King Donovan

About King Donovan

Who is it?: Actor, Director
Birth Day: January 25, 1918
Birth Place:  New York City, New York, United States
Cause of death: Cancer
Years active: 1948–1984
Spouse(s): Imogene Coca (m. 1960–1987, his death)

King Donovan

King Donovan was born on January 25, 1918 in  New York City, New York, United States, is Actor, Director. The name might not be familiar-but the face would be. A thinking man's Don Knotts or his smarter brother - well - that would be over-simplifying King Donovan. He was born to vaudevillian parents who traveled the whole country. He was of medium height, slender build, and narrow-faced (like Knotts), but he could be so much more than a comedian. By the time he was in his teens he had landed a part at the Butler Davenport Theater on 63rd Street in New York City. Benjamin Butler Davenport, the founder, had turned to the theater with socialist ideas. He made his theater a "free" theater-free of charge - always - and attracted the interests of some of the greats from uptown Broadway, such as, George M. Cohan and Katharine Cornell. Donovan cut his teeth there and moved on to other theater, gaining experience and assurance. During the 1940s, he toured in repertory with the Jitney Players, founded by Richard Aldrich as a summer stock group (and they had their day on Broadway in 1929). Donovan also appeared with the U.S.O. in 'The Male Animal' and trod the boards for two years with the Hendrickson Shakespearean Company.Obviously not a leading man type, nevertheless with an engaging if mild mannered tenor voice, he appeared on Broadway for the first time in May of 1948 in "The Vigil". That year of 1948 brought two entry film roles as well: Open Secret (1948) and a western, The Man from Texas (1948). Quite by happenstance Donovan was in the movies. The next year he was busy with five roles, including the classic All the King's Men (1949). And from there Donovan was in demand for a variety of modest featured roles from playing conventional characters to - with enough of a shifty look-heavies. Up to about 1954 he was showing up in one film after another (over 10 appearances per annum), a press agent in Singin' in the Rain (1952) to two featured parts as a scientist in the same year release of two classic sci-fi romps _Magnetic Monster, The (1953)_ and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). Sporadically in 1953 and very firmly in 1954 Donovan was showing up in TV playhouse theater and a variety of early episodic TV fare - good featured roles that demonstrated his acting depth as comedian and dramatic character and always with a methodical intelligence. He was especially noticeable in the wide range of popular westerns from 1955 thru 1960. The film roles had become few and far between with the weight of TV demands, but he was available for the sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). He was cool, calm, and pipe smoking writer Jack Belicec, good friend to protagonist and doctor Kevin McCarthy, who finds a disquieting surprise on his living room pool table. It is probably his most recognized role due to the popularity of the film.That is so, if one had not seen him in his closest brush with having a TV series of his own, The Bob Cummings Show. Actor Robert Cummings, as other maturing actors seeing TV as a good last stand for public view, turned to nighttime sitcom with this popular take on a middle-aged bachelor model photographer with plenty of dating offers from curvy young ladies-half the fun of the series was seeing who would show up before his camera. Cummings pulled it off with understated aplomb from 1955 to 1959 (the show became Love That Bob in daytime syndication thereafter). Donovan appeared over a period of nearly four years as Cummings' buddy and nosy neighbor and equally bachelored Harvey Helm, always appreciative and ready to take advantage of his friend's good fortune. The two had great rapport with suave Cummings playing off of the rather kinetic nature of Donovan's Helm. There was some great spontaneous lines, as the time they both had to get somewhere fast in Bob's convertible, and Donovan cannonballs into the backseat shouting "Burn rubber, Bobby!" Donovan kept busy in shorter recurring and guest TV roles through the 1960s.He was back on Broadway in 1958 with the great comic part of the befuddled professor of journalism in the hit "The Girls in 509". Donovan remained a bachelor until he married Broadway and TV comedy entertainer and actress Imogene Coca in 1960, having met in "509" -- she was 10 years his senior. Their roots were similar with vaudevillian parents and together they did some 30 shows, including a national tour of the musical 'Once Upon a Mattress.' His last Broadway performance was in a production of 'Morning's at Seven', a revival of Paul Osborn's play about an unorthodox American family which he reprised for TV in 1982. He and Coca performed in 'On the Twentieth Century', a countrywide tour that lasted nine months shortly before the illness that took him before his time. The name may have remained unfamiliar - but the face after well over 100 media screen appearances - was a household item.
King Donovan is a member of Actor

Does King Donovan Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, King Donovan has been died on June 30, 1987(1987-06-30) (aged 69)\nBranford, New Haven County\nConnecticut, U.S..

