Louis Lacy Clinton Kimbrough (March 8, 1933 – April 9, 1996) was an actor from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Early life

Kimbrough was born in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

, to parents Fred and Lucinda (Yoakum) Kimbrough. After his birth, his family moved to

Allen, Oklahoma Allen is a town in Hughes and Pontotoc counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 932 at the 2010 census. Geography Allen is located on State Highway 1, approximately northeast of Ada, which is the county seat of Pontotoc Cou ...

, where Kimbrough attended Allen High School (AHS), graduating in 1951. Kimbrough demonstrated theatrical ability while still at school. In 1948, as President of Allen's Teen Town, he helped produce the "Gay Nineties Ball".Daily Oklahoman, September 26, 1948 As a junior at AHS, he wrote, produced and directed the 1950 senior play, a full-length production entitled ''Broadway''. After graduating from AHS, Kimbrough enrolled for a year at

Oklahoma University , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

.''Ada Evening News'', July 12, 1953 He then completed two years in the

US Signal Corps ) , colors = Orange and white , colors_label = Corps colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = ...

, stationed in Korea, before he made his professional stage debut in Brandon Thomas's play '' Charley's Aunt'' in 1953 aged 20, billed as "Lewis Clinton Kimbrough".

American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actors Studio

He subsequently enrolled in the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

in New York. Shortly thereafter, with the help of fellow Oklahoman

Lonny Chapman Lon Leonard Chapman (October 1, 1920 – October 12, 2007) was an American actor best known for his numerous guest star appearances on television drama series. Early years Chapman was the son of Elmer and Eunice Chapman, He was born on Oc ...

, Kimbrough joined Lee Strasberg's

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

, an incubator for acting talent. Kimbrough gained a reputation for his ability to understand the character he was asked to play.Ada Evening News, December 22, 1957 His work with The Actors Studio resulted in his first film role, ''The Strange One'', which used a cast and crew entirely of Actors Studio personnel. An appearance in ''A Face in the Crowd'' followed, and Kimbrough established a working relationship with director

Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...

that lasted ten years.

Theater

Kimbrough appeared in an 11-month Broadway run of

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' — a ...

's ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

'', directed by José Quintero. During the 1960s, Kimbrough worked in the theater and on Broadway, performing the works of Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, Neil Simon,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

and

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

Television

In the late 1950s, Kimbrough appeared on

live television Live television is a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. In a secondary meaning, it may refer to streaming television over the Internet when content or programming is played continuously (not on demand) ...

on numerous occasions, including weekly shows such as '' Westinghouse Studio One'', ''

G.E. Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' and ''

U.S. Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S. ...

''. He was in an NBC TV production of ''Our Town'', again directed by José Quintero.

Film

Kimbrough had a feature role in Hal B. Wallis's 1958 '' Hot Spell''. He moved from New York to Hollywood in the late 1960s and developed an association with Roger Corman, known as "King of the B Movies", with roles in several 1970s film productions, such as '' Von Richthofen and Brown'', ''

Bloody Mama ''Bloody Mama'' is a 1970 American exploitation crime film directed by Roger Corman and starring Shelley Winters in the title role, with Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert Walden, Alex Nicol, and Robert De Niro in supporting roles. It was very lo ...

'', ''

Crazy Mama ''Crazy Mama'' is a 1975 American action comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, produced by Julie Corman and starring Cloris Leachman. It marked the film debut of Bill Paxton and Dennis Quaid. Plot In 1958 Long Beach, California, Melba Stokes ...

'' and the ''Nurse'' movies.

Personal life

Kimbrough was at one time married to

Frances Doel Frances Doel is a writer and story editor, notable for her long association with Roger Corman. Doel was head of the script department at New World Pictures; Jon Davison said that at one stage Doel "wrote just about every first draft of every picture ...

, writer of ''

''. He died in Ada, Oklahoma in 1996, of pneumonia.

Clint Kimbrough Film Festival

Since 2007, a film festival has taken place in Allen, Oklahoma during the annual Alumni Weekend in June, aiming to acquaint the public with Kimbrough's career and work.

Performance history

* ''Broadway'' (March 10, 1950) – (play written, directed and produced by 17-year-old Kimbrough, a junior at Allen High School, staged at the AHS Gymnasium) * '' Charley's Aunt'' (1953) – Brassett (Stage debut of "Lewis Clinton Kimbrough" as a member of the Gateway Stock Company of New York at Gatlinburg, Tennessee) * ''

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

'' (1955) - Bomber the paper boy (While studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; opened at the Barbizon-Plaza Theatre in New York City on October 28, 1955)Picnic, American Academy of Dramatic Arts Program, October 28, 1955 * '' Dulcy'' (1956) – Tom Sterrett (As a senior at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Staged at the Coronet Theatre in New York City, March 29, 1956)Dulcy, American Academy of Dramatic Arts Program, March 29, 1956 * '' Mister Roberts'' (1956) – Payne (December 10, 1956, New York City Center production) * ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' (1957) – uncredited sailor (Staged during the Spring 1957 season at the New York City Center by the NYCC Light Opera Company)South Pacific, New York City Center Program, April 29, 1957 * ''

The Strange One ''The Strange One'' is a 1957 American film noir about students faced with an ethical dilemma in a Military academy, military college in the Southern United States. It was directed by Jack Garfein, produced by Sam Spiegel, and was adapted from a ...

'' (1957) (Kimbrough' first film performance, released by Columbia in April, 1957)Mister Roberts, New York City Center Program, December 16, 1965* ''

Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Aven ...

'' (1957) – (Stock production) * ''

Studio One Studio One or Studio 1 may refer to: * Studio One (software), digital audio workstation software, developed by PreSonus * ''Studio One'' (American TV series), a 1948–1958 American television anthology series * ''Studio One'' (Emirati TV progra ...

