Percy Helton

Percy Helton (January 31, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was an American stage, film, and television character actor.

Career
A native of New York City, Percy Alfred Michel Helton began acting at the age of two, appearing in vaudeville acts with his British-born father, Alfred "Alf" Helton (born William Alfred Michel). By 1906 he was a cast member in the Broadway production of Clara Lipman's play Julie BonBon, which premiered that year on New Year's Day in the Lew M. Field Theater. Helton would go on to perform in many other Broadway plays before joining the United States Army in World War I. Deployed to Europe during the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his duty with the 305th Field Artillery of the American Expeditionary Forces' 77th Division.

Helton returned to acting and singing professionally after his discharge from the army. However, in one of his subsequent stage roles he was required to shout and scream his lines during much of the play. The resulting stress and damage to his vocal chords after repeated performances left him permanently hoarse, with a raspy falsetto voice and a breathy delivery. That change in his voice altered Helton's career. He remained in acting but chiefly as a character actor in a wide range of films and television programs in the 1950s and 1960s. Among those programs were three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Asa Cooperman in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Pathetic Patient" and a pawn broker in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Torrid Tapestry." Some examples of the films in which he performed include Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Criss Cross (1949), The Set-Up (1949), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). He is a particular favorite of film noir fans, having co-starred in several classics of the genre. It was his performance in one of those films, Wicked Woman (1953), where Helton reached perhaps the apex of his career in his characterization of "Charlie Borg." In that role he portrayed a foolish neighbor who gets lured to his possible doom by a devious waitress played by Beverly Michaels.

Personal life and death
Percy Helton married actress Edna Roberta Eustace on October 24, 1931. They had no children. He died at age 77 at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital on September 11, 1971, the year of his final film appearance. His ashes are inurned at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Partial filmography

 * The Fairy and the Waif (1915) as The Waif
 * The Flower of Faith (1916) as Tom Judson
 * The Master Mind (1920) as Younger brother
 * Silver Wings (1922) as John (play)
 * Insinuation (1922) as Jimmie
 * The Offenders (1922)
 * Frankie and Johnny (1936) as Undetermined role (uncredited)
 * Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as Drunken Santa Claus (uncredited)
 * Call Northside 777 (1948) as William Decker - Mailman (uncredited)
 * Let's Live Again (1948) as Mr. President
 * Hazard (1948) as Beady Robbins
 * Larceny (1948) as Charlie Jordan
 * That Wonderful Urge (1948) as Monroe Township Jail Drunk (uncredited)
 * Chicken Every Sunday (1949) as Mr. Sawyer (uncredited)
 * Criss Cross (1949) as Frank
 * Alias Nick Beal (1949) as Lawyer (uncredited)
 * The Set-Up (1949) as Red
 * The Crooked Way (1949) as Petey
 * Lust for Gold (1949) as Barber (uncredited)
 * Red, Hot and Blue (1949) as Mr. Perkins, Stage manager
 * Abbott & Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) as Abernathy
 * Thieves' Highway (1949) as Roadside Bar Manager (uncredited)
 * My Friend Irma (1949) as Mr. Clyde
 * Free for All (1949) as Joe Hershey
 * The Secret Fury (1950) as Justice of the Peace Roy T. Palmer (uncredited)
 * Tyrant of the Sea (1950) as Crewman (uncredited)
 * Harbor of Missing Men (1950) as 'Rummy' Davis
 * Wabash Avenue (1950) as Ship Captain (uncredited)
 * Riding High (1950) as Pawnbroker (uncredited)
 * Fancy Pants (1950) as Mayor Fogarty (uncredited)
 * A Life of Her Own (1950) as Hamburger Proprietor (uncredited)
 * Copper Canyon (1950) as 'Scamper' Joad
 * The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950) as Reporter, Feature Syndicate
 * Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) as Bellerose
 * Under Mexicali Stars (1950) as Nap Wellington
 * Three Guys Named Mike (1951) as Mr. Hawkins, Hotel Manager
 * Inside Straight (1951) as Lawyer Anderson (uncredited)
 * Night Into Morning (1951) as Drunk (uncredited)
 * Never Trust a Gambler (1951) as Sunbeam Liquor Store Clerk (uncredited)
 * Darling, How Could You! (1951) as Cabbie (uncredited)
 * The Tall Target (1951) as Beamish - Passenger in Club Car (uncredited)
 * Chain of Circumstance (1951) as Fogel
 * The Family Secret (1951) as Charlie (uncredited)
 * The Barefoot Mailman (1951) as Dewey Durgan (uncredited)
 * The Stooge (1952) as Sam Robertson (uncredited)
 * A Girl in Every Port (1952) as Drive-In Manager
 * The Belle of New York (1952) as Presents Angela with Flowers (uncredited)
 * I Dream of Jeanie (1952) as Mr. Horker
 * Three for Bedroom "C" (1952) as Alcoholic Train Passenger (uncredited)
 * She's Back on Broadway (1953) as News Vendor (scenes deleted)
 * Call Me Madam (1953) as Sen. Wilkins
 * Scared Stiff (1953) as Man in Hotel Hallway (uncredited)
 * Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953) as Marlowe
 * Ride, Vaquero! (1953) as Storekeeper (uncredited)
 * Vice Squad (1953) as Mr. Jenner (uncredited)
 * Down Laredo Way (1953) as Judge Sully
 * The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) as Mr. Hammersmith, Book Seller (uncredited)
 * City of Bad Men (1953) as Old-Timer at Training Camp (uncredited)
 * The Robe (1953) as Caleb - Wine Merchant (uncredited)
 * How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) as Mr. Benton (uncredited)
 * Wicked Woman (1953) as Charlie Borg
 * Geraldine (1953) as Pop (uncredited)
 * Lucky Me (1954) as Brown (uncredited)
 * About Mrs. Leslie (1954) as Mr. Hackley
 * A Star is Born (1954) as William Gregory (uncredited)
 * The Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954) as Kerbelai, Hajji's Barber Father (uncredited)
 * White Christmas (1954) as Train Conductor (uncredited)
 * 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) as Coach Driver
 * Crashout (1955) as Doctor Louis Barnes
 * Kiss Me Deadly (1955) as Doc Kennedy
 * Jail Busters (1955) as Warden B.W. Oswald
 * Trial (1955) as Youval (uncredited)
 * No Man's Woman (1955) as Otto Peterson
 * Diane (1956) as Court Jester (uncredited)
 * Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) as Peter Boggs
 * Terror at Midnight (1956) as Speegie
 * The Boss (1956) as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
 * Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956) as Hiram, the funeral director
 * The Phantom Stagecoach (1957) as Mr. Wiggins
 * The Vintage (1957) as Voice Dub for Berger (uncredited)
 * This Could Be the Night (1957) as Charlie (uncredited)
 * Spook Chasers (1957) as Mike Clancy
 * The Last Stagecoach West (1957) as Telegrapher (uncredited)
 * Jailhouse Rock (1957) as Sam Brewster (uncredited)
 * The Sheepman (1958) as Station Master (uncredited)
 * The Proud Rebel (1958) as Photographer (uncredited)
 * Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) as Waldo Pike, the Plumber (uncredited)
 * Ask Any Girl (1959)  as Janitor in Meg Wheeler's Building (uncredited)
 * Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) as Baldy (uncredited)
 * Where the Boys Are (1960) as Fairview Motel Manager (uncredited)
 * Ride the High Country (1962) as Luther Samson (uncredited)
 * The Music Man (1962) as Train Conductor (uncredited)
 * The Wheeler Dealers (1963) as Deke (uncredited)
 * 4 for Texas (1963) as Jonas Ansel
 * ''Get Yourself A College Girl (1964) as Senator's Chauffeur (uncredited)
 * Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) as Funeral Director
 * Dear Brigitte (1965) as Kraft - Man at Computer Lab (uncredited)
 * Zebra in the Kitchen (1965) as Mr. Richardson
 * The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) as Mr. Peevey
 * Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title (1966) as Diner Customer (uncredited)
 * A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) as Kevin McKenzie (uncredited)
 * The Big Mouth (1967) as Sanitation Man (uncredited)
 * Head (1968) as Heraldic Messenger
 * Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as Sweetface (uncredited)
 * The Day of the Wolves (1971) as The Farmer
 * Legend of the Northwest (1978) (final film role)

