Paul Michael Kelly (August 9, 1899 â€" November 6, 1956) was an
American stage, film, and television actor. His career survived a
manslaughter conviction, tied to a sex scandal, that caused him to
spend time in prison in the late 1920s.Born in Brooklyn, New York, to
a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent, Paul Michael Kelly was the
ninth of 10 children. His father owned a saloon, Kelly's Kafe, in the
shadow of Vitagraph Studios, on E. 14th St. in Midwood, Brooklyn.
After his father's death, he began his career as a child actor at age
seven and was appearing on the stage. In 1911, at age 12, Kelly began
making silent films with Vitagraph Studios, where he was billed as
Master Paul Kelly. Kelly was possibly the first male child actor to be
given any starring roles in American films, antedating
better-remembered child stars such as Bobby Connelly and Jackie
Coogan.Kelly made his talking film debut in 1933's Broadway Through a
Keyhole. In the course of his career, and relatively short life, it
has been estimated that Kelly worked on stage, screen, and television
in over four hundred roles. Later in his film career, as an adult,
Kelly appeared in films mostly as a character actor playing tough guys
â€" some sympathetic, some not â€" during the 1930s, 1940s and
1950s.Kelly alternated between stage and screen as an actor. He was a
handsome and popular male lead or costar in Broadway plays from the
late 1910s and throughout the 1920s. In 1948, Kelly won a Best Actor
Tony Award for his role in Command Decision. Clark Gable later played
the same role in the film version of the play. Kelly shared the award
with Henry Fonda for Mister Roberts and Basil Rathbone for The
Heiress.
American stage, film, and television actor. His career survived a
manslaughter conviction, tied to a sex scandal, that caused him to
spend time in prison in the late 1920s.Born in Brooklyn, New York, to
a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent, Paul Michael Kelly was the
ninth of 10 children. His father owned a saloon, Kelly's Kafe, in the
shadow of Vitagraph Studios, on E. 14th St. in Midwood, Brooklyn.
After his father's death, he began his career as a child actor at age
seven and was appearing on the stage. In 1911, at age 12, Kelly began
making silent films with Vitagraph Studios, where he was billed as
Master Paul Kelly. Kelly was possibly the first male child actor to be
given any starring roles in American films, antedating
better-remembered child stars such as Bobby Connelly and Jackie
Coogan.Kelly made his talking film debut in 1933's Broadway Through a
Keyhole. In the course of his career, and relatively short life, it
has been estimated that Kelly worked on stage, screen, and television
in over four hundred roles. Later in his film career, as an adult,
Kelly appeared in films mostly as a character actor playing tough guys
â€" some sympathetic, some not â€" during the 1930s, 1940s and
1950s.Kelly alternated between stage and screen as an actor. He was a
handsome and popular male lead or costar in Broadway plays from the
late 1910s and throughout the 1920s. In 1948, Kelly won a Best Actor
Tony Award for his role in Command Decision. Clark Gable later played
the same role in the film version of the play. Kelly shared the award
with Henry Fonda for Mister Roberts and Basil Rathbone for The
Heiress.
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