Acting

Jess Kirkpatrick

Born October 2, 1897 · Champaign, Illinois, USA

Died August 9, 1976 · aged 78

No biography available.

Known For

Star in the DustStar in the Dust · 1956
Star in the Dust
5.11956
MovieWestern
The sheriff of Gunlock is planning to hang Sam Hall, who shot three farmers found on cattle land, at sundown. At the casino, betting is 8 to 3 he won't make it. The cattlemen are set to rescue Sam; the farmers hope to lynch him before he can be rescued; and Hall schemes for escape with his girl Nellie. But Sheriff Jorden is most concerned with finding out who hired Hall: a leading suspect is the sheriff's future brother-in-law.
KilroyKilroy · 1965
Kilroy
1965
MovieComedyFamily
Just discharged from the Marine Corps, Oscar Kilroy arrives in the small town of Wilton Junction. Befriending the young Bill Fuller, he gets involved in the affairs of the town and hilarity ensues. The mayor of the city, fearing Oscar Kilroy's popularity, schemes to discredit him by entrusting the management of the city dog pound to him. However, against all odds, Oscar Kilroy takes his work to heart at the pound and implements a plan to save the condemned dogs.
The Blue GardeniaThe Blue Gardenia · 1953
The Blue Gardenia
6.51953
MovieCrimeMystery
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
Ten North FrederickTen North Frederick · 1958
Ten North Frederick
7.11958
MovieRomanceDrama
After her father's funeral, Ann Chapin thinks back over the last five years of his life, years of apparent political and personal failure dominated by a selfish and dissatisfied wife, eased only by alcohol. But it starts to emerge that he had in fact one brief and unsuspected period of happiness and love.
The Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of Hamelin · 1957
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
5.61957
MovieMusicFantasy
The singing, rhyming citizens of Hamelin hope to win a competition with rival towns for royal recognition. To this end, the mayor outlaws play (which is a bit hard on the children) and refuses to help a rival town when it's flooded. But rats (seen only as shadows), fleeing the flood, invade Hamelin in droves; a magical piper, whose music only children (and rats) can hear, strikes a bargain...which, once the rats are gone, the Mayor and council renege on, to their subsequent regret.
Incident in an AlleyIncident in an Alley · 1962
Incident in an Alley
4.11962
MovieCrimeDrama
A policeman is accused of manslaughtering a 14-year-old boy but is acquitted of all charges. Still, he feels a lot of guilt and begins to doubt if he really is innocent after all.
The Opposite SexThe Opposite Sex · 1956
The Opposite Sex
5.41956
MovieComedyMusic
Former radio singer Kay learns from her gossipy friends that her husband, Steve, has had an affair with chorus girl Crystal. Devastated, Kay tries to ignore the information, but when Crystal performs one of her musical numbers at a charity benefit, she breaks down and goes to Reno to file for divorce. However, when she hears that gold-digging Crystal is making Steve unhappy, Kay resolves to get her husband back. The Opposite Sex is a remake of the 1939 comedy The Women.
Somebody Up There Likes MeSomebody Up There Likes Me · 1956
Somebody Up There Likes Me
7.21956
MovieDrama
The story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.

