Leading Men Larry Pennell
Ripcord (TV)/ Ted McKeever
The FBI Story/ George Crandell
Our Man In Jamaica/ Ken Stewart
The Night The Bridge Fell Down (TV) Chief Barrett
Larry Pennell was an American actor best known for his role as Ted McKeever in the TV series Ripcord.
He was born at Uniontown, PA in 1928. His father was entrepreneur Harold Pennell and his mother a homemaker Ruth Pennell. They originally lived in Uniontown, PA but moved to Niagara Falls, NY to find better opportunities during the depression. After a short time there the family moved again to Los Angeles, CA.
Pennell played baseball during his youth and attended Hollywood High School.where he played first baseman and was inducted into the high schools athletic hall of fame.
He was recruited by Rod Dedeaux to play baseball for USC.beginning in 1947. Pennell was one of the schools all time letter winners. However he left school to, play professionally with The Boston Braves. He played for seven seasons between 1948 and 1954.with the Evansville Braves, the Boston Braves minor league affiliate.
In his first year he broke the Appalachain League record for runs batted in.
His baseball career was interrupted by service in the Korean War where he served in counter intelligence with the United States Army.
After his return home from the service, his baseball contract was purchased by the Brooklyn Dodgers, however he never reported since he had decided to start an acting career. During his off seasons from baseball he had returned to Hollywood and developed an interest in the film industry.
He got a screen test with Paramount and went under contract.
Pennell then traveled to New York where he studied acting under Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner.
He officially started his career with the movie Seven Angry Men.
The film roles of Larry Pennell were:
Seven Angry Men (1955) as Oliver Brown
The Far Horizons (1955) as Wild Eagle
Hell's Horizon (1955) as Buddy Lewis
The Court Jester (1955) as Novice Knight
The Vagabond King (1956) as A Soldier
The Devil's Hairpin (1957) as Johnny Jargin
The Space Children (1958) as Major Thomas
The FBI Story (1959) as George Crandall
Our Man In Jamaica (1965) as Ken Stewart
Old Surehand (1965) as General Jack O'Neill
Three For Danger (1967-TV) as Chris
Brother, Cry For me (1970) as Jim Noble
City Beneath The Sea ( 1971-TV) as Bill Holmes
Journey Through Rosebud (1972) as The Sheriff
The Revengers (1972) as Arny
Lassie, Joyous Sound (1972-TV) as Keith Holden
Helter Skelter (1976-TV) as Sgt. White
Midway (1976) as Capt. Cyril Simard
Matilda (1978) as Lee Dockerty
Elvis (1979-TV) as Paul Beaulieu
The Man With Bogart's Face (1980) as George
Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980-TV) as Clark gable
Personal Best (1982) as Rick Cahill
Superstition (1982) as George Leahy
The Night The Bridge Fell Down (1983-TV) as Chief Barrett
Metalstorm:The Destruction Of Jared-Syn (1983) as Alx
Ghost Chase (1987) as Burn
Another Chance (1989) as Clark Gable
The Borrower (1991) as Capt. Scarcelli
Mr. Baseball (1992) as Howie Gold
The Fear: Resurrection (1999) as Grandfather
The Cross (2001) as Man With Lamb
Jackpot (2001) as Truck Driver
Rogue (2002) as The Voice
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) as Kemosabe
Seasons Of Life (2006) as Lauren's Father
The Passing (2011) as Charles The Butler
Mr. Pennell was featured on two TV series:
Ripcord ( 1961 -1963) as Ted McKeever
The Beverly Hillbillies (1965 - 1969) as Dash Riprock
Other TV series that Mr. Pennell appeared as a guest on were:General Electric Theater, Studio 57, Wire Service, Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars, West Point, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theater, Tombstone, Target, Steve Canyon, The Rough Riders, Cimarron City, Have Gun Will Travel, Adventures In Paradise, The Millionaire, The Alaskans, Tales Of Wells Fargo, The Aquanauts, Death Valley Days, Klondike, Zane Grey Theater, Outlaws, Boris Karloff's Thriller, The Case Of The Dangerous Robin, Bat Masterson, Sea Hunt, General Hospital, Wagon Train, The Outer Limits, Mr. Broadway, Kraft Suspense Theater, Branded, Blue Light, The Big Valley, Rango, The Virginian, Custer, Cimarron Strip, Dragnet 1967, My Friend Tony, Mayberry RFD, Land Of The Giants, Bracken's World, Mission Impossible, Family Affair, Mannix. Longstreet, O'Hara U S Treasury, Lassie, The Young And The Restless, Banacek, Owen Marshall Councilor At Law, Gunsmoke, Apple's Way, The Rookies, Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color, McMillan & Wife, The Streets Of San Francisco, Run, Joe Run, Hunter, Little House On The Prairie, Salvage 1, Magnum P I, Quantum Leap, Diagnosis Murder, Silk Stalkings and Firefly,
Pennell was also active on the stage and his stage work encompassed over 50 plays including The Poker Game, Desperate Hours, Pieces Of Time and Dead Autumn's Soul.
In stage, film, television, commercials and print advertisements he has accumulated over 400, credits.
Pennell enjoyed sports all of his life including baseball, football, running and horseback riding. He was also and avid historian and a patriot with ancestral links in the American Revolution and The Mayflower Contract.
He was married to Patricia Thorpe, a fashion model, actress, a former Miss Oregon and a finalist in The Miss America Pageant.
Larry Pennell passed away in 2013 at the age of 85.
I enjoyed Mr. Pennell in both Ripcord and The Beverly Hillbillies as well as the films Seven Angry Men, The Far Horizons, The FBI Story, City Beneath The Sea and Midway.
Louie The Movie Buff