Terry Kilburn

{{Infobox person

| name = Terry Kilburn

| image = Terry Kilburn Publicity Photo 1939.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Kilburn in 1939

| birth_name = Terence E. Kilburn[https://books.google.com/books?id=4doLAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Terence+E.+Kilburn%22+-imdb Theatre Profiles]. Theatre Communications Group, 1977. p. 171. Retrieved 26 November 2017.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1926|11|25}}

| birth_place = West Ham, Essex, England[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV3V-FDTD Terence E Kilburn, Birth Registration, 1927]. England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1927, Volume 4A, page 93, line 28. (Retrieved 26 November 2017).

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| citizenship = {{Ubl| United Kingdom | United States}}

| nationality =

| education = UCLA

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1934–1969

| partner = Charles Nolte
(1957–2010, his death)[https://lavendermagazine.com/our-scene/it-was-a-very-full-life-terry-kilburn-ii/ Biodata], lavendermagazine.com. Accessed 9 May 2022.

}}

Terence E. Kilburn (born 25 November 1926), known for his acting work prior to 1953 as Terry Kilburn, is an English-American actor. Born in London, he moved to Hollywood in the U.S. at the age of 10, and is best known for his roles as a child actor during the Golden Age of Hollywood, in films such as A Christmas Carol (1938) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) in the late 1930s and the early 1940s.

Early life

Kilburn was born in 1926 in West Ham, Essex, in Greater London to working-class parents Tom and Alice Kilburn.{{cite journal| last1=Foster| first1=Jim| title=Terry Kilburn| journal=Classic Images| date=December 2017| issue=510| pages=14–15, 66–76}}

He did some unpaid acting as a young child, and an agent encouraged him to go to Hollywood. Kilburn and his mother immigrated to the U.S. in 1937, and his father arrived the following year. A talent scout for MGM discovered him rehearsing for Eddie Cantor's radio show, and he was cast in the British-set film Lord Jeff (1938).{{cite journal| url=http://www.lavendermagazine.com/our-scene/terry-kilburn-he-spun-the-globe-it-stopped-at-hollywood/comment-page-1/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172622/http://www.lavendermagazine.com/our-scene/terry-kilburn-he-spun-the-globe-it-stopped-at-hollywood/comment-page-1/| url-status=dead| archive-date=2 April 2015| title=He Spun the Globe-It Stopped at Hollywood| journal=Lavender| date=12 December 2013| access-date=16 June 2016| last=Boatner| first=E.B.}}

Career

File:Terry Kilburn.jpg in A Christmas Carol (1938)]]

=Hollywood and Broadway=

Known for his innocent, dreamy, doe-eyed look, Kilburn achieved fame at the age of 11 portraying Tiny Tim in the 1938 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film version of A Christmas Carol, and also as four generations of the Colley family in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939).

As a child actor, Kilburn also played leading roles in two films which starred Freddie Bartholomew: Lord Jeff (1938) and Swiss Family Robinson (1940). He was featured in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) with Basil Rathbone. In addition to Lord Jeff (1938), Kilburn worked alongside Mickey Rooney in Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939), A Yank at Eton (1942), and National Velvet (1944). In 1946 he was Joe, the horse's groom, in Black Beauty. In his early 20s, in 1947 and 1948, he was in four back-to-back Bulldog Drummond films, as Seymour, a reporter; and in 1950 he had small roles in two seagoing films.

After high school, Kilburn concentrated on stage work, and studied drama at UCLA. He made his Broadway debut, credited as Terrance Kilburn, portraying Eugene Marchbanks in a 1952 revival of George Bernard Shaw's Candida.[https://www.allmovie.com/artist/terry-kilburn-p38108 "Terry Kilburn"]. AllMovie. Retrieved 26 November 2017."[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/candida-2064 Candida, National Theatre, (4/22/1952 – 5/17/1952)]". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 26 November 2017."[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/terrance-kilburn-48048 Terrance Kilburn]". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 26 November 2017. He thereafter remained committed to live performances, as both actor and director.

After 1952, Kilburn was credited on screen as Terence Kilburn. His final feature film role was a small part in Lolita (1962). Between 1951 and 1969, he was also in nearly a dozen teleplays, television movies, and television series episodes.

