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Keith and Kevin Schultz

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Keith and Kevin Schultz
Keith and Kevin Schultz in 1966
Born
Keith Sean Schultz
Kevin Edward Schultz

(1953-09-16) September 16, 1953 (age 71)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other namesThe Schultz Brothers
Occupation(s)Actors, singers, photographers
Years active1955–1986 (actors)
1980s–present (photographers)
Websitewww.schultzbrosphoto.com

Keith and Kevin Schultz (born September 16, 1953) are American identical twin photographers and former actors. Reportedly making their screen debut as infants, the Schultz brothers are perhaps best known for their roles as brothers Jefferson and Fennimore on the ABC western frontier series The Monroes, as well as for Kevin's role as Tom Sawyer on the NBC live-action/animated series The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After careers as child actors in front of the camera, the Schultz brothers transitioned to a career working together as professional photographers, best known for their celebrity "head shots" of notable Hollywood child stars.

Early life

The Schultz brothers were born Keith Sean Schultz and Kevin Edward Schultz on September 16, 1953 in Santa Monica, California to parents Earl and Evelyn Schultz.[1][2][3] The brothers grew up in Hollywood with an older sister, Barbara (born c. 1948) and an older brother, Richard (born c. 1951).[3] According to IMDb, the brothers made their screen debut as infants in the feature film The Long Gray Line, sharing an uncredited role as the infant son of Kitty, played by Betsy Palmer.[4][5] At age 8, they appeared on the Jan. 15, 1962 episode of the quiz show I've Got a Secret, their secret being that they had worked with panelist Palmer as infants. Throughout their childhood, the brothers continued to work as professional child actors, primarily playing twin roles in various commercials, films and television series.[2]

Career

Acting

In 1966, Keith and Kevin landed starring roles on the television series The Monroes, portraying twin brothers Jefferson "Big Twin" Monroe and Fennimore "Little Twin" Monroe respectively.[6][7][8] The series, which also starred Michael Anderson, Jr., Barbara Hershey and Tammy Locke, centered around a frontier family of five orphan siblings as they attempted to make a new life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.[9] Although only lasting one season, the series launched the Schultz brothers as popular child stars of the day and the twins were routinely in demand to make celebrity appearances to meet with young fans across the United States during the height of the show's popularity.[7][8][10]

After The Monroes, the Schultz brothers auditioned for the Hanna-Barbera television series The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, loosely based on the characters from the Mark Twain novel.[11][12][13] Eventually beating out his brother for the role, Kevin co-starred as Tom Sawyer alongside Michael Shea as Huck Finn and LuAnn Haslam as Becky Thatcher, navigating weekly adventures within an animated world as they attempted to outrun a vengeful "Injun Joe", played by Ted Cassidy.[13][14][15] All less than a year apart in age, the show's three teenage stars were tutored together for three hours a day on the set between scenes, with each episode reportedly taking approximately four hours to film and six months to animate.[14]

Premiering on NBC on September 16, 1968, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn aired in over 15 countries and was the first weekly television series to combine live-action performers with animation.[12][13][16] In a departure from the network's usual Saturday morning cartoon schedule, the series aired Sunday nights and made its three young stars popular teen idols of the era.[2][11][17] Although another series that lasted only one season, the show continued to air in reruns as part of The Banana Splits syndication package, becoming well known to subsequent generations for the next four decades.[11][18]

In addition to The Monroes and The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Schultz brothers continued to appear in various other film and television roles, with Keith guest-starring on such television series as Gunsmoke, The Flying Nun and Cannon, and Kevin guest-starring on such television series as The Iron Horse, Lucas Tanner, and Eight is Enough, as well as appearing in the feature film Big Wednesday. Keith and Kevin's final appearance would be together as brothers Ken and K.C. Zeigler on the Showtime comedy series Brothers in the episode titled "Two-Timin' Man" which aired August 6, 1986.[4][5]

Music

In 1967, following the notoriety they'd achieved on The Monroes, the Schultz brothers embarked on a music career, forming their own four-piece musical group "The Monroe Doctrine" with Greg Reinhardt and their elder brother Ric Schultz.[3] Keith played rhythm guitar and Kevin played bass while both sang harmony to Ric's lead vocals.[3] By 1970, the group was known as "Keith, Kevin & Air" and featured the twins performing songs written by their brother Ric, as well as other group members, Brad Driver, Keith Fogel, Tim Henderson and Jim Purvis.[10][19] In 1970, Keith, Kevin & Air signed a record deal with Pzazz Records and released a 7" single which included the songs "Euphoria" and "Michael's Theme".[10][19]

