Jimmy Lydon
Lydon in The First Hundred Years, 1951
Born(1923-05-30)May 30, 1923
Harrington Park, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMarch 9, 2022(2022-03-09) (aged 98)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, producer
Years active1937–1987
Spouses
Patricia Pernetti
​
​
(m. 1945, divorced)​
    Betty Lou Nedell
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1952; died 2022)​
    Children2

    James Joseph Lydon (May 30, 1923 – March 9, 2022) was an American actor and television producer whose career in the entertainment industry began as a teenager during the 1930s.[1]

    Early life

    Lydon was born in Harrington Park, New Jersey on May 30, 1923, the fifth of nine children.[2] His family was of Irish heritage. He was raised in Bergenfield, New Jersey.[3]

    Career

    In 1932, Lydon's father, who was an alcoholic, decided to retire from working. This decision forced all of the other family members to seek employment in the depths of the Great Depression.[4]

    In 1937, Jimmy, not knowing what he wanted to do, tried his hand at acting. His first role was Danny in the Broadway play Western Waters.

    He had been allowed to audition for the part after fabricating a list of roles he had previously portrayed. In the next couple of years, he learned the acting craft while performing in plays such as Sunup to Sundown, Prologue to Glory, Sing Out the News, and The Happiest Days. In 1939, he moved with his family to Hollywood to seek film roles.

    Jimmy Lydon in 1939

    One of his first starring roles was the title character in the 1940 movie Tom Brown's School Days, also starring Cedric Hardwicke and Freddie Bartholomew. The film was well received by critics, with Variety praising it in a January 1940 review as "sympathetically and skillfully made, with many touching moments and an excellent cast". Lydon was called "believable and moving in the early portions, but too young for the final moments".[5]

    Between 1941 and 1944, under contract to Paramount Pictures, Lydon starred as the screechy-voiced, adolescent Henry Aldrich in the movie series of that title.[4] After completing the Aldrich series, the 21-year-old Lydon signed a contract in 1944 with Republic Pictures.[6]

    Lydon in Twice Blessed (1945)

    He appeared in the acclaimed 1947 film Life with Father in the role of college-bound Clarence. Variety called Jimmy Lydon's portrayal "effective as the potential Yale man".[7]

    He then appeared opposite James Cagney in the 1948 movie The Time of Your Life. From 1949 to 1950, he and Janet Waldo voiced the leading characters in the radio comedy Young Love.

    Lydon easily gained roles in the new medium of television. He portrayed Chris Thayer on The First Hundred Years. The show was CBS's first daytime soap opera. It was performed live for three seasons of 300 episodes.

    In 1953, he was cast as Murray in the aviation adventure film Island in the Sky, starring John Wayne. He also played Biffen Cardoza on the last six episodes of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger in 1954 and made appearances in Lux Video Theatre and The Christophers. In 1955, he appeared on Sergeant Preston of the Yukon as Johnny Lane, plagued by cabin fever, in the episode titled "The Williwaw".

    Lydon in 2013

    In 1958, Lydon played the role of Richard in Anne Jeffreys' and Robert Sterling's short-lived sitcom Love That Jill. Lydon appeared in guest roles on Crossroads, Casey Jones, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Wagon Train, Hennesey, The Twilight Zone, and Tales of the Texas Rangers, as Lt. Jared Evans in the 1958 episode "Warpath". A year later, he guest-starred on the television series Colt .45. Lydon played the role of Willy in the episode "Return to El Paso", with Paul Picerni cast as Jose.

    After working increasingly in television in the 1950s, he turned to production and helped to create the detective series 77 Sunset Strip, as well as the sitcom M*A*S*H. He also produced the television adaptation of the film Mister Roberts in 1966 and Roll Out in 1973–1974. Lydon played Captain Henry Aldrich (a reference to his Aldrich movie series) on the latter show.

    In 1963, Lydon worked on the Western series Temple Houston on the fall schedule. On orders from studio boss Jack Webb, episodes were put together in two or three days each, something previously thought impossible in television production. Work began on August 7, 1963, with the initial airing set for September 19. Lydon recalls that Webb told the staff: "Fellas, I just sold Temple Houston. We gotta be on the air in four weeks, we can't use the pilot, we have no scripts, no nothing - do it!"[8]

    During the 1970s & 1980s, Lydon continued to act on television, with roles on episodes of Gunsmoke, Lou Grant, Simon & Simon, and St. Elsewhere.

