Norman Kerry

Norman Kerry
Kerry in 1925
Born
Norman Kaiser

(1894-06-16)June 16, 1894
Rochester, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 1956(1956-01-12) (aged 61)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeHoly Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California
OccupationActor
Years active1916–1941
Spouses
Rozene Tripp Greppin
​
​
(m. 1920; div. 1929)​
Helen Mary Yost Wells
​
​
(m. 1932; div. 1934)​
Helen Mary Yost Wells
​
​
(m. 1935; div. 1945)​
Kay English
​
(m. 1946)​

Norman Kerry (born Norman Hussey Kaiser,[1][2][3] June 16, 1894 – January 12, 1956) was an American actor whose career in the motion picture industry spanned twenty-five years, beginning in 1916 and peaking during the silent era of the 1920s.[4] Changing his name from the unmistakably German "Kaiser" at the onset of World War I, he rose quickly in his field, becoming "the Clark Gable of the [1920s]."[5]

Kerry often played the heroic dashing swashbuckler or the seductive lothario. He was extremely popular with female fans.[6] On a personal level, Kerry was known as a prankster[7][8] and was said to have a wonderful sense of humor and to be very popular.[9] He also achieved some recognition as a dog fancier, maintaining kennels at his home that were "known throughout the world among lovers of aristocratic dogs."[10] As his film career waned in the 1930s, he became known as an international bon vivant and adventurer who lived in the French Riviera and even joined the French Foreign Legion.[3]

  1. ^ "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards," registration for Norman Hussey Kaiser, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1942. This document lists his full name as Norman Hussey Kaiser, noting the name Norman Kerry as an alias.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference DC1956 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LAT1956 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "NORMAN KERRY, AN EX-FILM STAR: Romantic Hero of the Silent Screen Dies--Figured in Real-Life Escapades, Wore Waxed Mustache," New York Times (New York, New York), 13 Jan 1956, page 23.
  5. ^ San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California), 14 Oct 1953, page 10.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference walk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference golden was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California, United States of America), 21 Jul 1934, page 7.
  9. ^ Rambova, Natacha. Rudy. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1926. Page 15.
  10. ^ Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), 11 Feb 1928, page 22.