Biographies: Fuzzy Knight - Actor

Biographies

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An American film and television actor, born in Fairmont, West Virginia, USA, on May 9, 1901, as John Forrest Knight. He married Patricia Ryan, who remained with him until his death. Among his most important works are Gunman's Code (1946), The Gold Racket (1937), She Done Him Wrong (1933), and Horror Island (1941). Fuzzy Knight was also a singer, especially at the beginning of his career, and he appeared as a musician in more than 50 films. As an actor, he appeared in more than 200 films, usually as the comic sidekick to the hero in Western movies. At the age of fifteen, he joined a traveling minstrel show as a musician. He joined West Virginia University as a law student and supported himself as a drummer in his own band. After he left school, he worked as a musician in vaudeville theaters and cabarets. He also appeared on Broadway. Knight participated in a few short films for Paramount and MGM. When the star, Mae West, saw him in vaudeville, she got him his first major movie role in the movie She Done Him Wrong (1933). In the fifties, he gained more fame for his television work. He retired in 1960 but continued to make appearances from time to time. He died at the age of 74 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, on February 23, 1976, of a heart attack.