Henry Kulky
Henry Kulky | |
|---|---|
 Kulky as CPO Jones in ABC's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | |
| Born | Henry Kulakowich August 11, 1911[1] |
| Died | February 12, 1965 (aged 53) Oceanside, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery (Oakland, California) |
| Other names | Bomber Kulkovich Henry "Bomber" Kulkovich Henry Kulkowich Henry "Bomber" Kulky |
| Years active | 1947 – 1965 |
Henry Kulky (August 11, 1911 – February 12, 1965) was an American actor and former professional wrestler from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, probably best remembered as Chief Petty Officer Curly Jones from season 1 of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Career
Born Henry Kulakowich, Kulky began boxing in his teenage years. After six bouts, he stopped boxing when he was offered a position training wrestlers at St. Matthew's Lyceum in his native Hastings-on-Hudson.[1]
Stanislaus Zbyszko convinced Kulky to compete professionally in 1939. Moving to Argentina, Kulky competed throughout South America under the ring name Bomber Kulkavich. The number of matches in which he competed is uncertain; one claim states that he won 172 of 175 matches. Kulky, however, claims that he won nearly all of 7,000 matches. While in South America, he is also said to have won the continent's judo crown.[1]
Like most wrestlers who turned to acting in the 1950s he owed his big break to Mike Mazurki. The two appeared in several parts in the 1940s and 1950s, with Mazurki's agent getting him a part in Call Northside 777.[1]
Because of his rather tough guy image, Kulky became typecast as military men, thugs, gangsters, bartenders, wrestlers and other "strong guys" who were at times quite friendly and lovable characters contrasting strongly with the tough guy image. In 1949, he began playing Otto Schmidlap in the television series, The Life of Riley.[2] In the series, Kulky portrayed a co-worker of series character Chester Riley, a wing riveter at an aircraft plant. In 1952 he appeared in an episode (#11) of Adventures of Superman, as a wrestler working for a crooked promoter. In 1954 he appeared in an episode (#141) of The Lone Ranger. From 1959 to 1962, Kulky was cast in the recurring role as Chief Max Bronsky in forty-six episodes of Jackie Cooper's CBS military sitcom/drama television series, Hennesey. The role was close to Kulky's heart because during World War II, he was a boatswain's mate in the United States Navy.
Kulky's last role was as Chief Curley Jones in the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Death
Kulky died on February 12, 1965 in Oceanside, California, of a heart attack suffered while he was studying a script.
Selected filmography
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1965)
- Hennesey (1960–1962)
- Pete and Gladys as Charlie Fox in "Hero in the House" (1962)
- Going My Way as Mr. Rice in "A Tough Act to Follow" (1963)
- Bonanza (1964)
- Guns of the Timberland (1960)
- Up Periscope (1959)
- Sierra Stranger (1957)
- Hell and High Water
- The Life of Riley
- Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
- The Abbott and Costello Show
- Yukon Vengeance (1954)
- The Human Jungle (1954)
- The Charge At Feather River (1953)
- The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953)
- The Kid from Amarillo (1951)
- Fixed Bayonets! (1951)
- A Snitch in Time (1950)
- Jiggs and Maggie Out West (1950)
- Alias the Champ (1949)
- Mighty Joe Young (1949)
- Call Northside 777 (1948)
- A Likely Story (1947)