Movies

Star in the DustStar in the Dust · 1956
Star in the Dust
5.11956
MovieWestern
The sheriff of Gunlock is planning to hang Sam Hall, who shot three farmers found on cattle land, at sundown. At the casino, betting is 8 to 3 he won't make it. The cattlemen are set to rescue Sam; the farmers hope to lynch him before he can be rescued; and Hall schemes for escape with his girl Nellie. But Sheriff Jorden is most concerned with finding out who hired Hall: a leading suspect is the sheriff's future brother-in-law.
KilroyKilroy · 1965
Kilroy
1965
MovieComedyFamily
Just discharged from the Marine Corps, Oscar Kilroy arrives in the small town of Wilton Junction. Befriending the young Bill Fuller, he gets involved in the affairs of the town and hilarity ensues. The mayor of the city, fearing Oscar Kilroy's popularity, schemes to discredit him by entrusting the management of the city dog pound to him. However, against all odds, Oscar Kilroy takes his work to heart at the pound and implements a plan to save the condemned dogs.
The Blue GardeniaThe Blue Gardenia · 1953
The Blue Gardenia
6.51953
MovieCrimeMystery
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
Ten North FrederickTen North Frederick · 1958
Ten North Frederick
7.11958
MovieRomanceDrama
After her father's funeral, Ann Chapin thinks back over the last five years of his life, years of apparent political and personal failure dominated by a selfish and dissatisfied wife, eased only by alcohol. But it starts to emerge that he had in fact one brief and unsuspected period of happiness and love.
The Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of Hamelin · 1957
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
5.61957
MovieMusicFantasy
The singing, rhyming citizens of Hamelin hope to win a competition with rival towns for royal recognition. To this end, the mayor outlaws play (which is a bit hard on the children) and refuses to help a rival town when it's flooded. But rats (seen only as shadows), fleeing the flood, invade Hamelin in droves; a magical piper, whose music only children (and rats) can hear, strikes a bargain...which, once the rats are gone, the Mayor and council renege on, to their subsequent regret.
Incident in an AlleyIncident in an Alley · 1962
Incident in an Alley
4.11962
MovieCrimeDrama
A policeman is accused of manslaughtering a 14-year-old boy but is acquitted of all charges. Still, he feels a lot of guilt and begins to doubt if he really is innocent after all.
The Opposite SexThe Opposite Sex · 1956
The Opposite Sex
5.41956
MovieComedyMusic
Former radio singer Kay learns from her gossipy friends that her husband, Steve, has had an affair with chorus girl Crystal. Devastated, Kay tries to ignore the information, but when Crystal performs one of her musical numbers at a charity benefit, she breaks down and goes to Reno to file for divorce. However, when she hears that gold-digging Crystal is making Steve unhappy, Kay resolves to get her husband back. The Opposite Sex is a remake of the 1939 comedy The Women.
Somebody Up There Likes MeSomebody Up There Likes Me · 1956
Somebody Up There Likes Me
7.21956
MovieDrama
The story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.
The Captive CityThe Captive City · 1952
The Captive City
6.11952
MovieDramaCrime
A small-town newspaper editor defies threats to expose the mob.
The Set-UpThe Set-Up · 1949
The Set-Up
7.31949
MovieDramaCrime
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.
No Name on the BulletNo Name on the Bullet · 1959
No Name on the Bullet
6.61959
MovieActionThriller
When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.
D.O.A.D.O.A. · 1949
D.O.A.
6.91949
MovieMysteryThriller
Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.
