The Resume

(July 16, 1888-December 11, 1964)
Born in San Francisco, California
Best known for portraying Pa Kettle in eight films (1947-55)
Also appeared in the films ‘White Woman’ (1933), ‘Soak the Rich’ (1936), ‘George Washington Slept Here’ (1942), ‘The Woman of the Town’ (1943), ‘The Adventures of Mark Twain’ (1944), ‘State Fair’ (1945), ‘The Well-Groomed Bride’ (1946), ‘Welcome Stranger’ (1947), ‘Black Bart’ (1948), and ‘Riding High’ (1950)
Appeared on Broadway in ‘Those We Love’ (1930), ‘Louder Please’ (1931-32), ‘Post Road’ (1934-35), ‘George Washington Slept Here’ (1940-41) and ‘Cuckoos on the Hearth’ (1941-42)

Why he might be annoying:

Even before playing Pa Kettle, he was typecast as rustics.
He eventually quit the Ma and Pa Kettle series, complaining of the monotony of the role: ‘Pa Kettle is always the same…. There’s no kick in doing him over and over again.’
He said he wished he got the chance to do dramatic roles in the movies, ‘But I’m afraid I can’t convince the producers. They probably think the audience would laugh as soon as it sees my face. And they could be right.’

Why he might not be annoying:

He served in the infantry during World War I.
Jack Benny said Kilbride would almost always send him into hysterics any time they did a scene together.
He was struck by a car while crossing the street (September 21, 1964) and died of complications from his injuries three months later.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 70]
• Country Bumpkins
• I Died in 1964 (Ranked: 76)
• Profiles 45001-45250 (Ranked: 45150)
• Served in World War I
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 19641211)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying