Range (1943) - Henchman Adams Daredevils of the West (1943, Serial) - George Hooker [Ch. 9] Days of Old Cheyenne (1943) - Henchman Pete The Avenging Rider (1943) - Blackie Border Buckaroos (1943) - Tom Bancroft Wolves of the Range (1943) - Henchman Adams Fugitive of the Plains (1943) - R. J. Cole Batman (1943, Serial) - Fred - the Mechanic [Ch. 5-6] (uncredited) The Law Rides Again (1943) - Sheriff Jeff Wagon Tracks West (1943) - Henchman (uncredited) Blazing Frontier (1943) - Homesteader Clark (uncredited) Trail of Terror (1943) - Henchman Tom Swing Shift Maisie (1943) - Charlie - Ann's Blind Date (uncredited) Blazing Guns (1943) - Henchman Red Higgins The Man from the Rio Grande (1943) - Henchman Overland Mail Robbery (1943) - Hank (uncredited) Canyon City (1943) - Turner - Henchman (uncredited) In Old Oklahoma (1943) - Indignant Businessman on Train (uncredited) Pistol Packin' Mama (1943) - Doorman (uncredited) Raiders of Sunset Pass (1943) - Henchman Tex Pride of the Plains (1944) - Snyder - Henchman Hands Across the Border (1944) - Deputy (uncredited) The Fighting Seabees (1944) - Construction Worker (uncredited) Captain America (1944, Serial) - Ed Graham [Ch. 14] (uncredited) Beneath Western Skies (1944) - Deputy Barrow Mojave Firebrand (1944) - Tony Webb Hidden Valley Outlaws (1944) - Henchman Ben Bannon The Laramie Trail (1944) - Bud's Partner (uncredited) Outlaws of Santa Fe (1944) - Chuck - Henchman Tucson Raiders (1944) - Henchman (voice, uncredited) The Tiger Woman (1944, serial ) - Gentry - Henchman [Chs. 7, 11] Silent Partner (1944) - Gangster (uncredited) Man from Frisco (1944) - Foreman (uncredited) Marshal of Reno (1944) - Adams - Henchman Secrets of Scotland Yard (1944) - Steward (uncredited) The Girl Who Dared (1944) - Dr. Paul Dexter Song of Nevada (1944) - Thompson's Wagon-Race Driver (uncredited) Haunted Harbor (1944, Serial) - Gregg Stagecoach to Monterey (1944) - Joe - Henchman San Fernando Valley (1944) - Horse Thief (uncredited) Cheyenne Wildcat (1944) - Henchman Pete My Buddy (1944) - Convict (uncredited) Storm Over Lisbon (1944) - Paul-Deresco Aide End of the Road (1944) - Al Herman Sheriff of Sundown (1944) - Arthur Wilkes - Secretary Vigilantes of Dodge City (1944) - Henchman Dave Brewster Brazil (1944) - Cab Driver (uncredited) Thoroughbreds (1944) - (uncredited) Sheriff of Las Vegas (1944) - Whitey - Henchman Manhunt of Mystery Island (1945, Serial) - Sidney Brand Corpus Christi Bandits (1945) - Spade - Henchman The Phantom Speaks (1945) - Murder Victim (uncredited) Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) - Gambler (uncredited) Santa Fe Saddlemates (1945) - Brazos Kane A Sporting Chance (1945) - Boarder Bells of Rosarita (1945) - Kidnapper (uncredited) The Chicago Kid (1945) - Al Road to Alcatraz (1945) - Servant Trail of Kit Carson (1945) - Trigger Chandler Oregon Trail (1945) - Johnny Slade - Henchman Hitchhike to Happiness (1945) - Man in Bar (uncredited) The Purple Monster Strikes (1945, Serial) - Charles Mitchell [Chs. 1–2, 10] Love, Honor and Goodbye (1945) - Counter Man (uncredited) Rough Riders of Cheyenne (1945) - Lance - Henchman Dakota (1945) - Henchman (uncredited) Wagon Wheels Westward (1945) - Henchman Joe The Scarlet Horseman (1946, Serial) - Henchman (uncredited) The Phantom Rider (1946, Serial) - Ben Brady - Henchman A Guy Could Change (1946) - Frank Hanlon California Gold Rush (1946) - Henchman Felton Sheriff of Redwood Valley (1946) - Henchman Jackson Home on the Range (1946) - Henchman #2 Rainbow Over Texas (1946) - Henchman Pete McAvoy Sun Valley Cyclone (1946) - Dow In Old Sacramento (1946) - Deputy (uncredited) Man from Rainbow Valley (1946) - Tracy's Partner Traffic in Crime (1946) - Henchman (uncredited) My Pal Trigger (1946) - Croupier Night Train to Memphis (1946) - Asa Morgan Red River Renegades (1946) - Henchman Hackett Conquest of Cheyenne (1946) - Geologist McBride G.I. War Brides (1946) - (uncredited) The Mysterious Mr. Valentine (1946) - Sam Priestly Rio Grande Raiders (1946) - Steve - Henchman Roll on Texas Moon (1946) - Henchman Brannigan The Crimson Ghost (1946, Serial) - Dr. Chambers [Chs. 1–2, 8] Santa Fe Uprising (1946) - Henchman Sioux City Sue (1946) - Crawley (uncredited) Angel and the Badman (1947) - Gambler (uncredited) Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947) - Lou Evers - U.S. Customs Agent (uncredited) Buck Privates Come