Tomboy and the ChampTomboy and the Champ · 1961
Tomboy and the Champ
7.01961
MovieDramaFamily
A young Texas cowgirl raises a prize-winning calf, whose presence helps her recover from polio.
The WellThe Well · 1951
The Well
7.31951
MovieDrama
In a racially mixed American town, a five-year-old black girl falls unnoticed into a hidden, forgotten well on her way to school. Having nothing better to go on, the police follow up a report that the child was seen with a white stranger, and rumors run wild. Before hapless, innocent Claude Packard is even found, popular hysteria has him tried and convicted. But is he guilty?
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? · 1957
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
6.81957
MovieComedyRomance
To save his career, an ad man wants a sex symbol to endorse a lipstick but in exchange, she wants him to pretend to be her lover.
Man AfraidMan Afraid · 1957
Man Afraid
6.01957
MovieCrimeDrama
A preacher (George Nader) fears for his family (Phyllis Thaxter, Tim Hovey) after killing a teenage burglar whose father seeks revenge.
My Dog ShepMy Dog Shep · 1946
My Dog Shep
6.31946
MovieDrama
An orphan boy on his way to live with his uncle picks up a stray dog, and the two become fast friends. However, the uncle doesn't want the dog, and when chickens are found dead, the uncle accuses the dog of killing them. The boy decides that it's time he and the dog hit the road so they run away, and meet up with an elderly man who also ran away from a home where he believed he wasn't wanted either.
The Square JungleThe Square Jungle · 1955
The Square Jungle
6.11955
MovieDrama
Grocery clerk Eddie Quaid, in danger of losing his father to alcoholism and his girl Julie through lack of career prospects, goes into boxing.
Outside the LawOutside the Law · 1956
Outside the Law
6.21956
MovieCrimeDrama
A government agent's son wins respect and love when he challenges counterfeiters.
New York ConfidentialNew York Confidential · 1955
New York Confidential
6.01955
MovieCrimeDrama
Story follows the rise and subsequent fall of the notorious head of a New York crime family, who decides to testify against his pals in order to avoid being killed by his fellow cohorts.
Space Master X-7Space Master X-7 · 1958
Space Master X-7
5.01958
MovieScience Fiction
A fungus dubbed "Blood Rust" from outer space threatens to destroy the Earth.
The JudgeThe Judge · 1949
The Judge
5.51949
MovieDrama
A study of an amoral and sleazy defense lawyer who suddenly tries to "go straight" when he finds out that his tart wife is cheating on him; as well as the similarities he has in life with one of his clients.
No EscapeNo Escape · 1953
No Escape
4.71953
MovieCrimeDrama
When the available evidence in a murder case points to a young woman as the main suspect, her boyfriend, a police detective, arranges for a struggling songwriter who is playing piano in a bar to be blamed for the crime. The girl, knowing that neither she nor the piano player committed the murder, helps him to escape from the police dragnet and try to find the real killer.
Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a CircusToby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus · 1960
Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus
6.31960
MovieDramaFamily
Angered at stern Uncle Daniel, Toby Tyler runs away from his foster home to join the circus, where he soon befriends Mr. Stubbs, the frisky chimpanzee. However, the circus isn't all fun and games when the evil candy vendor, Harry Tupper, convinces Toby that his Aunt Olive and Uncle Daniel don't love him or want him back. Toby resigns himself to circus life, but when he finally realizes that Tupper lied to him, and that his aunt and uncle truly love him, Toby happily returns home once again.

