ALLEN JENKINS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Allen Jenkins was born on April 9th, 1900 in Staten Island, New York with the birth name David Allen Curtis Jenkins.  He was born into a family with parents already involved in the life of show business.  Both of his parents performed musical comedies.

After he finished high school, Jenkins served his country during World War I.  Upon completing his military service, Jenkins found work as a stage mechanic. This lead to him showing more of an interest in following in his parents footsteps and also working as a stage performer.

Jenkins began to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and later began appearing in a number of stage productions such as, "Pitter-Patter".  Soon he was also adding Broadway credits to his resume in such productions as, "The Front Page" and "The Last Mile".   

Now with quite a bit of experience, he felt ready to enter the film industry.  His first film role was in the short, "Straight and Narrow" (1931) also starring Ed Robbins.  Some of his early career roles included, "Blessed Event" (1932) starring Lee Tracy, Dick Powell and Mary Brian, "Employees' Entrance" (1933) with Warren William, Loretta Young, Alice White and Wallace Ford, "Hard to Handle" (1933) starring James Cagney, Mary Brian, Clair Dodd and Ruth Donnelly, "Blondie Johnson" (1933) co-starring Chester Morris, Joan Blondell, Olin Howland and Sterling Holloway and "42nd Street" (1933) starring with Warner Baxter, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Guy Kibbeem Una Merkel and Ned Sparks. 

As his career progressed he began doing a lot of work with Warner brothers Studios and some of his more prominent film roles included, "The Big Shakedown" (1934) starring Charles Farrell, Bette Davis, Ricardo Cortez, Glenda Farrell and Henry O'Neill, "Happiness Ahead" (1934) starring Dick Powell, Josephine Hutchinson and John Halliday, "Sins of a Man" (1936) with Jean Hersholt and Don Ameche, "Marry the Girl" (1937) starring Mary Boland, Frank McHugh and Hugh Herbert, "A Slight Case of Murder" (1938) starring Edward G. Robinson, Jane Bryan, Ruth Donnelly, Edward Brophy, Willard Parker and John Litel, "Destry Rides Again" (1939) starring alongside James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody Jr. and Una Merkel, "Margie" (1940) starring Tom Brown, Nan Grey, Mischa Auer and Joy Hodges, "Dive Bomber" (1941) also starring Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Alexis Smith, Ralph Bellamy, Robert Armstrong, Regis Toomey, Herbert Anderson and Craig Stevens, "Meet Me on Broadway" (1946) with Marjorie Reynolds, Fred Brady and Jinx Falkenburg, "The Inside Story" (1948) starring Marsha Hunt, William Lundigan and Charles Winninger, "Bodyhold" (1949) with Willard Parker, Lola Albright and Hillary Brooke, "The Big Wheel" (1949) starring Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Spring Byington, Steve Brodie, Mary Hatcher, Michael O'Shea and Hattie McDaniel, "Pillow Talk" (1959) starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, Hayden Rorke and Nick Adams, "I'd Rather Be Rich" (1964) starring Sandra Dee, Robert Goulet, Maurice Chevalier, Hermione Gingold, Gene Raymond, Charlie Ruggles, Hayden Rorke and Andy Williams and "Robin and the 7 Hoods" (1964) starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, Peter Falk, Edward G. Robinson and Barbara Rush. 

In addition to working as a stage and film actor, Jenkins also appeared on a number of television series such as, "Hey, Jeannie!", "M*A*S*H", "The Red Skelton Hour", "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "Zane Grey Theatre", "Playhouse 90", "I Love Lucy", "Mr. and Mrs. North", "The Abbott and Costello Show", "Ben Casey", "The Life of Riley", "Racket Squad", "Boston Blackie", "The Tab Hunter Show", "Wagon Train", "Topper", "The Duke", "Private Secretary", "Adam-12", "Bewitched" and "Police Story".  Jenkins also did voiceover work on such projects as, "Top Cat" (1961).

Although Jenkins had a very successful acting career, he did fight alcoholism in his personal life.  He spoke in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate in regards to his addiction and later started the first Alcoholics Anonymous program in California in women prisons.

Allen Jenkins married only once to Mary Landee and the had three children together.  His last acting role was in the 1974 film, "The Front Page" starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau Susan Sarandon, Carol Burnett, Vincent Gardenia, Charles Durning, Harold Gould and David Wayne.  Not to long after the release of his last film, Jenkins sadly passed away following complications from surgery for lung cancer on July 20th, 1974 in Santa Monica, California at the age of seventy four. 

