Classic Film Journeys: Percy Helton
Percy Helton was a popular character actor during the Golden Age of Hollywood, in addition to his appearances on stage and television. He was born Percy Alfred Helton on January 31, 1894 in Manhattan, New York. His father was Alfred “Alf” Helton, who worked as a stage actor, and young Helton succeeded him at the age of two. Helton worked alongside his father in vaudeville for many years, eventually making his Broadway debut. Over the years he has worked in standard theater and other Broadway shows.
During World War I, Helton enlisted in the US Army and was deployed to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. He eventually received the Distinguished Service Cross for his time with the 77th
infantry detachment.
In 1931, Helton married actress Edna Eustace. They stayed together until his death. The Heltons had no children.
After the war, Helton returned to acting and also sang professionally. After performing a certain role that required him to scream day in and day out for most of the play, Helton’s vocal cords were permanently damaged. His voice would be breathy and hoarse for the rest of his life, changing his career. While he remained an actor, he was predominantly a character actor. Most of his roles have been in films noir and television programs. Some of his film roles include miracle on the 34thth street (1947) (as drunk department store Santa Claus), criss-cross (1949), The facility (1949), Evil woman (1953), kiss me deadly (1955) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). His television appearances include The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Perry Masonand green acresto name a few.
Helton died on September 11, 1971 at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center at the age of 77. His ashes were interred at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.
Today there are some buildings relevant to Helton.
In 1910 Helton lived at 206 109th St., Manhattan, New York. The building stands today.
In 1920, Helton resided at 444 Central Park West, Manhattan, New York. This is the location today:
In 1942, Helton and Edna lived at 37 W. 46th
St., New York, New York, which still exists today.
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center is located at 1300 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, California.
Helton is best celebrated while enjoying his many film and television appearances.
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–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub
Annette Bochenek writes our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. Here you can read all articles from Annette’s Classic Movie Travel.
Annette Bochenek, from Chicago, Illinois, is a graduate student at Dominican University and an independent scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the blog Hometowns to Hollywood, where she writes about her travels exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the Hometowns to Hollywood film series in the Chicago area. She has appeared in Turner Classic Movies and is the President of the Chicago Chapter of TCM Backlot. Not only does she write for Classic Movie Hub, but also for Silent Film Quarterly, nostalgia digestand Magazine of the Chicago Art Deco Society.
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