Percy Kilbride

He had a long career in theater before making movies, playing hundreds of roles, mostly rustic bumpkins, in stage and stock. His film career included two isolated early films: _White Woman (1933)_ (qv) and _Soak the Rich (1936)_ (qv). It began in earnest with the part of Orion Peabody in the 'Spencer Tracy' (qv)-'Katharine Hepburn' (qv) wartime drama _Keeper of the Flame (1942)_ (qv); Kilbride was already fifty-four by then. The movie public really came to recognize him when he played the part of Pa Kettle (against 'Marjorie Main' (qv)'s Ma) in _The Egg and I (1947)_ (qv), a role he reprised for seven more "Ma and Pa Kettle" movies, the last of which, and the last of his career, was in 1955.::Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>