Television appearances

 * Adventures of Superman (1953, Episode 36, "The Face and the Voice") as Hamlet
 * Death Valley Days (1953) as Little Oscar
 * The Life of Riley (1953) as Mr. Cox
 * The Lone Ranger (1955) as Pete Travis
 * Father Knows Best (1957) as Desk Clerk
 * ''Science Fiction Theatre (1957) as Professor John Husted (S02 E35)
 * Maverick (1957-1960) as Bradley / Mr. Venner
 * Death Valley Days (1958) as Scrubby in Episode 296
 * Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1961) as Cyrus Rutherford / Morton / Newspaperman / Building super / George the Janitor / Lawyer /Gerald Eaton
 * Lawman (1959-1961) as Thatcher / Ellery Purvy / Oren
 * Gunsmoke (1959-1966) as Mr. Early / Arbuckle / Duffer / Otie
 * Bonanza (1959-1967) as Bleeker / Pete / Lafe / Blurry Jones
 * The Untouchables (1960) as Jocko Monaghan / Mr. Meyer
 * Law of the Plainsman (1960) as Del Martin
 * Mr. Lucky (1960) as Pop Markel
 * Laramie (1961-1963) as Opie / Clemson Frazer / Wes Snyder - Auctioneer
 * Cheyenne (1961) as Matthew Beasely
 * Perry Mason (1961-1965) as Hotel Desk Clerk / Asa Cooperman / Pawnbroker
 * Mister Ed (1962-1965) as Zoo Attendant / Dr. Evans
 * The Twilight Zone (1963-1964) as Lapham / Tom Poulter
 * Bewitched (1964)
 * The Fugitive (1964) as Hobo
 * Petticoat Junction (1965-1970) as Mr. Benton / Hinky Mittenfloss
 * Green Acres (1966-1969) as Luke Needlinger / Ira Hatch / Willie
 * The Jerry Lewis Show (1967)
 * Green Hornet (1967, Episode 20 "Ace in the Hole") as Gus
 * The Mothers-In-Law (1967) as Dean Roberts
 * The Virginian (1967, "Execution at Triste") as Dean Roberts
 * The Beverly Hillbillies (1968-1969) as Homer Cratchit
 * Batman (1968) as Gus
 * Get Smart (1968) as A.J. Pfister
 * Land of the Giants (1968) as Akman
 * The Wild Wild West (1968) as Proprietor
 * Love American Style (1970) as Wharton (segment "Love and Those Poor Crusaders' Wives")
 * Mission: Impossible (1971) as Dailey