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Si Jenks

{{Short description|American actor (1876–1970)}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Si Jenks

| image = Si Jenks in The Rider of the Law.jpg

| caption = Jenks in The Rider of the Law (1935)

| birth_name = Howard Hansell Jenkins

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1876|09|23|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1970|01|06|1876|09|23|mf=y}}

| death_place = Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills

| other_names =

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1922–1954

| spouse = {{marriage|Lilian Hartford|1926}}

}}

Si Jenks (born Howard Hansell Jenkins; September 23, 1876 – January 6, 1970) was an American actor. He was involved in 224 films in a career spanning nearly two decades in vaudeville and films.{{cite web |author=Hal Erickson |title=Si Jenks |website=AllMovie |url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/si-jenks-p35472 |access-date=9 February 2014}} His best known appearances include The Village Blacksmith, The Rider of the Law, Oregon Trail, The Cowboy Star, Zorro's Black Whip and The Great Train Robbery.

Early life

Jenks was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on September 23, 1876, to parents John and Catherine Jenkins. As a young boy, Jenks would enjoy watching his local champion baseball team. On one occasion, he was summoned to act as umpire after the crowd grew dissatisfied with the person who had been appointed to adjudge the game. Jenks accepted the challenge "with boyish alacrity", surrendering his seat on a soapbox and ultimately was accepted by the audience with his decision making.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118091294 |title='Si Jenks' boyhood hit |newspaper=The York Dispatch |page=9 |date=November 17, 1909}}

From April 1898 to October 1898, he served in the National Guard of the United States as a reserve volunteer.{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/39151:2392 |url-access=subscription |title=Spanish War Compensation, 1898-1934 for Howard Hansell Jenkins |via=Ancestry.com |date=February 6, 1934 |access-date=February 12, 2023}}

Career

Jenks began his career sometime around the early 1890s in theatre, having run away from home and joined Diamond Jack's medicine show in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He later travelled over the United States with circuses and was associated with Professor Gleason, a noted horse trainer of that time.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118368224 |title=Si Jenks, In Cast Of 'Stan', To Be Shown Here Sept 8 |newspaper=The Minden City Herald |page=1 |date=September 3, 1937}} He was a comedian with the 101 ranch in 1908 and later travelled with them to Mexico.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118370602 |title=Being Funny Is Hard Job |newspaper=The Oklahoma News |page=10 |date=August 26, 1924}}

He found early success on a Broadway theatre production of Get Rich Quick Wallingford, playing the role of the rube bus driver for 55 weeks. Jenks later moved into Hollywood films and took vaudeville roles in movie comedies from around 1921. In 1924, he commented that his work as a comedian was "the hardest work in the world", having experienced dislocated knees, nearly being blinded by stage lights and having paint thrown at him.

During the 1930s, he performed in films such as Naughty Marietta, Stand Up and Cheer! and Fighting Shadows.

Personal life

He was married to Lilian Annie Jenkins (née Hartford; 1882 – 1983), who he met during the 1920s and married in 1926 in New Jersey. She was born in Bury, Lancashire, England and began her stage career aged 4. She lived around Los Angeles since 1923.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118477720 |title=Actress Lilian Jenks, 1st Centenarian at Movie Home, Dies |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |page=579 |date=June 26, 1983}} They acted on stage together during the 1920s in the act of "Si Jenks and Lilian Hartford"{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118477657 |title=Movie star to see in person |newspaper=Battle Creek Enquirer |page=12 |date=December 24, 1926}} and later moved to a retirement facility in 1965. She was the first resident of the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital to become a centenarian. The couple had two daughters who pre-deceased Lilian Jenks, who died in June 1983.

According to his World War I draft registration card, he was also earlier married to Victoria A Jenkins.{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1503506:6482 |url-access=subscription |via=Ancestry.com |title=Howard Hansel Jenkins in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 |date=September 9, 1918 |access-date=February 12, 2023}} Jenks and Allen were described as "two excellent acts of vaudeville" by the Logansport Pharos-Tribune in 1920 and were known as "The Small Town Wise Crackers".{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118625124 |title=Two excellent acts of vaudeville offered |newspaper=Logansport Pharos-Tribune |page=8 |date=April 22, 1920}}

=Death=

On January 6, 1970, Jenks died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, of complications after suffering a heart disease. His gravesite is at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.{{cite book|last1=Ellenberger|first1=Allan R.|title=Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory|date=2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786450190|pages=79–80|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZraJCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Leon+Ames%22+actor&pg=PA80|access-date=5 February 2018|language=en}}

Filmography

{{incomplete list|date=February 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

  • {{IMDb name|0421041}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenks, Si}}

Category:American male film actors

Category:1876 births

Category:1970 deaths