Larry Pennell

Lawrence Kenneth Pennell (February 21, 1928 – August 28, 2013) was an American television and film actor, often remembered for his role as Dash Riprock in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies. His career spanned half a century, including starring in the first-run syndicated adventure series Ripcord in the leading role of skydiver Theodore "Ted" McKeever, and as Keith Holden in Lassie. He was also a baseball player, playing on scholarship for the University of Southern California (USC) and later professionally for the Boston Braves organization.

Early life and education Pennell was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania to entrepreneur Harold Pennell and homemaker Ruth Pennell. His parents moved to Niagara Falls, New York during the Great Depression in search of better opportunities. After a short time in New York, the family moved to California. They lived in a studio apartment overlooking Angels Flight in Downtown Los Angeles. His family moved again when he was still young, purchasing a home near Paramount Studios in Hollywood. He became a newsboy on the studio lot, but athletics distracted him from any early interest in film. at which he played first base and was later inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame. He was recruited by Rod Dedeaux to play baseball at USC, where he began playing in 1947. He left school early to play professionally for the Boston Braves organization, from 1948 to 1953.

Baseball career

Just shy of graduating from USC, Pennell left the university to play professionally for the Boston Braves organization. During his time with the organization, his teammates often referred to him as "Bud", a nickname that stuck with him throughout his life. He was with the organization for a total of seven seasons between 1948 and 1954, playing first base and outfield for the Evansville Braves, Boston's minor league affiliate.

In his first year in professional ball, he broke the Appalachian League record for runs batted in with 147 and hit .338 for the season while hitting 18 home runs. He did not play during the 1950–1953 seasons due to his service during the Korean War. He served in counterintelligence in the U.S. Army and received an honorable discharge upon completion of his service. Upon his return home, his baseball contract was purchased by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Pennell never reported to spring training for the Dodgers and instead decided to pursue acting, a career he had dabbled in during the offseason.

Acting career

In the baseball off-seasons, Pennell returned home to Hollywood. Then he traveled to New York City to learn from drama teachers such as Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler.

Other roles followed, including the leading role as Johnny Jargin in the car racing adventure movie The Devil's Hairpin. Early in his acting career, Pennell went to Europe to appear in films, including Old Surehand, a German production based upon a Karl May's novel. In European films he was occasionally credited as Alessandro Pennelli. Larry Pennell as Dash Riprock with Donna Douglas as Elly May from The Beverly Hillbillies, ca. 1967

In 1961, he landed the leading role on the television series Ripcord as the handsome skydiver Theodore (Ted) McKeever. His co-star was Ken Curtis, later as Festus Hagen on Gunsmoke, as his inseparable, level-headed older mentor and best buddy James (Jim) Buckley. Ripcord ran for a total of 76 half-hour episodes from 1961 to 1963 and inspired a range of tie-in merchandise such as toy parachutes, action figures, jigsaw puzzles, board games, clean slates, reading books, comic books and coloring books, to name a few. After The Beverly Hillbillies, Pennell guest-starred in other television series like Blue Light, My Friend Tony, Mayberry, R.F.D., Family Affair, Land of the Giants, Bracken's World, BJ and the Bear and Salvage 1.

Pennell travelled to Europe in 1965 where he starred Our Man in Jamaica and Old Surehand.

Throughout his career, Pennell appeared in a variety of genres in television series and movies. He was cast in a lead role as Keith Holden in 1972 in the CBS series Lassie. He made guest-starring appearances in various shows, including Mannix, Longstreet, Hunter, Banacek, Mission: Impossible, The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan and Wife, Magnum, P.I., The Rookies, Little House on the Prairie, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, Run, Joe, Run, Apple's Way, Silk Stalkings, Diagnosis Murder, Quantum Leap and Firefly and soap operas such as General Hospital and The Young and the Restless. Other films include The Fear (1999), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) starring Ossie Davis, Five Minutes (2002), Last Confession (2005), Seasons of Life (2006) and The Passing (2011).