Filmography

1974         The Front Page
1974         Police Story 
1972         The Paul Lynde Show
1971-1972     Bewitched
1972         Getting Away from It All
1971         Adam-12 
1971         The Chicago Teddy Bears 
1971         Marcus Welby, M.D. 
1967         Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!
1967         Batman 
1966         The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1966         Honey West
1965         Ben Casey
1964         I'd Rather Be Rich
1964         For Those Who Think Young
1964         Robin and the 7 Hoods
1963         It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
1954-1962     The Red Skelton Hour
1961-1962     Top Cat 
1961         Pete and Gladys 
1961         The Tab Hunter Show 
1960         Wagon Train 
1959         Pillow Talk
1959         The Dennis O'Keefe Show
1957         Playhouse 90
1956-1957     Hey, Jeannie!
1955-1956     It's a Great Life
1956         Star Stage
1955-1956     Damon Runyon Theater 
1955         Topper
1955         The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater 
1954         The Duke
1954         G.E. True Theater 
1954         Waterfront 
1954         Meet Corliss Archer 
1952-1953     I Love Lucy
1953         The Abbott and Costello Show
1953         Mr. & Mrs. North 
1953         Private Secretary 
1952-1953     Boston Blackie
1953         The Life of Riley 
1952         Four Star Playhouse 
1952         Racket Squad
1952         The WAC from Walla Walla
1952         Oklahoma Annie
1951         Crazy Over Horses
1951         Behave Yourself!
1951         Let's Go Navy!
1951         Chained for Life
1949         Bodyhold
1949         The Big Wheel
1948         The Inside Stor
1947         The Senator Was Indiscreet
1947         Wild Harvest
1947         The Case of the Baby Sitter 
1947         The Hat Box Mystery
1947         'Fun on a Week-End'
1947         Easy Come, Easy Go
1946         Singin' in the Corn
1946         The Dark Horse
1946         Meet Me on Broadway
1945         Lady on a Train
1945         Wonder Man
1943         My Wife's an Angel
1942         Eyes in the Night
1942         Maisie Gets Her Man
1942         They All Kissed the Bride
1942         The Falcon Takes Over
1942         Tortilla Flat
1942         A Date with the Falcon
1941         Ball of Fire
1941         Go West, Young Lady
1941         The Gay Falcon
1941         Dive Bomber
1941         Time Out for Rhythm
1941         Footsteps in the Dark
1940         Tin Pan Alley
1940         Meet the Wildcat
1940         Margie
1940         Brother Orchid
1940         Oh Johnny, How You Can Love
1939         Destry Rides Again
1939         Torchy Blane
1939         Playing with Dynamite
1939         Naughty But Nice
1939         Five Came Back
1939         Sweepstakes Winner
1938         Going Places
1938         Heart of the North
1938         Hard to Get
1938         The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
1938         Racket Busters
1938         Gold Diggers in Paris
1938         Fools for Scandal
1938         A Slight Case of Murder
1938         Swing Your Lady
1937         Sh! The Octopus
1937         The Perfect Specimen
1937         Dead End
1937         Dance Charlie Dance
1937         Marry the Girl
1937         The Singing Marine
1937         Ever Since Eve
1937         Marked Woma
1937         Ready, Willing and Able
1936         Sing Me a Love Song
1936         Three Men on a Horse
1936         Cain and Mabe
1936         Sins of Man
1936         The Singing Kid
1935         Miss Pacific Fleet
1935         Broadway Hostess
1935         The Case of the Lucky Legs
1935         I Live for Love
1935         Page Miss Glory
1935         The Irish in Us
1935         The Case of the Curious Bride
1935         While the Patient Slept
1935         A Night at the Ritz
1935         Sweet Music
1934         The St. Louis Kid
1934         Happiness Ahead
1934         The Case of the Howling Dog
1934         The Merry Frinks
1934         Twenty Million Sweethearts
1934         Whirlpool
1934         Jimmy the Gent
1934         I've Got Your Number
1934         Bedside
1934         The Big Shakedown
1933         Havana Widows
1933         'Tis Spring
1933         Bureau of Missing Persons
1933         The Mayor of Hell
1933         The Silk Express
1933         Professional Sweetheart
1933         Tomorrow at Seven
1933         The Mind Reader
1933         The Keyhole
1933         42nd Street
1933         Blondie Johnson
1933         Hard to Handle
1933         Employees' Entrance
1932         Lawyer Man
1932         I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1932         Three on a Match
1932         Rackety Rax
1932         Blessed Event
1932         Grand Hotel
1931         The Girl Habit
1931         Straight and Narrow