Victor Jory 1902 – 1982

His portrayals ranged from romantic leading men early in his career to con men and killers for the rest of it, making Victor Jory possibly one of the most recognized faces on both the big and small screens until his death in 1982. He captured our attention in 1935 with his sinister Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, the vicious Injun Joe in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1938), as the oily, cruel overseer-turned-carpetbagger Jonas Wilkerson in “Gone With The Wind”, the father of Helen Keller in 1962’s “The Miracle Worker” and as Tall Tree in “Cheyenne Autumn” (1964).

Victor was born in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada on November 23, 1902 but the family moved to California when he was just past 12. He attended Pasadena High School but studied acting at the famous Pasadena Playhouse under Gilmor Brown even before he graduated. He attended two years at Fullerton Junior College and one semester at the University of California at Berkeley before joining the Coast Guard where he became a champion in both boxing and wrestling. Once back in civilian clothes, he began a roving theatrical career that lasted 12 years.

Victor married actress Jean Inness two days before Christmas in 1928 a union that lasted 50 years until her death from cancer just two days after Christmas, 1978. Jean’s last movie role was that of Sister Agnes in “Rosemary’s Baby” in 1968. They had two children, a son Jon and a daughter, Jean, named for her mother. Jon later became artistic director for the Actors Theatre of Louisville and even named a theater there for his father.

Jory went to New York in 1929, making his Broadway debut in “ Berkeley Square”, but he didn’t stay long. While visiting friends in New York, he was persuaded to try films on for size and was offered a Fox contract. His debut film was “Renegades” in 1930. He made 2 more in 1932 and 10 more in 1933. He was becoming a very busy fellow!

"The Devil's in Love" 1933

But Victor’s charms as a leading man was lost on Loretta Young, his lady in “The Devil’s in Love” (1933). Loretta considered him too much of a newcomer to be her leading man and treated him like a pariah. She never spoke to him outside of a scene and made sure not even their lips brushed when they kissed. Now that had to be hard to accomplish even for Loretta. But Gloria Grahame was much more receptive on the set of “A Woman’s Secret” (1949) even though it was obvious Victor was up to something on screen.

"A Woman's Secret" 1949

Jory’s craggy features made him a natural to play Indians (he did it at least 6 times) and his distinctive voice lent itself to film narration. He narrated Tubby the Tuba in an animated short that was reprised for “The Puppetoon Movie” released in 1987 and it was his voice that told the story of “MacKenna’s Gold” starring Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif in 1967, and the Atlanta Cyclorama of the Battle of Atlanta until it was revised in 1982. Another highlight was his role as Lamont Cranston aka The Shadow in the Columbia serial.

Publicity still for "The Shadow" 1940

Victor Jory’s last feature film was “The Mountain Men” in 1980 as Iron Belly. He died of a heart attack on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12th, 1982. To my knowledge, of all the roles he played, Victor never had the chance to play Lincoln.