VICTORY JORY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Victor Jory was born November 23rd, 1902 in Dawson City, Yukon.  He was the son of Edwin and Joanna Jory.  He had a rough adolescence.  His family relocated to California where he attended high school and also studied acting with Gilmor Brown at the Pasadena Playhouse.  He attended college at the University of California for one year and then left schooling to join the Coast Guard. 
 
Jory was the boxing and wrestling champion of the Coast Guard and maintained his manly physique.  Upon completion of the Coast Guard, Jory toured with theater troupes and appeared on Broadway in the production of, "Berkeley Square" (1930).
 
Towards the end of 1930, he made his Hollywood film debut in, "Renegades" and his first major screen credit was in, "The Devil's In Love" (1933).  Towards the beginning of his career the majority of the roles he was cast in were romantic lead, but as time progressed, Jory was also getting roles portraying the villain.
 
Some of his career film highlights were roles on, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935), "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938), "Man of Conquest" (1939), "Gone with the Wind" (1939) starring alongside Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Olivia de Havilland, Rand Brooks, Leslie Howard, George Reeves, Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen and "Blackwell's Island" (1939).  Jory knew he was a talented actor and was not shy about showing his confidence, but he was also tougher on his lesser performances then any movie critic ever was.

Jory did not limit his talents to acting alone, he also chose to work as a theatrical director and playwright.  He wrote the Broadway production, "Five Who Were Mad".  Jory also did some television work such as the series, "Manhunt" (1959-1960) and guest starred on a number of other shows including a role on, "The Rockford Files".  His radio career included starring in the series, "Dangerously Yours".
 
He continued to work in film throughout the 60's taking on roles in the, "The Fugitive Kind" (1960), and playing the father of Helen Keller in, "The Miracle Worker" (1962).

In total, Jory made over 150 films and was on a dozen television episodes.  In 1928 Jory married Jean Inness and they had two children, Jon and Jean.  His son went on to head the Actors Theater in Louisville, Kentucky for thirty one years and then in the year 2000, left to work as a professor of drama at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.  
 
Jory  was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the motion picture industry.  Victor Jory passed away on February 11th, 1982 in Santa Monica, California.  He was cremated and his ashes were given to a family member.  When visiting Atlanta, Georgia at the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama, Victor Jory's voice can be heard as he narrates the battle. 
 

Filmography

1980  The Mountain Men
1978  Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
1974  "Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Bad Medicine
1973  Papillon
1970  Flap
1969  A Time for Dying
1969  Mackenna's Gold
1968  Jigsaw
1964  Cheyenne Autumn
1962  The Miracle Worker
1960  The Fugitive Kind
1957  The Man Who Turned to Stone
1956  Manfish
1956  Death of a Scoundrel
1954  Valley of the Kings
1953  The Man from the Alamo
1953  Cat-Women of the Moon
1952  Flaming Feather
1952  Son of Ali Baba
1952  Toughest Man in Arizona
1950  The Capture
1950  The Cariboo Trail
1949  Canadian Pacific
1949  A Woman's Secret
1949  South of St. Louis 
1949  Fighting Man of the Plains
1948  The Loves of Carmen 
1947  Tubby the Tuba
1943  Bar 20
1943  Hoppy Serves a Writ
1943  Colt Comrades 
1943  Power of the Press
1943  The Kansan
1941  Charlie Chan in Rio
1941  Bad Men of Missouri  
1940  The Shadow
1940  The Green Archer
1940  The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady
1940  Lady with Red Hair
1940  River's End
1939  Susannah of the Mounties
1939  Man of Conquest
1939  Blackwell's Island
1939  Each Dawn I Die
1939  Dodge City
1939  Women in the Wind
1939  Wings of the Navy
1939  Gone with the Wind  
1938  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1937  Bulldog Drummond at Bay
1937  First Lady
1936  The King Steps Out 
1935  A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935  Party Wire
1934  Madame Du Barry
1934  He Was Her Man 
1933  State Fair
1933  The Devil's in Love
1930  Renegades