Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature films. He also appeared alongside John Wayne in films such as Stagecoach (1939), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and How the West Was Won (both 1962). He is also remembered as Jingles on the TV series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok from 1951 to 1958, as Danny McGuire in A Star Is Born (1937), and as the voice of Friar Tuck in the Disney Animation Studio film Robin Hood (1973).
Early life
Devine attended St. Mary's and St. Benedict's College, Northern Arizona State Teacher's College, and was a football player at Santa Clara University. He also played semiprofessional football
His peculiar wheezy voice was first thought likely to prevent him from moving to the talkies, but instead, it became his trademark. Devine claimed that his distinctive voice resulted from a childhood accident in which he fell while running with a curtain rod in his mouth at the Beale Hotel in Kingman, causing the rod to pierce the roof of his mouth. When he was able to speak again, he had a labored, scratchy, duo-tone voice. A biographer, however, indicated that this was one of several stories Devine fabricated about his voice.
thumb|right|Devine with [[Rosemary Clooney, 1958]]
Devine appeared in more than 400 films and shared with Walter Brennan, another character actor, the rare ability to move with ease from B-movie Westerns to mainstream feature films. His notable roles included Cookie, Roy Rogers's sidekick, in 10 films; a role in Romeo and Juliet (1936), and Danny in A Star Is Born (1937). He appeared in several films with John Wayne, including Stagecoach (1939), Island in the Sky (1953), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).
Devine was generally known for his comic roles, but Jack Webb cast him as a police detective in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955).
His film appearances in his later years included roles in Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969), and Myra Breckinridge (1970).
thumb|right|Devine and [[George Bancroft (actor)|George Bancroft in Stagecoach (1939)]]
thumb|right|[[Roy Rogers, Jane Frazee and Devine in Under California Stars (1948)]]
thumb|right|[[The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok]]
thumb|right|Devine's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame, 6366 Hollywood Boulevard]]
Devine worked extensively in radio, and is well remembered for his role as Jingles, Guy Madison's sidekick in The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Devine appeared over 75 times on Jack Benny's radio show between 1936 and 1942, often in Benny's semiregular series of Western sketches, "Buck Benny Rides Again". Benny frequently referred to him as "the mayor of Van Nuys", and Devine served as honorary mayor from 1938 to 1957, when he moved to Newport Beach.
Devine also worked in television. He hosted Andy's Gang, a children's TV show, Devine supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.
Death
Devine died of leukemia at age 71 in Irvine, California, on February 18, 1977.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1926
|The Collegians
|Student
| rowspan="3" |Short, uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" |1927
|Around the Bases
|Calford baseball player
|-
|The Relay
|Sophomore
|-
| rowspan="8" |1928
|That's My Daddy
|Sailor
| rowspan="2" |Uncredited
|-
|Finders Keepers
|Doughboy and Gate Guard
|-
|We Americans
| Pat O'Dougal
|
|-
|Lonesome
|Jim's Friend
|
|-
|Noah's Ark
|Extra
|Uncredited
|-
|Red Lips
|Professor Fountain/Sophomore
|
|-
|Naughty Baby
|Joe Cassidy
|
|-
|The Divine Lady
|Extra
| rowspan="2" |Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="5" |1929
|Why Be Good?
|Young Man at Boiler
|-
|Hot Stuff
|Bob
|
|-
|Junior Luck
|
|Short, uncredited
|-
|His Lucky Day
|Road House Thug
|Uncredited
|-
|Flying High
|Student Admirer
|Short, uncredited
|-
| rowspan="3" |1930
|Dames Ahoy!
