Wendell Holmes (actor)

Holmes was born Oliver Wendell Holmes in Cheshire, Ohio to Ferdie and Ada Holmes.{{cite web|title=Ohio, County Births, 1841–2003|url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRMJ-KV9|website=FamilySearch|access-date=November 25, 2018|date=March 13, 2018}}

Census records indicate that by 1930 the family was living in Columbus, Ohio.{{cite web|title=United States Census, 1930|website=FamilySearch |url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X47W-WQS|access-date=November 25, 2018}}

An article appearing in The Des Moines Register (1941) mentions Holmes being born on a farm and describes his winning a Chautauqua competition at age six, entering high school at age ten, and graduating from Ohio State University at age 18 with a degree in Education. It further states that instead of becoming an educator, Holmes hitch-hiked to New York and began working as an actor, starting his radio career in 1934.{{cite news|title=Descendant of Writer Now Plays on Radio Serial|journal=The Des Moines Register|date=October 27, 1941|url=https://i.imgur.com/tXTXZin.png|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125181600/https://i.imgur.com/tXTXZin.png|access-date=November 25, 2018|archive-date=November 25, 2018}}

An article appearing in The Daily Dispatch (1949) mentions that Holmes' parents were school teachers and adds to the Chautauqua event by noting it took place in Middleport, Ohio, where a talent scout signed him up for more work.{{cite news|title=At 34, Wendell Holmes Isn't Making as Much as When 6|journal=The Dispatch|date=May 28, 1949|url=https://i.imgur.com//WKna7Rg.png|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125181601/https://i.imgur.com//WKna7Rg.png|access-date=November 25, 2018|archive-date=November 25, 2018}}

The same Daily Dispatch article (1949) quotes Holmes as saying at the time, "There are about 5,000 radio actors here, and last year they averaged $16 a week salary. Only about 500 manage to earn a truckdriver's living...When I started in 1934 I got $20 a week for working in 30 shows.{{cite news|title=At 34, Wendell Holmes Isn't Making as Much as When 6|journal=The Dispatch|date=May 28, 1949|url=https://i.imgur.com//WKna7Rg.png|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125181601/https://i.imgur.com//WKna7Rg.png|access-date=25 Nov 2018|archive-date=25 November 2018}}"

During the years 1948–49, Holmes appeared as Dr. Watson in the radio adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starring John Stanley, but was credited as "George Spelvin" to avoid confusion between his actual surname and the surname of the show's protagonist.{{cite book |last=Dickerson |first=Ian |authorlink=Ian Dickerson |title=Sherlock Holmes and His Adventures on American Radio |publisher=BearManor Media |year=2019 |isbn=978-1629335087 |page=258}}{{cite book|last1=Harmon|first1=Jim|title=Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|isbn=9780786485086|page=175|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fReqCt2Nqk4C&pg=PA175}}

Over the years, Holmes acted in more than 40 radio dramas, 50 TV episodes, and 10 movies.

On June 20, 1938, Holmes married actress Lois E Jesson in Manhattan, New York.{{cite journal|title=Index to Marriages, New York City Clerk's Office, New York City|journal=New York Municipal Archives; New York City; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 5|date=June 20, 1938|url=https://i.imgur.com/tXTXZin.png|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125182036/https://i.imgur.com/8QImGeN.png|access-date=November 25, 2018|publisher=New York Municipal Archives|archive-date=November 25, 2018}} Following his divorce (date unknown) from Jesson, Holmes married actress Adrienne Marden in Santa Monica, California, on August 12, 1956.{{cite news|title=Adrienne Marden and Wendell Holmes Wed|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12062132/the_corpus_christi_callertimes/|work=The Corpus Christi Caller-Times|agency=Associated Press|date=August 13, 1956|location=Texas, Corpus Christi|page=19|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 1, 2017}} {{Open access}}

Wendell Holmes died of what is thought to have been a heart attack in Paris, France, on April 27, 1962.{{cite journal|title=Report of the Death of An American Citizen: Holmes, Oliver Wendell|journal=Foreign Service of the United States of America|date=May 18, 1962|url=https://i.imgur.com/IaSU5Hx.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125181811/https://i.imgur.com/IaSU5Hx.jpg|access-date=November 25, 2018|publisher=Department of State|archive-date=November 25, 2018}}

{{Reflist}}

• Andreychuk, Ed. Burt Lancaster: A Filmography and Biography. McFarland, 2005.
• Presnell, Don and McGee, Marty. A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959–1964. McFarland, 2015.
• Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland, 2015.

• {{IMDb name|0392092}}
• {{IMDb name|0391933|Lois Holmes}}
• {{IMDb name|0546255|Adrienne Marden}}
• [http://otr.com/logs/dimension_X_Log.html otr.com – Dimension X]
• [http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logx1001.htm Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs]

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Category:1914 births

Category:1962 deaths

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male radio actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:20th-century American male actors