TV Shows

The Alfred Hitchcock HourThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour · 1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
7.81962
SeriesCrimeMystery
A continuation of the anthology series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, hosted by the master of suspense and featuring thrillers and mysteries.
DragnetDragnet · 1951
Dragnet
6.51951
SeriesDramaCrime
Follows the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
The FugitiveThe Fugitive · 1963
The Fugitive
7.31963
SeriesDrama
Richard Kimble is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death penalty. En route to death row, Kimble's train derails and crashes, allowing him to escape and begin a cross-country search for the real killer, a "one-armed man". At the same time, Dr. Kimble is hounded by the authorities, most notably dogged by Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard.
BewitchedBewitched · 1964
Bewitched
7.91964
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Samantha Stephens is a seemingly normal suburban housewife who also happens to be a genuine witch, with all the requisite magical powers. Her husband Darrin insists that Samantha keep her witchcraft under wraps, but situations invariably require her to indulge her powers while keeping her bothersome mother Endora at bay.
The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies · 1962
The Beverly Hillbillies
6.91962
SeriesComedyFamily
Jed Clampett's swamp is loaded with oil. When a wildcatter discovers the huge pool, Jed sells his land to the O.K. Oil Company and at the urging of cousin Pearl, moves his family to a 35-room mansion in Beverly Hills, California.
Four Star PlayhouseFour Star Playhouse · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
6.81952
SeriesDramaComedy
Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine. Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino. The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.
Petticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction · 1963
Petticoat Junction
5.81963
SeriesComedyFamily
The Bradley family are proud owners of the Shady Rest Hotel. Kate and her three young daughters do the job of running the hotel.
I Love LucyI Love Lucy · 1951
I Love Lucy
7.91951
SeriesComedyFamily
Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.
GunsmokeGunsmoke · 1955
Gunsmoke
6.71955
SeriesWestern
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
Ben CaseyBen Casey · 1961
Ben Casey
5.91961
SeriesDrama
Leave It to BeaverLeave It to Beaver · 1957
Leave It to Beaver
6.91957
SeriesComedyFamily
An inquisitive and often naïve boy, Theodore 'The Beaver' Cleaver, has adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood. The show also starred Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as Beaver's parents, June and Ward Cleaver, and Tony Dow as Beaver's brother Wally. The show has attained an iconic status in the US, with the Cleavers exemplifying the idealized suburban family of the mid-20th century.
The MunstersThe Munsters · 1964
The Munsters
7.91964
SeriesComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
A family of friendly monsters that have misadventures all while never quite understanding why people react to them so strangely.
Johnny RingoJohnny Ringo · 1959
Johnny Ringo
5.91959
SeriesWestern
Johnny Ringo is an American Western television series starring Don Durant that aired on CBS from October 1, 1959, until June 30, 1960. It is loosely based on the life of the notorious gunfighter and outlaw Johnny Ringo, also known as John Peters Ringo or John B. Ringgold, who tangled with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Buckskin Franklin Leslie.
Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
7.81955
SeriesMysteryDrama
A television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock featuring dramas, thrillers, and mysteries.
Dennis the MenaceDennis the Menace · 1959
Dennis the Menace
6.61959
SeriesComedyFamily
This 1959-1963 television situation comedy series follows the lives of the Mitchell family, Henry, Alice, and their only child Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor George Wilson, a retired salesman, or, later, with George's brother John, a writer. Dennis is basically a good, well-intentioned boy who always tries to help people, but who winds up making situations worse – often at Mr. Wilson's expense.
Black SaddleBlack Saddle · 1959
Black Saddle
6.21959
SeriesWesternDrama
Black Saddle is an American Western television series starring Peter Breck that aired 44 episodes on ABC from January 10, 1959 to May 6, 1960. The half-hour program was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television, and the original pilot was an episode of CBS's Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, with Chris Alcaide portraying the principal character, Clay Culhane. For syndicated reruns, Black Saddle was combined with three other Western series from the same company, Law of the Plainsman starring Michael Ansara, Johnny Ringo starring Don Durant and Mark Goddard, and the critically acclaimed creation of Sam Peckinpah, The Westerner with Brian Keith, under the umbrella title, The Westerners, with new hosting sequences by Keenan Wynn.
The 20th Century Fox HourThe 20th Century Fox Hour · 1955
The 20th Century Fox Hour
6.01955
SeriesDrama
The 20th Century Fox Hour is an American drama anthology series televised in the United States on CBS from 1955 to 1957. Some of the shows in this series were restored, remastered and shown on the Fox Movie Channel in 2002 under the title Hour of Stars. The season one episode Overnight Haul, starring Richard Conte and Lizabeth Scott, was released in Australia as a feature film.
Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D. · 1968
Mayberry R.F.D.
6.21968
SeriesComedyFamily
Mayberry R.F.D. is an American television series produced as a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting characters returned for the new program, which ran for three seasons on the CBS Television Network from 1968–1971. During the final season of The Andy Griffith Show, widower farmer Sam Jones and his young son Mike are introduced and gradually become the show's focus. Sheriff Andy Taylor takes a backseat in the storylines, establishing the sequel series. The show's first episode, "Andy and Helen's Wedding", had the highest ratings in recorded television history. Sheriff Taylor and newlywed wife Helen make guest appearances on RFD until late 1969, and then relocate with Opie. Mayberry R.F.D. was popular throughout its entire run, but was canceled after its third season in CBS's infamous "rural purge" of 1971. R.F.D. stands for "Rural Free Delivery", a quaint postal depiction of the rural Mayberry community.
The Wonderful World of DisneyThe Wonderful World of Disney · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
7.91954
SeriesAnimation
Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC, Wednesday night, October 27, 1954. The show, which was hosted by Walt Disney until his death and then from 1996 to 2002 by then-CEO Michael Eisner (with one-off hosts or no hosts during other periods) has since aired continually as either a weekly program or an irregular series of specials on several networks and streaming services, most recently on ABC and Disney+. The show is the second longest showing prime-time program on American television, behind its rival, Hallmark Hall of Fame. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame was a weekly program only during its first five seasons, while Disney remained a weekly program for more than forty years.
Law of the PlainsmanLaw of the Plainsman · 1959
Law of the Plainsman
7.31959
SeriesWestern
Law of the Plainsman is a Western television series starring Michael Ansara that aired on the NBC television network from October 1, 1959, until May 5, 1960. The character of Native American U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart was introduced in two episodes of the popular ABC Western television series The Rifleman starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain. Law of the Plainsman is distinctive and unique in that it was one of the few television programs that featured a Native American as the lead character, a bold move for U.S.network television at that time. Ansara had earlier appeared in the series Broken Arrow, having portrayed the Apache chief, Cochise. Ansara, however, was not Native American but of Syrian descent. Ansara played Sam Buckhart, an Apache Indian who saved the life of a U.S. Cavalry officer after an Indian ambush. When the officer died, he left Sam money that was used for an education at private schools and Harvard University. After school, he returned to New Mexico where he became a Deputy Marshal working for Marshal Andy Morrison. He lived in a boarding house run by Martha Commager. The only other continuing character was 8-year old Tess Logan, an orphan who had been rescued by Buckhart. Robert Harland, later of Target: The Corruptors! starred in seven episodes as Deputy Billy Lordan. Wayne Rogers, who went on to star in another Four Star western, Stagecoach West, and later, M*A*S*H, also played deputy Lordan in several episodes.
Hey, Jeannie!Hey, Jeannie! · 1956
Hey, Jeannie!
6.21956
SeriesComedy
Hey, Jeannie! is an American situation comedy starring Jeannie Carson as a young Scottish woman living in New York City. Twenty-six episodes aired on CBS from September 8, 1956 to May 4, 1957 in the Saturday slot following The Gale Storm Show and preceding the western series Gunsmoke. Six additional episodes aired in 1958 in syndication. Reruns of Hey, Jeannie! aired during the summer of 1960 under the title The Jeannie Carson Show.
The Lloyd Bridges ShowThe Lloyd Bridges Show · 1962
The Lloyd Bridges Show
6.01962
SeriesDrama
The Lloyd Bridges Show is an American anthology drama series produced by Aaron Spelling, which aired on CBS from September 11, 1962 to May 28, 1963, starring and hosted by Lloyd Bridges.
The Lucy–Desi Comedy HourThe Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour · 1957
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
8.71957
SeriesComedy
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a collection of thirteen one-hour specials airing occasionally from 1957 to 1960, and originally served as part of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the first season, and The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the following seasons. It was the successor to the classic comedy, I Love Lucy, and featured the same major cast members. The production schedule avoided the grind of a regular weekly series. Desilu produced the show, which was mostly filmed at their Los Angeles studios with occasional on-location shoots at Lake Arrowhead, Las Vegas and Sun Valley, Idaho. CBS reran the show under the "Lucy-Desi" title during the summers of 1962-1967, after which it went into syndication.
Life with ElizabethLife with Elizabeth · 1953
Life with Elizabeth
5.51953
SeriesComedy
Elizabeth and Alvin are a married couple who live an ordinary suburban life, but inevitably managed to get into predicaments. At the end of most predicaments, Alvin, in variable degrees of frustration, would say, "I shall leave you now, Elizabeth" and would walk out of sight. The announcer would say, "Elizabeth, aren't you ashamed?" She would slowly nod, but then, with a slightly devilish grin, would vigorously shake her head to indicate she wasn't.