|Marine at dance contest
| rowspan="4" |Uncredited
|-
|Shooting Straight
|Kibitzer
|-
|A Soldier's Plaything
|Doughboy
|-
| rowspan="4" |1931
|The Criminal Code
|Cluck
|-
|Heroes of the Flames
|Fireman
|
|-
|Danger Island
|Briney
|
|-
|The Spirit of Notre Dame
|Truck McCall
|
|-
| rowspan="10" |1932
|Three Wise Girls
|Jimmy Callahan
|
|-
|Law and Order
|Johnny Kinsman
|
|-
|The Impatient Maiden
|Clarence Howe
|
|-
|Destry Rides Again
|Stagecoach Passenger
|Scene deleted
|-
|Man Wanted
|Andy Doyle
|
|-
|Radio Patrol
|Pete Wiley
|
|-
|Fast Companions
|Information Kid
|
|-
|The Man from Yesterday
|Steve Hand
|
|-
|Tom Brown of Culver
|Mac
|
|-
|The All American
| rowspan="2" |Andy Moran
|
|-
| rowspan="8" |1933
|The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble
|
|-
|Song of the Eagle
|Mud
|
|-
|The Big Cage
|Scoops
|
|-
|Horse Play
|Andy
|
|-
|Midnight Mary
|Sam
|
|-
|Doctor Bull
|Larry Ward
|
|-
|Saturday's Millions
|Andy Jones
|
|-
|Chance at Heaven
|Al
|
|-
| rowspan="9" |1934
|The Poor Rich
|Andy
|
|-
|Upper World
|Oscar
|
|-
|Stingaree
|Howie
|
|-
|Let's Talk It Over
|Gravel
|
|-
|Million Dollar Ransom
|Careful
|
|-
|Gift of Gab
|John P. McDougal
|
|-
|Wake Up and Dream
|Joe Egbert, aka Egghead
|
|-
|The President Vanishes
|Valentine Orcott
|
|-
|Hell in the Heavens
| Sgt. "Ham" Davis
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |1935
|Straight from the Heart
|Edwards
|
|-
|Hold 'Em Yale
|Liverlips
|
|-
|Chinatown Squad
|George Mason
|
|-
|The Farmer Takes a Wife
|Elmer Otway
|
|-
|Way Down East
|Hi Holler
|
|-
|Fighting Youth
|Cy Kipp
|
|-
|Coronado
|Pinky Falls
|
|-
| rowspan="6" |1936
|Small Town Girl
|George Brannan
|
|-
|Romeo and Juliet
|Peter
|
|-
|Yellowstone
|Pay-Day
|
|-
|The Big Game
|Pop Andrews
|
|-
|Flying Hostess
|Joe Williams
|
|-
|Mysterious Crossing
|Carolina
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |1937
|A Star Is Born
|Danny McGuire
|
|-
|The Road Back
|Willy
|
|-
|Double or Nothing
|Half Pint
|
|-
|You're a Sweetheart
|Daisy Day
|
|-
|In Old Chicago
|Pickle Bixby
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |1938
|Doctor Rhythm
|Officer Lawrence O'Roon
|
|-
|Yellow Jack
|Charlie Spill
|
|-
|Men with Wings
|Joe Gibbs
|
|-
|Personal Secretary
|"Snoop" Lewis
|
|-
|Swing That Cheer
|Doc Saunders
|
|-
|The Storm
|Swede Hanzen
|
|-
|Strange Faces
|Hector Hobbs
|
|-
| rowspan="8" |1939
|Stagecoach
|Buck
|
|-
|The Spirit of Culver
|Tubby
|
|-
|Never Say Die
|Henry Munch
|
|-
|Mutiny on the Blackhawk
|Slim Collins
|
|-
|Tropic Fury
|Tynan ('Tiny') Andrews
|
|-
|Legion of Lost Flyers
|"Beef" Brumley
|
|-
|Geronimo
|Sneezer
|
|-
|Man from Montreal
|Constable "Bones" Blair
|
|-
| rowspan="11" |1940
|Danger on Wheels
|"Guppy" Wexel
|
|-
|Little Old New York
|Commodore
|
|-
|Buck Benny Rides Again
|Andy
|
|-
|Torrid Zone
|Wally Davis
|
|-
|Hot Steel
|Matt Morrison
|
|-
|Black Diamonds
|Tolliver Higgenbotham
|
|-
|When the Daltons Rode
|Ozark
|
|-
|Margie
|
|
|-
|The Leather Pushers
|Andy Adams
|
|-
|The Devil's Pipeline
|Andy Jennings
|
|-
|Trail of the Vigilantes
|Meadows
|
|-
| rowspan="10" |1941
|Lucky Devils
|Andy Tompkins
|
|-
|Mutiny in the Arctic
|Andy Adams
|
|-
|The Flame of New Orleans
|First Sailor
|
|-
|Men of the Timberland
|Andy Jensen
|
|-
|Raiders of the Desert
|Andy "Hammer" McCoy
|
|-
|A Dangerous Game
|Andy McAllister
|
|-
|Badlands of Dakota
|Spearfish
|
|-
|The Kid from Kansas
|Andy
|
|-
|South of Tahiti
|Moose
|
|-
|Road Agent
|Andy
|
|-
| rowspan="9" |1942
|North to the Klondike
|Klondike
|
|-
|Unseen Enemy
|Detective Sam Dillon
|
|-
|Escape from Hong Kong
|Blimp
|
|-
|Danger in the Pacific
|Andy Parker
|
|-
|Top Sergeant
|Andy Jarrett
|
|-
|Timber
|Arizona
|
|-
|Between Us Girls
|Mike Kilinsky
|
|-
|Sin Town
|"Judge" Eustace Vale
|
|-
|Keeping Fit
|Andy
|Short
|-
| rowspan="4" |1943
|Rhythm of the Islands
|Eddie Dolan
|
|-
|Frontier Badmen
|Slim
|
|-
|Corvette K-225
|Walsh
|
|-
|Crazy House
|Andy Devine
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |1944
|Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
|Abdullah
|
|-
|Follow the Boys
|Himself
|Uncredited
|-
|Ghost Catchers
|Horsehead
|
|-
|Babes on Swing Street
|Joe Costello
|
|-
|Bowery to Broadway
|Father Kelley
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1945
|Frisco Sal
|Bunny
|
|-
|Sudan
|Nebka
|
|-
|That's the Spirit
|Martin Wilde Sr.
