Joseph Kearns
| Joseph Kearns | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 12, 1907 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 1962 (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills |
| Alma mater | University of Utah |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930s–1962 |
Joseph Sherrard Kearns (February 12, 1907 – February 17, 1962) was an American actor, who is best remembered for his role as George Wilson ("Mr. Wilson") in the CBS television series Dennis the Menace from 1959 until his death in 1962, and for providing the voice of the Doorknob in the animated Disney film, Alice in Wonderland.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kearns moved with his family to California when he was very young. His mother was Cordelia M. Kearns (née Peterson; 1877–1962), a concert pianist, from whom Kearns derived his love of music. He and is family were strict Mormons, whose ancestors were Mormon pioneers. His acting career began in 1916 when he joined 'The Rising Generation", a vaudeville troupe of eleven children that toured for 14 months. He briefly tried his hand at wool buying and worked for his father for a year. Kearns traveled the West as a representative of Howell, Jones and Donnell of Boston. His wool-buying career came to an abrupt end when Kearns purchased five boxcars full of black wool from a breed called Karakul for $8,000. The problem was that black wool could not be dyed and no one knew how to use it in those days. After this fiasco, Kearns gladly gave up the wool business and pursued a show business career.
Kearns joined the staff of radio station KSL in Salt Lake City in 1930 remaining there until 1936 when he moved to Los Angeles. Kearns began his acting career in radio in the 1930s (playing the Crazyquilt Dragon in the serial The Cinnamon Bear), becoming active during the 1940s, with appearances on the shows The Adventures of Sam Spade, Burns and Allen, The Whistler, and dozens of other shows. On Suspense, he was almost a mainstay, heard regularly as the host "The Man in Black" in the early years, announcing many episodes in the later run, and playing supporting and occasional lead roles in hundreds of shows throughout the series' tenure in Hollywood, from judges to kindly old-timers to cowards.He also appeared on The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, playing various different characters including Professor Moriarty and even Dr. Watson.
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