Pennell experimented with his acting with drama teachers such as Milton Katselis and Daniel Mann. Pennell's stage work encompassed over 50 plays, including The Poker Game, Desperate Hours, Pieces of Time and Dead Autumn's Soul. He wrote and starred in The Signing and Close-Up and won best actor at The Method Fest 2002 for his work in the short film Five Minutes. Throughout his career, Pennell accumulated over 400 credits in roles across stage, film and television as well as commercials and print advertisements.

Filmography Selected film credits YearTitleMediumRoleNotes 1955 Seven Angry Men Western film Oliver Brown The Far Horizons Western film Wild Eagle Hell's Horizon Drama film Buddy Lewis The Court Jester Comedy film Novice Knight uncredited 1956 The Vagabond King Musical film Soldier uncredited 1957 The Devil's Hairpin Adventure film Johnny Jargin 1958 The Space Children Science fiction film Major Thomas 1959 The FBI Story Drama film George Crandall 1965 Our Man in Jamaica Adventure film Ken Stewart (as Alessandro Pennelli) Old Surehand Western film General Jack O'Neal 1970 The Great White Hope Drama film Brady Brother, Cry for Me Adventure film Jim Noble 1972 Journey Through Rosebud Drama film Sheriff The Revengers Western film Arny Lassie: Joyous Sound TV movie Keith Holden 1976 Helter Skelter TV movie Sgt. White Midway Captain Cyril Simard 1978 Matilda Lee Dockerty 1979 Elvis TV movie 1980 The Man with Bogart's Face George Marilyn: The Untold Story TV movie Clark Gable 1982 Personal Best Rick Cahill Superstition George Leahy 1983 The Night the Bridge Fell Down Chief Barrett Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn Science fiction film Aix 1987 Ghost Chase Drama film Bum 1989 Another Chance Drama film Clark Gable 1991 The Borrower Horror film Captain Scarcelli 1992 Mr. Baseball Film Howie Gold 1999 The Fear: Resurrection Horror film Grandfather Forgiven Short film Potter 2001 The Cross Drama film Man with Lamb 5 Minutes Short film Harkness Jackpot Comedy drama film Truck driver 2002 Rogue Drama film The Voice Bubba Ho-Tep Comedy horror film Kemosabe 2005 Last Confession Short film Father Conklin 2006 Seasons of Life Film Lauren's Father 2011 The Passing Horror film Charles (final film role)

