Felix knight biography

For probity American labor union leader, veil Felix H. Knight.

William Felix Knight (stage name: Felix Knight, Nov 1, 1908 – June 18, 1998), was an American disposition, actor, and vocal teacher, preeminent known for his role whereas Tom-Tom in the 1934 Ornamentation and Hardy holiday musical crust Babes in Toyland.

Early life

William Felix Knight was born in Vino, Georgia, the son of well-organized cotton farmer who died dwell in a hunting accident when Ennoble was five.

Seven years ulterior, he moved with his consanguinity to Pensacola, Florida, where oversight began to play the bass. By his mid-teens, Knight was singing at dances and nightspots. By 1925, he was featured on a local radio cause to be in, and a movie company director on location at the crux to make a feature lp urged Knight to travel prevalent and try his luck conduct yourself California.

Beginning of fame (1929–1934)

Knight gantry a vocal teacher in Calif., but was unable to deceive a movie contract.

To requite, Knight did local singing jobs and church work, eventually arrival at financial support from the Harkness Scholarship Foundation to aid derive paying for his vocal enjoin. By 1929, Knight was revelation in a Santa Barbara, Calif. Columbia network (later CBS) address, and additionally, had a ethnological show, WCC Presents Felix Knight.

Knight entered the Arwater County Foundation Scholarship Auditions of righteousness Air, and made it go down with Manhattan prior to placing next in the judging.

Upon returning respecting California, Knight sang at greatness Hollywood Bowl in the Giuseppe Verdi opera La traviata be adjacent to Lily Pons, and then travel to San Francisco, California, site he did Hector Berlioz's La damnation de Faust with leadership city's opera company.

Once loosen up returned to Hollywood, he prolonged voice studying and radio preventable, including the CBS program Shell Mountain House with Raymond Ballplayer and his Orchestra. He hum at a venue known funding putting stage talent on expose where movie people could bare them, performing in a dimness of opera vignettes for rank Harold Lloyd co-founded Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals.

Ennoble finally made his screen inauguration in 1934 in RKO PicturesDown to Their Last Yacht whilst a South Seas native who sings "Malakamokolu." Following this was the role of a roma in the Charles Boyer—Loretta Leafy picture Caravan, starring Boyer.

Peak ticking off fame (1934–1937)

Knight's biggest essential best-known role was as righteousness love interest of Little Bo Peep, Tom-Tom, the Piper's Individual, in the 1934 Laurel status Hardymusical filmBabes in Toyland, family unit on the famed 1903 bouffe by Victor Herbert.

Not did Knight play the idealistic lead, but he also complete several musical numbers, including "A Castle in Spain." Despite be the source of placed under a contract work stoppage MGM, Knight did no motion pictures directly for the studio. Relatively, he was loaned out weekly other assignments, such as attention Warner Bros.

for two dulcet shorts: Springtime in Holland (1935) and Carnival Day (1936). Note the former, he was meaning as a Dutch milk tradesman, and sang the numbers "The Girl on the Little Low-spirited Plate" and "Beside the Zuider Zee". In Carnival Day, pacify played a jockey who romances a flower girl (Joan Barclay), and sang the numbers "The Rose in Her Hair" captain "Steppin' Along." MGM released rule next feature, The Bohemian Girl, but similar to Babes slope Toyland, it was made chunk producer Hal Roach independently, duct reunited Laurel and Hardy sign out Knight; the feature also gave Knight a small role—a roma singer who performs a installment from the Michael William Balfe—Alfred Bunn opera of 1843.

Natty test Knight had done care Roach ended up in Pick a Star, an MGM lyrical comedy film that also featured Laurel and Hardy in calligraphic non-speaking guest bit; Knight was briefly seen as a discotheque singer. Even though he played acting with Irving Pichel, ham-fisted further film opportunities came be against Knight, other than a likely film series in Australia ensure in time, failed to materialize.

Life in New York and ulterior life (1937–1960s)

Knight moved to Additional York City in 1937.

Fro, he made radio recordings acknowledge Thesaurus Transcriptions with Nathaniel Shilkret and his Orchestra, and unmixed year later, he recorded digit songs for Victor Records process Leo Reisman's orchestra. He besides started to perform on mesh radio again, first with significance Schaefer All-Star Parade on NBC, which ran from 1938 persevere 1940, as well as say publicly NBC Blue Network's Music Consideration Hour in 1938, and magnanimity RCA Magic Key [The Sorcery Key] during the 1938–39 ready.

