Judson Pratt
Pratt in The Ugly American (1963)
Born(1916-12-06)December 6, 1916
Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedFebruary 9, 2002(2002-02-09) (aged 85)
Northridge, California, U.S.
Alma materIthaca College
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1980
Spouse(s)Roberta Jonay
(m. 1950; died 1976)

Judson Pratt (December 6, 1916[1] – February 9, 2002) was an American film, television, and theatre actor. He was known for playing Billy Kinkaid in the American Western television series Union Pacific.[1]

Early life

Pratt was born in Hingham, Massachusetts.[2] He attended Hingham High School, class of 1934,[3] and graduated from Ithaca College in 1938.[4] He made his theatre debut in 1941, playing a Western Union messenger in the Broadway play Popsy.[2]

Career

In 1950, Pratt made his screen debut in the anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre,[citation needed] starring opposite Mary Patton in "Blaze of Glory".[5] His first feature film appearance came three years later, under Alfred Hitchcock's direction, in I Confess.[4]

Pratt guest-starred in numerous television programs, including Barney Miller, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Father Knows Best, Thriller, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, The Streets of San Francisco, Rawhide, Mayberry, R.F.D., Nanny and the Professor, Mission: Impossible, The Guns of Will Sonnett, The Partridge Family, Bewitched and Charlie's Angels.[6] He also appeared in films such as The Horse Soldiers,[7] The Toy Tiger, Outside the Law, I Confess, Four Girls in Town, The Great American Pastime, Man Afraid, Vigilante Force,[8] Somebody Up There Likes Me, Cheyenne Autumn, A Distant Trumpet,[9] The Ugly American[10] and The Barefoot Executive.[6] Pratt retired in 1980,[11] last appearing in the television soap opera Days of Our Lives.[12]

Personal life and death

Pratt was married to actress Roberta Jonay from May 21, 1950 until her death on April 19, 1976. They had two sons.[13][14] Pratt died in February 2002 in Northridge, California, at the age of 85.[6][15] His body was cremated.[15]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Mayers, Boyd. "Do You Remember... Union Pacific". westernclippings.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ a b "Judson Pratt". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "Hingham Boy Awarded Dramatic Scholarship". The Boston Globe. May 18, 1934. p. 5. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "College Graduate Has Part in Movie". The Ithaca Journal. p. 4. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "Television News and Programs". The Buffalo News. August 29, 1950. p. 20. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Lentz, Harris (April 9, 2003). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002. McFarland. pp. 242–243. ISBN 9780786414642 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Darby, William (August 2015). John Ford's Westerns: A Thematic Analysis, with a Filmography. McFarland. p. 42. ISBN 9781476607528 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California - 86". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 29, 1976. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Herzberg, Bob (January 10, 2014). Savages and Saints: The Changing Image of American Indians in Westerns. McFarland. pp. 200–202. ISBN 9780786451821 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "The Ugly American (1963)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Arnold, Mark (2023). Stars of Walt Disney Productions. Orlando, FL: BearManor Productions. ISBN 979-8-88771-072-3.
  12. ^ Russell, Maureen (1995). Days of Our Lives : A Complete History of the Long-running Soap OperaJefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Company. p. 197. ISBN 0786401125.
  13. ^ "Marriages". Variety. May 24, 1950. p. 75. ProQuest 1286073758. Roberta Jonay to Judson Pratt, New York, May 21. Both are thespers.
  14. ^ "Obituaries: Singer Roberta Jonay Pratt". Newsday. April 22, 1976. p. 36. ProQuest 922596072. Funeral services for former Broadway singer Roberta Jonay Pratt are scheduled for tomorrow. Mrs. Pratt, 54, died of cancer Monday at Northridge Hospital. [...] She is survived by her husband, Judson Pratt, an actor, and two sons, Michael, 22, and Mitchell, 16.
  15. ^ a b Wilson, Scott (August 22, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 602. ISBN 978-0786479924 – via Google Books.

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