MR. ED'S NEIGHBOR BURIED IN STUMPTOWN

He was a very familiar face in movies and on television during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. He was usually seen playing an intellectual, a good friend or a snob in such films as The Incredible Mr. Limpet (with Don Knotts), When Worlds Collide, Monkey Business (with Cary Grant), The Eddie Duchin Story (with Tyrone Power) and Daddy Long Legs. He is probably best remembered as Harry Morton (1953-58) on the George Burns & Gracie Allen Show and as the stuffy Roger Addison, next door neighbor of Mr. Ed (produced by George Burns' McCadden Productions). Working even during his final illness, Larry Keating died of leukemia shortly after filming began for the 1963 season of Mr. Ed. (bio by: Tom Nichols)

LARRY KEATING * ACTOR

Burial: Mount Calvary Cemetery  Portland Multnomah County Oregon, USA

MR ED FACTS & TRIVIA:

The other main character throughout the series was Wilbur's tolerant (to a point) young wife, Carol (Connie Hines). The Posts also had two sets of neighbors, whom Ed delighted in making Wilbur appear as eccentric as possible. They included the Addisons, Roger (Larry Keating) and his wife Kay (Edna Skinner), who both appeared from the pilot episode until Keating's untimely death from leukemia in 1963; thereafter, Skinner continued appearing as Kay alone, without mention of Roger's absence, until the neighbors were recast. In the "official" pilot episode — two were filmed because the horse in the first pilot was unruly and difficult to work with — Roger caught Wilbur and Ed "conversing" and realized that Mr. Ed could talk, but since Ed only spoke to Wilbur — Post diffused the potential calamity by sufficiently convincing Addison that he was a ventriloquist and could "throw" Mr. Ed's voice. Following the Addisons, the Posts' new neighbors were Col. Gordon Kirkwood, USAF (Ret.), portrayed by (Leon Ames), Wilbur's former commanding officer, and his wife Winnie (Florence MacMichael). Winnie actually called her husband "Colonel" and referred to him as "The Colonel" in the presence of others; she never called him by his given name. Ames and MacMichael appeared on the series from 1963-65. In 1963, child actor Darby Hinton, cast thereafter as Israel Boone on NBC's Daniel Boone, guest-starred as 'Rocky' in the episode "Getting Ed's Goat." Jack Albertson appeared occasionally from 1961-63 as Kay Addison's older brother Paul Fenton. Mae West and Clint Eastwood also appeared in different episodes as themselves.

For the final season, the show focused strictly on the home life of the Posts, which was made more interesting when Carol's grumpy and uptight father, Mr. Higgins (Barry Kelley), who appeared occasionally throughout the entire series, apparently moved in with Wilbur and Carol during the final episodes. Mr. Higgins loathed Wilbur since Wilbur's quirky eccentricity always clashed with his own emotionless and uptight personality. Carol's father never stopped trying to persuade her to divorce Wilbur, whom he often referred to as a "kook" because of Wilbur's clumsiness. Alan Young performed double-duty during the final season of the series, also directing nearly all of those episodes.

Comments

[Craig Addams]

Before Larry Keating made it in Hollywood, he was Chief Announcer on KGW & KEX in 1935-36, when both stations were owned and housed at The Oregonian.

[Carol]

I was just there a couple weeks ago for my grandparents! Had I know he was there too, I would have also left him some flowers...

[JoelinPDX]

But why Portland? Okay, he worked here but did he leave some relatives behind?

[Craig Addams]

His bother was John D. Keating, who had started Keating Studio's in Portland in the 1940's. Keating Studio's became Northwestern Recording in 1953 when Bob Lindahl, an employee of Keating since 1943, purchased the studios.

[Mr. Stump]

Wow, that is really interesting with his connection to the Rose City.

[Plog]

Extremely interesting.......especially since that same studio recorded years ago for The Kingsmen and Paul Revere & The Raiders! Mr. Addams strikes again!! Thanks Craig...I always appreciate your hard work behind the scenes!!

[Mr. Stump]

Kingsmen played at the Ore Historical Society tonight (outside) to kick off Northwest Rock exhibit.

[JoelinPDX]

How many of the original...or even the early replacement members...are in The Kingsmen today. Last I checked it was guitarist Mike Mitchell and replacement organist Barry Curtis (playing rhythm guitar.) The other members were all kids and they didn't even have anyone who played tenor sax.

[Alex DeLarge]

The Keatings must have been "Lace Curtain Irish" to afford a mausoleum up on Mt. Calvary.

[James]

Mike Mitchell was an original. Barry Curtis came later. Yes, the originator of the group, Lynn Easton, played sax, drums, and keyboards, not all at the same time of course. Gary Abbot started playing drums before Louie, Louie. Bob Nordby played bass. Mitchell was the original lead guitar (played by ear, couldn't read music) and Jack Ely played rhythm guitar.