Shep Houghton

Shep Houghton
Born George Shephard Houghton
June 4, 1914
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died December 15, 2016(2016-12-15) (aged 102)
Hoodsport, Washington, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1927–76
Children 2

George Shephard "Shep" Houghton[1] (June 4, 1914 – December 15, 2016)[2][3] was an American actor and dancer. He had small roles in Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz[2] and at the time of his death in 2016 he was the oldest surviving cast or crew member from both movies.[4][5]

Early life

Houghton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 4, 1914.[2] He was born to a family of farmers. His parents were George Henry Houghton (1883-1958) and Mabell Viola Shephard (1883-1972). His family moved to Hollywood for business reasons in 1927.

Career

They settled not far from Paramount Pictures' studios. In 1927, Houghton appeared in his first movie, Underworld, a silent movie.[6] He was a dancer during his early career and taught actress Greta Garbo how to waltz for a role in Conquest (1937).[2]

In 1939, Houghton appeared in two movie classics, first as Ozmite and a Winkie Guard in the Wizard of Oz and as a Southern dandy in Gone with the Wind. He played many recurring roles, beginning with the Jack Benny Program in 1950. He worked on the program until 1965. He appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series, in which he appeared in only the first three episodes. In addition to these productions, he worked on the I Love Lucy show from 1951-57. He also appeared on episodes of Wagon Train, Perry Mason, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Mr. Lucky, The Untouchables, and The Twilight Zone.[6]

The 1960s, he appeared in My Three Sons, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Loretta Young Show. In movies, Houghton appeared as a slave in Spartacus and as a dancer in Hello, Dolly!. In the 1970s, he worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His last role was as a juror in the final episodes of Ellery Queen. He retired from acting later that year.[6]

Personal life

In 1935 he married Jane Rosily Kellogg. The couple divorced in 1945. He married actress Geraldine Farnum in 1946, but they divorced in 1948. The couple had two children.[6] In the early 1950s he worked for television, mostly as a dancer. He married Mel Carter in 1975.[6]

Death

Houghton died on December 15, 2016 in Hoodsport, Washington at the age of 102.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Who is Shep Houghton?". Omnilexica.com. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The 100-Year-Old Who Taught Garbo to Waltz by Matt Weinstock". Lareview of Books.org. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Shep Houghton (1914-2016)". Dial M For Movies. 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  4. ↑ "GONE WITH THE WIND Actress Mary Anderson Dead at 96". Altfg.org. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Weekend Reading: Shooting an Elephant, Again; the Naughtiest Song of 1909". The New Yorker.com. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shep Houghton on IMDb
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