Ainslie Pryor
| James Ainslie Pryor | |
|---|---|
Undated photo
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| Born | February 1, 1921 Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Hollywood, California |
| Resting place | Unknown |
| Occupation | Stage, film, and television actor The Adventures of Hiram Holliday |
| Years active | 1947-1958 |
James Ainslie Pryor, known as Ainslie Pryor (February 1, 1921 – May 27, 1958), was an American actor who co-starred with Wally Cox in the short-lived comedy/adventure television series, The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, which aired over NBC from 1956 to 1957.
Background
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Pryor was from 1947 to 1953 the manager and director of the Little Theatre of Raleigh, North Carolina. In this capacity, he made his directing debut in Dream Girl, a play by Elmer Rice. At the Little Theatre, Pryor wrote a regular column, "North Carolina Theatre," for the Raleigh News and Observer.[1]
Film and television
In 1955, he procured his first credited role in the episode "Juvenile Gangs" of the NBC series, Big Town, about a crusading newspaper editor. That same year, he was cast as Lieutenant Commander John Challee, the prosecutor, in the episode "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" of the anthology series, Ford Star Jubilee. In 1956, he appeared again on Ford Star Jubilee in the episode "The Day Lincoln Was Shot", about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. That same year, he appeared in two historical episodes playing Patrick Henry and William Jennings Bryan in the CBS anthology series, You Are There. The former focuses on Henry's "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech in Virginia on March 23, 1775, and the latter on Bryan's Democratic 1896 presidential nomination "Cross of Gold" speech.[2]
Other 1956 castings were on the western series, Steve Donovan, Western Marshal, as Howard Rowe in the episode "Stone River", and in two segments of Richard Boone's NBC medical drama, Medic. Still another 1956 role was that of Kimbal Hatton in the episode "The Long Road Home" of CBS's anthology series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. Dick Powell himself appears in the starring role in this episode as Kansas lawyer Sam Gracie, who is trying to end a family feud without resorting to guns.[2]
In 1957, he was cast in three episodes of Jane Wyman Presents, also known as Fireside Theater: "Married to a Stranger", "Not for Publication", and "The Man in the Car". He appeared as Matt Davis in the episode entitled "Wyatt Earp" of the series Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield. And he was cast in October 1957 as Mayor Barney Turlock in the premiere episode, "Brannigan's Boots" of the ABC/Warner Brothers Television western series, Sugarfoot, with Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster. That same year he was cast as King Forest in the episode "Devil's Canyon" of another ABC/WB western, Cheyenne, starring Clint Walker. In 1957, he portrayed the uncredited role of Colonel John Chivington of the Sand Creek massacre in the film, The Guns of Fort Petticoat, starring Audie Murphy, Hope Emerson, and Jeanette Nolan.[2]
In 1958, Pryor played Harvey Bates in the episode "Bold Loser" of CBS' General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald W. Reagan and joined by Guy Madison and Diane Brewster. Pryor played Captain Follyard in the film, Cole Younger, Gunfighter, with Frank Lovejoy as Cole Younger and supporting roles by James Best, Abby Dalton, and Frank Ferguson. That same year he was Chief Miller in the Andy Griffith military film, Onionhead.[2] Earlier in 1955, he had cut a record with Andy Griffith. Pryor played the character Joe Grant in the 1958 film, The Left Handed Gun, with Paul Newman in the starring role of the outlaw Billy the Kid.[3]
From 1955 to 1957, Pryor appeared four times in the half-hour version of CBS's Gunsmoke western series. In 1957 and 1958, he was cast four times in the CBS anthology series, Playhouse 90.[2]
From 1956 to 1957, he was cast as newspaper reporter Joel Smith, who is assigned to follow Hiram Holliday, a newspaper proofreader with a colorful offbeat personality, on a trip around the world. In twenty-three episodes, Pryor (as Joel Smith) reports to the newspaper on Holliday's unusual escapades. The series was based on a 1939 novel of the same name by Paul Gallico. It never became a hit, and three episodes were never aired. The series ran on Wednesday evenings opposite The Arthur Godfrey Show on CBS and the second half of the Disneyland anthology series on ABC. It preceded Robert Young's sitcom Father Knows Best, then airing its third season on NBC.[2]
Death at 37
Pryor died at the age of thirty-seven in Hollywood, California. His interment is unknown.[4]
