Guy Wilkerson

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BIRTHDAY

December 21, 1899

Texas

DIED

July 15, 1971

RECENT CREDITS

Monte Walsh (FILM) Oct. 7, 1970

True Grit (FILM) Oct. 16, 1969

To Kill a Mockingbird (FILM) Dec. 25, 1962

Susan Slade (FILM) Nov. 1, 1961

The Hanging Tree (FILM) Feb. 1, 1959

View all Guy Wilkerson Credits

BIOGRAPHY

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"A very funny guy -- funnier than most gave him credit for," as one director described him, lanky, slow-moving Guy Wilkerson is fondly remembered for playing comedy sidekick Panhandle Perkins in the 1942-1945 PRC Texas Rangers film series, a low-rent competition for Republic Pictures' popular Three Mesquiteers Westerns. As Panhandle, Wilkerson's comedy was never intrusive and often used merely as a slow-witted counterpoint to the action. In Hollywood from at least 1937 (some sources claim he appeared onscreen as early as the 1920s), Wilkerson had honed his skills in minstrel shows, burlesque, and vaudeville, but away from his sidekick duties at PRC, he was usually seen playing less humorous characters, notably ministers or undertakers. Appearing in hundreds of feature films and television series over three decades, Guy Wilkerson was last seen in the crime thriller The Todd Killings in 1971, the year of his death from cancer.

~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

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