Selected television credits

YearTitleMediumRoleNotes 1956 General Electric Theater Television series Ealter Kellen Studio 57 Television series Bruce 1956–1957 The West Point Story Television series Bob Matson and Marson1 w/ Leonard Nimoy 1956 Wire Service Television series Johnny 1957 Schlitz Playhouse Television series Bob 1958–1960 The Millionaire Television series Larry Maxwell 1958 Tombstone Territory Television series Bill Doolin Steve Canyon Television series Lt. Hawk Cameron The Rough Riders Television series Creed Pearce Cimarron City Television series Drew McGowan Have Gun – Will Travel Television series Henry Carver 1959 Adventures in Paradise Television series Dr. Patrick Donovan 1960 The Alaskans Television series Harry Seattle Tales of Wells Fargo Television series Ben Hardie The Aquanauts Television series Tyler Sack Episode: "The Paradivers" Death Valley Days Television anthology series Roner Maxwell Episode: "Queen of the High-Rollers" Klondike Television series Rule Lukas Zane Grey Theater Television series Jason Tully Episode: "The Black Wagon" with Esther Williams 1961 Outlaws Television series Bob Dalton Thriller Television series Larry Weeks Episode: "Late Date" The Case of the Dangerous Robin Television series Bat Masterson Television series Cal Beamus Sea Hunt Television series Steve / A counterfeiter leader Episode: "The Meet" 1961–1963 Ripcord Television series Skydiver Theodore (Ted) McKeever 76 episodes 1963 General Hospital Television series Hank Pulaski Unknown episodes 1964 Wagon Train Television series Marshal Trace McCloud Episode: "The Trace McCloud Story" The Outer Limits Television series Dr. Evan Marshall Episode: "The Mutant" Mr. Broadway Television series John Chambers 1964–1967 The Virginian Television series Carl Rand / Wally Koerner 2 episodes 1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre Television series Phil Scanlon 1965–1969 The Beverly Hillbillies Television series Dash Riprock 10 episodes 1965 Branded Television series Tuck Fraser 1966 Blue Light Television series Nick Brady 1967 The Big Valley Television series Jack Kilbain Rango Television series Larkin Episode: "Requiem for a Ranger" Three for Danger TV pilot shown as a TV movie Chris Custer Television series Chief Yellow Hawk Cimarron Strip Television series Rapp 1968 Dragnet 1967 Television series John Anzo / A Police Commissioner 1968–1974 Gunsmoke Television series Ben Akins / John Woolfe 2 episodes 1969 My Friend Tony Television series Mayberry R.F.D. Television series Chuck Land of the Giants Television series Guard Bracken's World Television series Chuck 1969-2+71 Mannix Television series Agent Barnes / Troy McBride 2 episodes 1970 Mission: Impossible Television series Karl Burroughs Family Affair Television series Ken Granger 1971 City Beneath the Sea TV pilot shown as a TV movie Bill Holmes Longstreet Television series Ward Blakeman 1971–1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Television series Charles Donaldson / S.A. Peter Wade 2 episodes 1971–1974 McMillan & Wife Television series Vic Whelan / Agent Cushing Episodes: "Death Is a Seven Point Favorite" / "Buried Alive" 1972–1973 Lassie Television series Keith Holden 21 episodes 1973 The Young and the Restless Television series Judge Chet Ashford Banacek Television series Pete Biesecker 1973–1974 The Streets of San Francisco Television series Becker / A High School coach 2 episodes 1974 Apple's Way Television series Sam Ferguson Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Television series Sargeant Bill Carrington The Rookies Television series Henry Glass Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Television series Dave Fletcher Run, Joe, Run Television series Sheriff Frost Episode: "Blind Girl" 1977 Hunter Television series Michael Orlin Little House on the Prairie Television series Ben Griffin 1979 Salvage 1 Television series Street BJ and the Bear Television series Mary Ellen 1982–1986 Magnum, P.I. Television series Jack Martin / Norm Vogel 2 episodes 1993 Quantum Leap Television series Clark Gable Episode: "Good-Bye, Norma Jean" 1997 Diagnosis: Murder Television series Dr. Arthur Episode: "Looks Can Kill" Silk Stalkings Television series Dr. Kurland Episode: "The Wedge" 2002 Firefly Television series Murphy Episode: "Shindig"

Selected theater credits Dream a Little Dream – Lead – Company of Angels, Los Angeles Sing the Song Lady – Lead – Network Studio, North Hollywood Monroe – Lead – Crystal Sands, Hilton Head, South Carolina The Signing (written by Larry Pennell) – Lead – Stella Adler Theater, Beverly Hills Playhouse

Close-Up (written by Larry Pennell) – Lead – Stella Adler Theater, Beverly Hills Playhouse Pieces of time – Lead – Pan Andreas Theater, Hollywood Desperate Hours – Lead – New Dramatist's, Inc., New York City Dead Autumn's Soul – Lead – New York City The Poker Game – Lead – (Pre-Broadway) New York City Mary, Mary – Lead – Tiffany's Attic Theater, Kansas City

Personal life and death Pennell met his wife Patricia Throop, a fashion model, actress, former Miss Oregon and finalist in the 1954 Miss America Pageant. He was shooting a film when they met. Throughout his life he enjoyed sports of all kinds such as baseball, football, tennis, boxing, running and horseback riding. Also he was an avid historian and a patriot with ancestral links in the American Revolution and the Mayflower Compact. Pennell died in Santa Monica, California on August 28, 2013, at age 85.