Photography

Following their show business careers in front of the camera, the Schultz brothers transitioned to a joint career behind the camera as celebrity photographers.[20] According to their website SchultzBrosPhoto.com, the brothers had developed a passion for photography while working as child actors in Hollywood.[20] Keith is the photographer of the team while Kevin handles the lighting, retouching and restoration elements.[20] After 30 years of experience, the brothers are perhaps best known for their celebrity "head shots" of such child stars as Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Raven-Symoné and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, among others.[20]

Personal life

As teenagers, the Schultz twins garnered a significant amount of attention from the teen magazines of the late-1960s and were said to have shared many of the same interests and ambitions.[3][19][21][22] At the time, the brothers' interests reportedly included swimming, fishing, baseball and football, as well as watching their favorite television show, The Avengers and listening to records by their favorite singing group, The Byrds.[3][21]

Filmography

Keith Schultz
Year Work Role Notes
1955 The Long Gray Line Kitty's Infant Son Feature Film
1962 I've Got a Secret Himself January 15, 1962
1966–1967 The Monroes Jefferson Monroe Starring
1967 Gunsmoke Timothy "Baker's Dozen"
1968 The Flying Nun Student "May the Wind Be Always at Your Back"
1969 It's Happening Himself / Judge 2 episodes
1973 Cannon (Unknown) "Come Watch Me Die"
1986 Brothers Ken Zeigler "Two-Timin' Man"
Kevin Schultz
Year Work Role Notes
1955 The Long Gray Line Kitty's Infant Son Feature Film
1962 I've Got a Secret Himself January 15, 1962
1966–1967 The Monroes Fennimore Monroe Starring
1967 The Iron Horse George "Consignment, Betsy the Boiler"
1968–1969 The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Tom Sawyer Starring
1969 It's Happening Himself / Judge 2 episodes
1975 Lucas Tanner Kevin "Why Not a Happy Ending?"
1978 Big Wednesday Surfer Feature Film
1980 Eight is Enough Steve "And Baby Makes Nine" - Parts 1 & 2
1986 Brothers K.C. Zeigler "Two-Timin' Man"

References

  1. ^ "California Births, 1905-1995". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Scene Action - Michael Shea and Kevin Schultz?". The Evening Independent. January 2, 1969.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Keith & Kevin Schultz – Two of a Kind". 16 Magazine. No. October 1967. p. 56.
  4. ^ a b "Keith Schultz - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Kevin Schultz - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  6. ^ "Right Out of Pages of Mark Twain Book". The Deseret News. September 18, 1968.
  7. ^ a b "Monroes At Six Gun". Oscala Star-Banner. June 15, 1967.
  8. ^ a b "Six Gun Looks To Banner Year". Oscala-Star-Banner. January 26, 1969.
  9. ^ "On Location with 'Monroes'". Times Daily. August 14, 1966.
  10. ^ a b c "Girl Scout Benefit In Hueneme May 9". The Press-Courier. April 24, 1970.
  11. ^ a b c "Beyond Becky Thatcher: The Life and Times of LuAnn Haslam". KiddieMatinee.com. May 30, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
  12. ^ a b "TV Sunday". The Milwaukee Sentinel. September 14, 1968.
  13. ^ a b c "New Huck Finn Freshly Bathed". The Calgary Herald. November 22, 1968.
  14. ^ a b "'Huck Finn' Star At Six-Gun Territory". Oscala Star-Banner. December 29, 1968.
  15. ^ "TV Previews - Sunday". The Free Lance-Star. September 13, 1968.
  16. ^ "Huck Finn Featured in Series". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. September 10, 1968.
  17. ^ "Former Actor Gets New Role for Hollywood Parade". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 1993.
  18. ^ "The Bedford Files". Centre Daily Times. April 5, 2002.
  19. ^ a b c "Sing along with Keith, Kevin & Air!". 16 Magazine. No. March 1970. p. 56.
  20. ^ a b c d "Schultz Brothers Photography – About". SchultzBrosPhoto.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "Keith & Kevin Schultz: Double Trouble". Teen Datebook (September 1968): 47.
  22. ^ "Keith & Kevin Answer 15 Q's!". Fifteen (October 1967): 12–15.
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