'': "The Weston Strain" (May 27, 1957) – Paul (Kimbrough's first television appearance) * ''Studio One'': "The Night America Trembled" (Season 10, Episode 1; September 9, 1957) – Bob * '' Hot Spell'' (1958) – Billy * ''

'': "Trap for a Stranger" (February 25, 1959) – Elroy Hubbard * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'': "Appointment at Eleven" (Season 5; October 11, 1959) – Davie Logan * ''

'' (November 13, 1959) – George Gibbs (NBC production) * '' General Electric Theater'': "The Last Dance" (November 22, 1959)Daily Oklahoman, November 15, 1959 * ''R.C.M.P. (

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

)'': "Target for the Law" (Season 1, Episode 25; May 4, 1960) – Mattice * '' Camino Real'' (1960) – Kilroy (Off-Broadway, St. Marks Playhouse production opening May 16, 1960) * '' Laurette'' (1960) – Jack (Opening at the Shubert Theatre in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

on September 30, 1960)Sunday Oklahoman, September 4, 1960 * ''

'': "Summer Rhapsody" (Season 8, Episode 18; May 3, 1961) * '' Look, We’ve Come Through'' (1961) – (Premiered October 25, 1961 at the

Hudson Theatre The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built ...

) * ''

Time Remembered Time Remembered is a modal jazz standard piece by jazz pianist Bill Evans. Jack Reilly says that the work is both influenced by the sixteenth century modal works of the polyphonist masters (Palestrina, Byrd, Frescobaldi, etc.), and the oeuvre o ...

'' (1963) – Prince Albert (Opened July 9, 1963 at the Peninsula Players Garden Theatre in Fish Creek, Wisconsin)Daily Northwestern, July 9, 1963 * '' Shot in the Dark'' (1963) – Young magistrate (Opened July 16, 1963 at the Peninsula Players Fish Creek Theater)Daily Northwestern, July 19, 1963 * '' The Zoo Story'' (1963) – Young hoodlum (Production by the Peninsula Players of Fish Creek, Wisconsin)Appleton Post Crescent, July 24, 1963* ''

Come Blow Your Horn ''Come Blow Your Horn'' is Neil Simon's first play, which premiered on Broadway in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Simon rewrote the script more than two dozen times over several years, resulting in a hit ...

'' (1963) – Elder brother (Opened August 20, 1963, performed by the Peninsula Players)Daily Northwestern, August 15, 1963 * '' But For Whom Charlie'' (1964) – Willard Prosper (By the Lincoln Center Repertory Co. under the direction of Elia Kazan) * '' The Changeling'' (1964) – Pedro (Production of the Lincoln Center Repertory Co. under the direction of Elia Kazan) * ''

Incident at Vichy ''Incident at Vichy'' is a one-act play written in 1964 by American dramatist Arthur Miller. It depicts a group of men who have been detained in Vichy France in 1942; they are being held for their "racial" inspection by German military officer ...

'' (1965) – Nazi Professor Hoffman (Production of the Lincoln Center Repertory Co. under the direction of Elia Kazan) * '' Tartuffe'' (1965) – unnamed role (Ran January 14, 1965 to May 22, 1965, at the Repertory Theater of the Lincoln Center,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) * '' Saint Joan'' (1965) – Dunois (Opened a new season at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater on October 29, 1965)''Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter'', October 29, 1965 * ''

Diary of a Scoundrel ''Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man'' (russian: На всякого мудреца довольно простоты; Transliteration, translit. Na vsyakogo mudretsa dovolno prostoty) is a five-Act (drama), act Comedy (drama), comedy by Alek ...

'' (1965) – Gloumov (Opened November 18, 1965 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater)Sunday Post Crescent, November 21, 1965 * ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' (1966) – Prince Hal (Opened February 27, 1966 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater)Sunday Post Crescent, February 27, 1966 * ''

Marat/Sade ''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (german: Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgrupp ...

'' (1966) – Marat (Opened October 24, 1966 at Theatre Co. of Boston)The Harvard Crimson, October 29, 1966 * ''

'' (1970) - Daniel the father * ''

'' (1970) – Arthur Barker * ''

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail ''The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail'' is a two-act American play by Robert E. Lee and Jerome Lawrence written in 1969. The play is based on the early life of the title character, Henry David Thoreau, leading up to his night spent in a jail in Conc ...

'' (1971) –

Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading Transcendentalism, transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural su ...

(Opened October 13, 1971 at the New Mexico State University Theater)Las Cruces Sun News, October 3, 1971 * '' Von Richthofen and Brown'' (1971) – German Major Von Hoeppner * '' Magic Carpet'' (November 6, 1972) – John Doolittle (Filmed on location and first broadcast by NBC as the unsuccessful pilot for a weekly TV series) * '' The Crucible'' (1972) – Jon Proctor ( New Mexico State University production opening September 30, 1972)El Paso Herald Post, September 30, 1972 * ''

Night Call Nurses ''Night Call Nurses'' is a 1972 American sex comedy film directed by Jonathan Kaplan. It is the third in Roger Corman's "nurses" cycle of films, starting with ''The Student Nurses'' (1970). Plot Three young nurses work in a psych ward at a hospit ...

'' (1972) – Dr. Bramlett * '' The Young Nurses'' (1973) – (as Director)

References

External links

* *
Clint Kimbrough
at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

'
Actors Studio audio collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimbrough, Clint 1996 deaths 1933 births American male stage actors American male television actors Male actors from Oklahoma University of Oklahoma alumni 20th-century American male actors People from Allen, Oklahoma