|
|-
|Frontier Gal
|Big Ben
|
|-
|1946
|Canyon Passage
|Ben Dance
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |1947
|The Michigan Kid
|Buster
|
|-
|Bells of San Angelo
|Sheriff Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|The Vigilantes Return
|Andy
|
|-
|Springtime in the Sierras
|Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|Slave Girl
|Ben
|
|-
|On the Old Spanish Trail
|Constable Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|The Fabulous Texan
|Elihu Mills
|
|-
| rowspan="8" |1948
|The Gay Ranchero
|Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|Old Los Angeles
|Sam Bowie
|
|-
|Under California Stars
|Cookie Bullfincher and Alf Bullfincher
|
|-
|The Gallant Legion
|Windy Hornblower
|
|-
|Eyes of Texas
| rowspan="3" |Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|Night Time in Nevada
|
|-
|Grand Canyon Trail
|
|-
|The Far Frontier
|Judge Cookie Bullfincher
|
|-
|1949
|The Last Bandit
|Casey Brown
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1950
|The Traveling Saleswoman
|Waldo
|
|-
|Never a Dull Moment
|Orvie
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1951
|New Mexico
|Sergeant Garrity
|
|-
|The Red Badge of Courage
|Cheery Soldier
|
|-
|Slaughter Trail
|Sgt. Macintosh
|
|-
|1952
|Montana Belle
|Pete Bivins
|
|-
|1953
|Island in the Sky
|Willie Moon
|
|-
|1954
|Thunder Pass
|Injun
|
|-
|1955
|Pete Kelly's Blues
|George Tenell
|
|-
|1956
|Around the World in 80 Days
|First Mate of the 'S.S. Henrietta'
|
|-
|1960
|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
|Mr. Carmody
|
|-
|1961
|Two Rode Together
|Sgt. Darius P. Posey
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1962
|The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
|Link Appleyard
|
|-
|How the West Was Won
|Cpl. Peterson
|
|-
|1963
|It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
|Sheriff of Crockett County
|
|-
|1965
|Zebra in the Kitchen
|Branch Hawksbill
|
|-
|1967
|The Ballad of Josie
|Judge Tatum
|
|-
|1968
|The Road Hustlers
|Sheriff Estep
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1970
|The Phynx
|Himself
|
|-
|Myra Breckinridge
|Coyote Bill
|
|-
|1973
|Robin Hood
|Friar Tuck
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1976
|Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood
|Priest
|
|-
|A Whale of a Tale
|Captain Andy
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1976
|Globe of the World
|Adam W&S 3
|
|-
|1977
|The Mouse and His Child
|Frog
|Posthumous release
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1951-1958
|The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
|Deputy Marshal Jingles P. Jones
|112 episodes
|-
|1955-1960
|Andy's Gang
|Host
|
|-
|1959
|Wagon Train
|Jesse MacAbee
|Episode: "The Jess MacAbee Story"
|-
|1960
|No Place Like Home
|
|TV movie
|-
|1962
|The Twilight Zone
|Frisby
|Episode: "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby"
|-
|1964-1965
|Flipper
|Hap Gorman
|5 episodes
|-
|1966
|Batman
|Santa Claus
|Episode: "The Duo is Slumming"
|-
|1967
|Shoestring Safari
|Colonel Hazeltine
|TV movie
|-
|1967-1972
|The Virginian
|Amos Tyke/Dr. Houseman
|2 episodes
|-
|1968
|Bonanza
|Roscoe
|Episode: "A Girl Named George"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1969
|Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
|Jim Demmer/Mr. Stone
|2 episodes
|-
|Gunsmoke
|Jed Whitlow
|Episode: "Stryker"
|-
|The Over-the-Hill Gang
|Judge Amos Polk
| rowspan="3" |TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" |1970
|Smoke
|Mr. Stone
|-
|The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
|Amos Polk
|-
|1972
|Alias Smith and Jones
|Sheriff Bintell
|Episode: "The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg"
|-
|1974
|Adventures of Felix Cheng
|Adam W&S 3
|Episode: "The Wellsworth and Suddery Railway Engines"
|}
See also
- Froggy the Gremlin
- Old Time Radio – Wild Bill Hickok (Andy was Jingles, his sidekick)
References
Further reading
- Devine, Dennis. Your Friend and Mine, Andy Devine, BearManor Media, 2013.
External links
- Photos of Andy Devine from Stagecoach by Ned Scott