    Personal life

    Lydon married Patricia Pernetti in 1945. The union was dissolved after a brief period.[9] He was married to Betty Lou Nedell from 1952 until her death in January 2022. They had two daughters and two granddaughters.[10]

    Lydon died at the age of 98 on March 9, 2022, at his home in San Diego, California.[10]

    Filmography

    Film
    Year Title Role Notes
    1939 Back Door to Heaven Frankie Rogers
    The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair Bud
    Two Thoroughbreds David Carey
    1940 Tom Brown's School Days Tom Brown
    Little Men Dan
    Bowery Boy Sock Dolan
    1941 Naval Academy Tommy Blake
    Henry Aldrich for President Henry Aldrich
    1942 Cadets on Parade Joe Novak
    The Mad Martindales Bobby Bruce Turner
    Henry and Dizzy Henry Aldrich
    Henry Aldrich, Editor
    Star Spangled Rhythm Jimmy Lydon Uncredited
    1943 Aerial Gunner Pvt. Sanford 'Sandy' Lunt
    Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour Henry Aldrich
    Henry Aldrich Swings It
    Henry Aldrich Haunts a House
    1944 Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout
    My Best Gal Johnny McCloud
    Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid Henry Aldrich
    Henry Aldrich's Little Secret
    When the Lights Go On Again Ted Benson
    The Town Went Wild Bob Harrison
    1945 Strange Illusion Paul Cartwright
    Twice Blessed Mickey Pringle
    1946 Affairs of Geraldine Willy Briggs
    1947 Life with Father Clarence Day, Jr.
    Cynthia Ricky Latham
    Sweet Genevieve Bill Kennedy
    Good News Tommy's classmate Uncredited
    1948 The Time of Your Life Dudley Raoul Bostwick
    Out of the Storm Donald Lewis
    Joan of Arc Pierre d'Arc
    1949 An Old-Fashioned Girl Tom Shaw
    Miss Mink of 1949 Joe Forrester
    Bad Boy Ted Hendry
    Tucson Andy Bryant
    1950 When Willie Comes Marching Home Charles Fettles
    Tarnished Junior Bunker
    Destination Big House Freddy Brooks
    September Affair Johnny Wilson
    Hot Rod David Langham
    The Magnificent Yankee Clinton
    1951 Gasoline Alley Skeezix
    Oh! Susanna Trumpeter Benton
    Corky of Gasoline Alley Skeezix Wallet
    1953 Island in the Sky Murray
    1954 The Desperado Tom Cameron
    1955 Rage at Dawn Dedrick - Fisher's Clerk Uncredited
    1956 Battle Stations Squawk Hewitt
    1957 Chain of Evidence Steve Nordstrom
    1960 The Hypnotic Eye Emergency doctor
    I Passed for White Jay Morgan
    1961 The Last Time I Saw Archie Pvt. Billy Simpson
    1969 Death of a Gunfighter Luke Mills
    1971 Scandalous John Grotch
    1973 Bonnie's Kids Motel Manager
    1976 Vigilante Force Tom Crousy

    Short subjects:

    • Home Early (1939) as Junior Doakes (uncredited)
    • A Letter from Bataan (1942) as Chuck Lewis
    • The Aldrich Family Gets in the Scrap (1943) as Henry Aldrich
    • Caribbean Romance (1943) as Peter Conway
    • The Shining Future (1944) as Danny Ames
    • Road to Victory (1944) as Danny Ames
    • Time to Kill (1945) as Lou

    References

    1. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2012). "Jimmy Lydon biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    2. ↑ "Jimmy Lydon, who starred as young Henry Aldrich, dies at 98". The Washington Post. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
    3. ↑ Feldberg, Robert. "HOW WE HAD FUN", The Record (Bergen County), May 7, 1995. Accessed October 25, 2009. "And Bergenfield-bred Jimmy Lydon, who played the eternal teenager Henry Aldrich on radio and in B movies, had married his high-school sweetheart."
    4. 1 2 "Jimmy Lydon; stage, film, television and behind the camera". The Milwaukee Journal. January 20, 1983. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
    5. ↑ "Tom Brown's School Days; Adventures at Rugby". Variety. January 1, 1940. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    6. ↑ "SCREEN NEWS; Jimmy Lydon Gets Term Contract With Republic" (PDF). The New York Times. December 23, 1944. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    7. ↑ "Life with Father". Variety. January 1, 1947. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    8. ↑ Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 106-109
    9. ↑ "Actor Jimmy Lydon To Be Wed Tomorrow". Tucson Daily Citizen. April 13, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
    10. 1 2 Barnes, Mike (19 March 2022). "Jimmy Lydon, William Powell's Oldest Son in 'Life With Father,' Dies at 98". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jimmy Lydon.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.