Len Doyle

Len Doyle (February 2, 1893 - December 6, 1959) was an American actor on stage and in old-time radio. He is perhaps best known for playing investigator Harrington on Mr. District Attorney on radio and television.[1]

Len Doyle
Doyle as Harrington in Mr. District Attorney in 1947
BornFebruary 2, 1893
Toledo, Ohio
DiedDecember 6, 1959, age 66
Port Jervis, New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)Aggie
ChildrenTerry
Lee
Dennis

Early years

Doyle's birthplace was Toledo, Ohio, but when he was young the family moved to Port Jervis, New York.[2] He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[1]

At one time, Doyle was a professional boxer.[3]

Radio

Doyle played Len Harrington, the investigator for the title character, in Mr. District Attorney.[4] He was in that role for 13 years—all but the first few months of the program's existence.[5]

Although he appeared in many plays and had offers of more starring roles on stage, Doyle said he preferred radio "because it's more fun than the theater and more people hear you."[6]

Television

Doyle carried his role of investigator Harrington from radio to the television version of Mr. District Attorney.[7] The program ran October 1, 1951 - June 23, 1952, on NBC.[8]

Stage

Doyle debuted on stage in The Auctioneer when he was 17, and he acted with Pennsylvania's Lancaster Stock Company.[1] His early theatrical experiences included being "shipwrecked in the waters south of Australia" after a ship carrying an acting troupe was hit by a typhoon.[9] The group was rescued by an Antarctic expedition headed by Admiral Richard E. Byrd.[9]

In the 1930s, he appeared in a number of plays in New York City, including Shadow and Substance, The Time of Your Life, Three Men on a Horse, Night Hawk, Within Four Walls, and Family Upstairs.[9]

When Plan M, with Doyle in the cast, opened at the Belasco Theater February 20, 1942, its schedule included no shows on Wednesdays so that Doyle could continue in his role on Mr. District Attorney on radio.[10] In 1943, he was in a touring company of I'll Take the High Road, which had performances on Wednesdays but used an understudy in Doyle's place so that he could continue with the radio program.[11]

Doyle continued acting in plays in the 1950s, playing the father in The Righteous Are Bold on Broadway in 1955.[12] He also acted with troupes in venues such as the Elitch Gardens Theater in Colorado.[13]

Personal life

Doyle and his wife, Aggie, were married "in a little New Jersey town" in August 1937.[14] They had three children, Terry, Lee, and Dennis.[14]

Doyle was described as "a tough, resourceful man in real life."[15] He was "an avid hunter and fisherman."[16] A 1939 newspaper article reported: "He has been Broadway's demon deer stalker for the last 15 years. Goes up every Fall to Sullivan County and always gets his buck."[17] During World War II, he used his own yacht to patrol part of the Atlantic coast for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.[18]

Death

Doyle died December 6, 1959, in Port Jervis, New York, while he was on a hunting trip. He was 66.[19]

References
  1. DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 81.
  2. "Mr. District Attorney" (PDF). Tune In. June 1943. p. 19. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. Lilley, George (August 21, 1945). "Little Things about the Stars". Pennsylvania, Danville. The Morning News. p. 7. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Radio Guide". Pennsylvania, Altoona. Altoona Tribune. March 15, 1949. p. 11. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 464. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-12-06. Mr. District Attorney, crime drama Len Doyle as Harrington from ca. 19402.
  6. "In Harrington Role". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The Evening News. December 18, 1940. p. 20. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3. P. 84.
  8. Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows: 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-25525-9. P. 407.
  9. "Ever Herd Cattle on a Bicycle?". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 10, 1939. p. 31. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "'Rivals' Will End Run on Saturday". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 14, 1942. p. 16. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Radio News Notes". Ohio, Circleville. The Circleville Herald. November 8, 1943. p. 9. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Francis, Bob (December 31, 1955). "'Righteous' Is Brilliant, But Lacks BO Appeal" (PDF). Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  13. "Elitch Theat'er Sets Cast, Plays" (PDF). Billboard. June 13, 1959. p. 49. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  14. Knaster, Ira (March 1950). "They Did It Themselves" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 33 (4): 44–46, 86–87. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  15. Harmon, Jim. (2001). The Great Radio Heroes. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-0850-4. Pp. 33-34.
  16. "Crosby's Twin 'Sons To Guest On His Show Next Wednesday Night". Nebraska, Lincoln. The Lincoln Star. March 12, 1950. p. 48. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Broadway Snapshots". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 26, 1939. p. 38. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Len Doyle" (PDF). Radio Mirror. 29 (4): 66. March 1948. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  19. "Len Doyle". Illinois, Galesburg. Galesburg Register-Mail. December 8, 1959. p. 13. Retrieved March 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
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