Louis Quinn (born Louis Frackt; March 23, 1915 – September 14, 1988) was an American television and film actor, best known for his role as Roscoe, the comic relief racetrack tout, from 1958 to 1963 in the ABC/ Warner Bros.
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
television series, ''
77 Sunset Strip
''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...
''.
Early years
Born in Chicago, Quinn went to Los Angeles when he was a boy; he was raised by his brother. He sold newspapers on street corners and graduated from
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are royal blue and white and the teams are called the Romans.
Los Angeles High School is a pub ...
. He went on to study journalism at the University of New Mexico.
Military service
Quinn was a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. His duties included writing dialogue for training films.
Radio
Quinn began his career as a radio personality, hosting variety shows and writing comedy for
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
and ''
Don McNeill's Breakfast Club
''Don McNeill's Breakfast Club'' was a long-running morning variety show on NBC Blue Network/ ABC radio (and briefly on television) originating in Chicago, Illinois. Hosted by Don McNeill, the radio program ran from June 23, 1933, through Decembe ...
''.
Early in 1953, WINS in New York City carried ''The Louis Quinn Show'' from midnight to 1 a.m., with the program originating in its studios. On December 30, 1953, Quinn began broadcasting his program over KCMJ, Palm Springs, California. The program originated in the Fireside Room of the La Paz Hotel in Palm Springs.
Film
Quinn's writing career began at Warner Bros., where director Bryan Foy signed him as a writer in August 1940. He was the writer for seven feature films before he went into the military during World War II.
On the big screen, Quinn played mostly supporting roles in such films as ''
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
'' (1959), ''
The Crowded Sky
''The Crowded Sky'' is a 1960 Technicolor drama film distributed by Warner Bros., produced by Michael Garrison, directed by Joseph PevneyGypsy'' (1962), '' For Those Who Think Young'' (1964), '' Birds Do It'' (1966), '' Unholy Rollers'' (1972), ''
Superchick
Superchick, originally known as Superchic '', was an American Christian alternative pop/rock band. Their music incorporated various styles such as pop, punk, rock, rap, and R&B. Their sound has been compared to mainstream artists like No Dou ...
All the President's Men
''All the President's Men'' is a 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two of the journalists who investigated the June 1972 break-in at the Watergate Office Building and the resultant political scandal for ''The Washingto ...
'' (1976).
He was also the emcee for the premiere of ''
Mary Poppins It may refer to:
* ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character.
* Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers.
* ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film star ...
'' at
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The original Chinese ...
on August 27, 1964, though he did not appear in the film itself.
Television
Quinn continued writing for Berle when the comedian made the transition to television in '' Texaco Star Theatre''.
His first television role was as a city council member in the 1956 episode "The Bachelor Party' of
Jackie Cooper
John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...
's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
sitcom, '' The People's Choice''. In 1958 Quinn appeared (uncredited) as the First Hotel Clerk on the TV western ''
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
'' in the episode titled "Dead to Rights."
Quinn began his role of "Roscoe" on ''77 Sunset Strip'' when he was brought in as a
script doctor
A script doctor is a writer or playwright hired by a film, television, or theatre production company to rewrite an existing script or improve specific aspects of it, including structure, characterization, dialogue, pacing, themes, and other eleme ...
that led to him delivering his own jokes. He admitted that he made more money as a joke writer than he did as an actor.
He appeared regularly on television though not in major or recurring roles apart from ''77 Sunset Strip.''
He guest starred on the ABC/WB
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
series, '' The Alaskans''. He appeared in three episodes of ABC's ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
'' (55, 56 and 111), once on NBC's '' The Virginian'', in the 1977 film '' Raid on Entebbe'', and the sitcoms, ''
Please Don't Eat the Daisies
''Please Don't Eat the Daisies'' (New York: Doubleday, 1957) is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-sto ...
'', ''
The Donna Reed Show
''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary ...
'', Barney Miller and ''
Gilligan's Island
''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...
''.
Personal life
Quinn was married to Christine Nelson, an actress and entertainer in television, film and night clubs. She made guest appearances on ''77 Sunset Strip'' four times during its run, and joined Quinn in appearing as lighthouse keepers "Mr. and Mrs. Keeper" in the
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
TV episode ''The Joke's on Catwoman'' (1968). They died a month apart in 1988.
Death
Quinn died of lung cancer at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...
in Los Angeles, California. He was 73. His survivors included a daughter, a brother, and four sisters.