Home (1947) - Sergeant on Sidewalk (uncredited) The Trespasser (1947) - Fellow (uncredited) Close-Up (1948) - Detective (uncredited) Sundown in Santa Fe (1948) - Wagon Driver (uncredited) Hidden Danger (1948) - Henchman Bender Crashing Thru (1949) - Ranger Tim Reymond Shadows of the West (1949) - Bill Mayberry Gun Runner (1949) - Nebraska Law of the West (1949) - Frank Stevens Stampede (1949) - Steve (uncredited) Across the Rio Grande (1949) - Joe Bardet West of El Dorado (1949) - Steve Dallas Range Justice (1949) - Henchman Kirk Roaring Westward (1949) - Morgan Deputy Marshal (1949) - Cal Freeling Riders in the Sky (1949) - Travis Lawless Code (1949) - Tom Blaine - Henchman Sons of New Mexico (1949) - Ed - Henchman (uncredited) Range Land (1949) - Sheriff Winters Davy Crockett, Indian Scout (1950) - Sgt. Gordon Radar Secret Service (1950) - Michael's Henchman Mule Train (1950) - Latigo (uncredited) Code of the Silver Sage (1950) - Dick Cantwell - Henchman Jiggs and Maggie Out West (1950) - Slim - Henchman (uncredited) A Life of Her Own (1950) - Man Asking Invitation (uncredited) Surrender (1950) - Rider Warning of Gregg (uncredited) Indian Territory (1950) - 3rd Man Shot by Apache (uncredited) Last of the Buccaneers (1950) - Pirate Captain (uncredited) The Blazing Sun (1950) - Al Bartlett & Mark Bartlett Wanted: Dead or Alive (1951) - Henchman (uncredited) Badman's Gold (1951) - Rance Whirlwind (1951) - Slim - Henchman (uncredited) Nevada Badmen (1951) - Bob Bannon (uncredited) The Texas Rangers (1951) - Bart Howard - Outlaw (uncredited) Silver Canyon (1951) - Corporal (uncredited) Oklahoma Justice (1951) - Sheriff Barnes The Hills of Utah (1951) - Indigo Hubbard - Henchman Drums in the Deep South (1951) - Union Officer (uncredited) The Frontier Phantom (1951) - Sam Mantell Indian Uprising (1952) - Lt. Richards (uncredited) On Top of Old Smoky (1953) - McQuaid Jack McCall, Desperado (1953) - Gang Member at Party (uncredited) Pack Train (1953) - Ross McLain The Lawless Rider (1954) - Freno Frost Hell's Horizon (1955) - Maj. Naylor Flesh and the Spur (1956) - Kale Tanner Revolt at Fort Laramie (1957) - Capt. Foley (uncredited) Outlaw Queen (1957) - Sheriff The Iron Sheriff (1957) - Leveret's Brother-in-Law (uncredited) The Parson and the Outlaw (1957) - Matt McCloud (uncredited) The Astounding She-Monster (1957) - Nat Burdell Date with Death (1959) - Andrews - Freight-Train Watchman Revenge of the Virgins (1959) - Narrator (voice, uncredited) Night of the Ghouls (1959) - Dr. Acula Oklahoma Territory (1960) - Bigelow Henchman (uncredited) The Music Box Kid (1960) - Truck Driver's Helper (uncredited) Natchez Trace (1960) - William Murrell The Sinister Urge (1960) - Lt. Matt Carson Like Wow! (1962) - Car Salesman

Selected television appearances YearTitleRole Notes 1950 The Cisco Kid Station Agent Episode "Dog Story" 1950 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Jeff Barnes Episode "Greed for Gold" 1950 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Deputy Joe Parker Episode "Death Trap" 1951 The Cisco Kid Sheriff Episode "The Old Bum" 1951 The Cisco Kid Sheriff Episode "Water Rights" 1953 Death Valley Days Second Robber Season 1, Episode 9 " Cynthy's Dream Dress " 1953 The Lone Ranger (TV Series) Sheriff Dunn Episode "Trader Boggs" 1953 Death Valley Days Nevada Secretary of State Season 2, Episode 2 " Little Washington" 1955 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Davie - Pierce Foreman Episode " King of the Cattle Trails" 1956 Death Valley Days Bartender Episode "Pay Dirt " 1956 Death Valley Days McConnell Episode " Year of Destiny" 1956 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Dr. Perkins Episode " The Lonesomest Man in the World" 1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Duecey Miller Episode " The Kansas Lily" 1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Kendall Episode "The Bounty Killer" 1958 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Caldwell Episode " Kill the Editor" 1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode "Fight for a Fugitive " 1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode " The Gatling Gun" 1958 Tombstone Territory Bartender Episode " The Black Marshal from Deadwood" 1958 Bat Masterson Newspaper Reporter Episode " General Sherman's March Through Dodge City " 1960 Rawhide Sheriff Brown Episode "Incident of the Sharpshooter"