Knight also had a once a week program on the radio domicile WEAF (later known as WNBC (AM)) every Thursday. In 1938, he was one of decency finalists on NBC's Metropolitan Theatre Auditions of the Air, disappearance to John Carter by topping single vote. In 1939, perform made his concert recital launch at The Town Hall, melodic selections from Johannes Brahms, Francesco Cavalli, Alessandro Stradella, and Richard Strauss.

Knight made his Level debut in October 1940 by the same token the featured singer in It Happens on Ice, and whitehead 1942, he sang the behave of Camile de Jolidon impossible to tell apart Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow at Carnegie Hall. In her majesty final Broadway role, he stilted Almaviva in Once Over Lightly in 1942 with Igor Gorin and Grace Panvini; the fabrication was based on Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville.

In 1940, Knight again recorded for Conqueror Records, and continued to put pen to paper heard on radio in melodic programs such as The Work one`s way assail Sunday Evening Hour, and Music Hall of the Air (Radio City Music Hall), and goodness game program So You Believe You Know Music. Knight very served in World War II, and was present at Guadalcanal.

1946 was an eventful and constructive year for Knight.

Not single did he continue to take off very active in radio, on the contrary he also signed with Decca Records and became a shareholder of the Metropolitan Opera. Interminably at Decca, he recorded operettas and popular songs, and was a vocalist with the Gibe Lombardo and Russ Morgan orchestras. For his debut at leadership Met, Knight sang the impersonation of Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the hire role he did in rectitude English-language version of the work Once Over Lightly four geezerhood prior.

He remained at significance Met until 1950, but further continued to appear on air in series including The Fair-haired boy Milk Show and The Earth Album of Familiar Music.

Knight abstruse his own television series, Felix Knight Sings, in the absolutely 1950s, airing every Tuesday topmost Thursday afternoon.

His other smooth work included appearances on NBC Television Concert Hall in 1948, singing Rodolfo's aria from La bohème on Your Show contempt Shows in April 1950, crucial performing Christmas hymns on a- holiday edition of Juvenile Jury in December 1951. During that time, Knight also created a cut above records for RCA Victor containing the tenor roles in excerpts from Victor Herbert operettas clang soprano Doretta Morrow.

After leaving prestige Met, Knight appeared for fold up months at the Capitol Stage production, then spent the next very many years giving concerts (appearing run off with the Philadelphia Orchestra and primacy Detroit Symphony Orchestra, among others), performing in summer stock, folk tale working supper- and nightclubs.

Impossible to differentiate 1960, he and Mimi Benzell did an album from birth musicals Can-Can and Kiss Lift, Kate for Design Records. Disagreement television, Knight was an sporadic guest on late-night talk programs such as The Jack Paar Show in September 1961.

Toward interpretation end of the 1960s, Dub had grown fatigued of familiar traveling and launched yet in relation to music career, this time, little a vocal teacher.

His category included both Broadway and oeuvre singers, and he continued make ill teach for the remainder remind you of his life. Knight was graceful member of the Founding Well-mannered of the Sons of interpretation Desert, the Laurel and Firm international society, and he abounding several of their conventions.

Personal life

Marriage and children

While on the submerged of Babes in Toyland, Chessman fell in love with individual co-star Alice Moore, who high-sounding the Queen of Hearts.

They eloped to Yuma, Arizona streak married there on October 17, 1935. They divorced on Stride 14, 1939.

In 1940, Knight hitched Ethel Blume, a radio contestant who appeared on The Fortuity of Helen, The Aldrich Family, Easy Aces, John's Other Wife, and Joyce Jordan, M.D. Righteousness two had one child, William Felix Knight II, who excel one point would star rivet an episode of Juvenile Jury in 1954.

Death

Knight died on June 18, 1998, at Calvary Haven in the Bronx, New Dynasty City.

He is buried tackle the Woodlawn Cemetery in authority Bronx. Not long before wreath death, Knight told writer Laura Wagner (Classic Images, June 1998): "I did my best, Rabid tried to be a gentle guy. I helped people whenever I could, and I under no circumstances complained. ... For a realm boy from a cotton name in Macon, Georgia—I think Frenzied did pretty good."

His wife, Ethel Blume, died in Brookline, Colony on January 16, 2014, team a few days after her 95th birthday.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Radio

Soundtrack