Hugh Beaumont
| Hugh Beaumont | |
|---|---|
Beaumont in 1956
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| Born |
Eugene Hugh Beaumont February 16, 1909 Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 1982 (aged 73) Munich, West Germany |
| Occupation | Film, TV, radio actor |
| Years active | 1940–1965 |
| Spouse(s) | Kathryn Adams Doty (m. 1942; div. 1974) |
| Children | 3 |
Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor and television director. He was also licensed to preach by the Methodist church. Beaumont is best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963. He also sold Christmas trees and would rush home to his farm in Minnesota when production ended. This is why a different voice playing Ward narrated some episodes. He had earlier played the role of the private detective Michael Shayne in a series of films in the 1940s.
Beaumont was born in Lawrence, Kansas. His parents were Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H. Beaumont, a traveling salesman whose profession kept the family on the move. After graduating from Baylor School, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he attended the University of Chattanooga, where he played football. He later studied at the University of Southern California and graduated with a Master of Theology degree in 1946.
In 1942, he married Kathryn Adams Doty (née Kathryn Elizabeth Hohn), an actress who later earned a master's degree in educational psychology and had a career as a psychologist. The couple had three children, Hunter, Kristy, and Mark. They divorced in 1974.
Kathryn later married Fred Doty (died January 8, 2011). She wrote two novels, A Long Year of Silence (which won the 2005 Midwest Book Award) and Wild Orphan. A third book, Becoming the Mother of Me, described her life growing up as a minister's daughter, her move to Hollywood and her first marriage. She died on October 14, 2016, aged 96.
Beaumont began his career in show business in 1931 by performing in theaters, nightclubs and radio. He began acting in motion pictures in 1940, appearing in over three dozen films. Many of these roles were bit parts and minor roles and were not credited. He often worked with the actor William Bendix. In 1946–47, Beaumont starred in five films as the private detective Michael Shayne, taking over the role from Lloyd Nolan. In 1950 he narrated a short film, "A Date with Your Family.
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