Wendell Corey: Movies & Box Office

Wendell Reid Corey, born on March 20, 1914, was an American stage, film, and television actor, as well as a political figure. In his early years, Corey was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, the son of Milton Rothwell Corey and Julia Etta McKenney. His father was a Congregationalist clergyman and an actor who appeared in Rawhide as Dr Tucker. Wendell was educated in Springfield, Massachusetts. His ancestors included U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. After high school, he sold washing machines and refrigerators at a department store, while also cutting his teeth in acting with the Springfield Repertory Theater. He transitioned to full-time acting with a Holyoke theater group, producing, directing, and acting in hundreds of plays in summer stock. Corey's film debut as a gangster came in Desert Fury (1947). He also had memorable roles in The File on Thelma Jordon (1950) and Rear Window (1954). Corey also made a mark on television, notably portraying Lou Gehrig in The Lou Gehrig Story for the television series Climax! (1955) and starring in Harbor Command (1957–1958). Apart from performing arts, Corey was also engaged in politics, serving as the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963 and as a board member of the Screen Actors Guild. A Republican campaigner in national politics since 1956, Corey was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in April 1965. Unfortunately, Corey died on November 8, 1968, aged 54, due to liver disease.