=After Hollywood=

From 1970 to 1994, Kilburn was artistic director of Oakland University's Meadow Brook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan.{{cite news |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/79938-After-36-years-Michigans-LORT-Meadow-Brook-Theatre-Closes-New-Group-Emerges |title=After 36 years, Michigan's LORT Meadow Brook Theatre Closes; New Group Emerges| first=Kenneth| last=Jones |journal=Playbill| date=5 June 2003| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021125257/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/79938-After-36-years-Michigans-LORT-Meadow-Brook-Theatre-Closes-New-Group-Emerges |archive-date=21 October 2012 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/44430-MIs-Meadow-Brook-Theatre-Will-Lose-Artistic-Director-Sherman-in-June |title=MI's Meadow Brook Theatre Will Lose Artistic Director Sherman in June |first=Kenneth|last=Jones| date=25 March 1999| work=Playbill| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504034715/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/44430-MIs-Meadow-Brook-Theatre-Will-Lose-Artistic-Director-Sherman-in-June| archive-date=4 May 2011}} Meadow Brook Theatre is the largest non-profit professional theater in Michigan and presents classic plays, comedies, and musicals. The theater is known for its annual production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted by Kilburn's partner, Charles Nolte.{{cite news| last1=Calamia| first1=Donald V.| title=Happy holidays: A classic returns to Meadow Brook Theatre| url=http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=21529| access-date=26 November 2017| newspaper=Between the Lines| issue=1449| date=7 December 2006}}

Personal life

Since 1994 Kilburn has resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota.{{cite AV media |people= |date=13 December 2016 |title=Meet Minnesota's Terry Kilburn: Hollywood's 1st Tiny Tim |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEXAPAWV85E |publisher=WCCO-TV}}{{cite news |title=Meet Minnesota's Terry Kilburn: Hollywood's 1st Tiny Tim |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/terry-kilburn/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |publisher=CBS News |location=Minnesota |date=13 December 2016}} His partner of over 50 years, actor Charles Nolte, died in January 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/onstage/81774017.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs |title=Actor, director, mentor Charles Nolte dies |first=Rohan |last=Preston |date=15 January 2010 |newspaper=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119160809/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/onstage/81774017.html |archive-date=19 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Filmography

class="wikitable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" \| Notes
1934 \| No Greater Glory \| Paul Street Boy \| Film debut
rowspan="3" \| 1938 \| Lord Jeff \| Albert Baker \|
A Christmas Carol \| Tiny Tim \|
Sweethearts \| Brother \|
rowspan="5" \| 1939 \| The Great Man Votes \| Student \|
Goodbye, Mr. Chips \| {{ubl \| John Colley \| Peter Colley I, II, and III }} \|
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever \| 'Stickin' Plaster \|
They Shall Have Music \| Limey \|
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes \| Billy \|
1940 \| Swiss Family Robinson \| Ernest Robinson \|
1941 \| Mercy Island \| Wiccy \|
1942 \| A Yank at Eton \| Hilspeth \| Uncredited
1944 \| National Velvet \| Ted \|
1946 \| Black Beauty \| Joe \|
rowspan="3" \| 1947 \| Song of Scheherazade \| Midshipman Lorin \|
Bulldog Drummond at Bay \| Seymour \|
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back \| Seymour \|
rowspan="2" \| 1948 \| The Challenge \| Seymour \|
13 Lead Soldiers \| Seymour \|
rowspan="2" \| 1950 \| Tyrant of the Sea \| Dick Savage \|
Fortunes of Captain Blood \| Kenny Jensen \|
rowspan="2" \| 1951 \| Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration \| Stephen \| Teleplay, Family Theatre
Only the Valiant \| Trooper Saxton \|
rowspan="2" \| 1953 \| Slater's Dream \| Samuel Slater \| Teleplay, Cavalcade of America
Slaves of Babylon \| King Cyrus \|
rowspan="3" \| 1954 \| King Richard II \| Harry Percy \| TV movie
Night Must Fall \| Dan \| Ponds Theater
You Touched Me! \| \| Kraft Theatre
rowspan="2" \| 1956 \| The Honor Code \| Cadet Eddie Garley \| Teleplay, West Point
Miss Mabel \| Peter \| Lux Video Theatre
rowspan="2" \| 1957 \| The New Adventures of Martin Kane \| Bill Wright \| TV series, episode "The Railroad Story"
The Long Christmas Dinner \| Sam \| TV adaptation of play
rowspan="2" \| 1958 \| Fiend Without a Face \| Capt. Al Chester \|
The New Adventures of Charlie Chan \| Col. Arthur Ross \| TV series, episode "Safe Deposit"
1962 \| Lolita \| Man \| Final film
1969 \| Get Smart \| Shirtsinger \| TV series, episode "Hurray for Hollywood"

class="wikitable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Notes

1934

| No Greater Glory

| Paul Street Boy

| Film debut

rowspan="3" | 1938

| Lord Jeff

| Albert Baker