🎂 King Donovan - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

When King Donovan die, King Donovan was 69 years old.

Popular As King Donovan
Occupation Actor
Age 69 years old
Zodiac Sign Aquarius
Born January 25, 1918 ( New York City, New York, United States)
Birthday January 25
Town/City  New York City, New York, United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

King Donovan’s zodiac sign is Aquarius. According to astrologers, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. They are continuously looking for dynamic, speed and competition, always being the first in everything - from work to social gatherings. Thanks to its ruling planet Mars and the fact it belongs to the element of Fire (just like Leo and Sagittarius), Aries is one of the most active zodiac signs. It is in their nature to take action, sometimes before they think about it well.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

King Donovan was born in the Year of the Horse. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Horse love to roam free. They’re energetic, self-reliant, money-wise, and they enjoy traveling, love and intimacy. They’re great at seducing, sharp-witted, impatient and sometimes seen as a drifter. Compatible with Dog or Tiger.

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Biography/Timeline

1948

In 1948, Donovan appeared on Broadway in The Vigil.

1949

Donovan filmed scenes for an undetermined role in the 1949 film I Was a Male War Bride, but his scenes were deleted.

1954

Notable television roles include Jake Clampett (a deadbeat who mooches off the Clampetts) for two episodes of CBS's The Beverly Hillbillies, Blanche Morton's (Bea Benaderet's) brother Roger Baker on eight episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, and Harvey Helm in a 17-episode stint on NBC's The Bob Cummings Show. Donovan also appeared in six episodes as Chris Norman of It's a Great Life, a sitcom with Frances Bavier, James Dunn and Michael O'Shea, which aired on NBC from 1954 to 1956. About this time, he also guest starred on Ray Bolger's ABC sitcom, Where's Raymond? and the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice, with Jackie Cooper. He also guest starred on the David Janssen crime drama, Richard Diamond, Private Detective. He played Mark Dawson in the 1959 Maverick episode "Maverick Springs". He was also in Wanted: Dead or Alive in the 1959 episode "Bad Gun" as the gun dealer Sheridan Appleby, in which he tries to recover a defective pistol that he had sold to an outlaw. He and Steve McQueen rescue a kidnapped senator's daughter when the faulty firearm explodes in the face of the bad guy.

1960

Donovan guest starred as Paddy Britt in the 1960 episode "The Boy from Pittsburgh" of the NBC western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds and set in the 1840s. Child actor Tom Nolan was cast in the title role as Tommy Jones, a stowaway on the vessel, the Enterprise. In the story line, series lead character Grey Holden (McGavin) transports a box of diamonds, unknowing that a pickpocket has taken the gems and switched the contents of the box. Mona Freeman appeared in this episode as Louise Rutherford, a beautiful widow, with other roles for the character actors Francis De Sales and Robert Emhardt.

1963

In 1963 Donovan directed the film Promises! Promises!, which received attention as the first sound film to feature a mainstream film star (Jayne Mansfield) nude. Later the same year Donovan directed two episodes of Grindl, which starred his wife Imogene Coca and two more the next year.

1978

His film acting work includes Jack in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers; a role later reprised by Jeff Goldblum in the 1978 version, Solly in The Defiant Ones, Joe Capper in Cowboy, Mack McGee in the original Angels in the Outfield, Major Collins in The Perfect Furlough, and an uncredited but recognizable role in Singin' in the Rain as Rod (head of the Publicity Department).

1987

Donovan died of cancer on Tuesday, June 30, 1987, in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT. Donovan married Comedian Imogene Coca on October 17, 1960 and remained married to her until his death.

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