Harold Lloyd Jr.
Harold Clayton Lloyd Jr. (January 25, 1931 – June 9, 1971) was an American actor and singer.
Harold Lloyd Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Harold Lloyd Jr. in The Flaming Urge | |
| Born | Harold Clayton Lloyd Jr. January 25, 1931 |
| Died | June 9, 1971 (aged 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1950–1965 |
| Parent(s) | Harold Lloyd Mildred Davis |
Career
The third child and only son of the silent film comedian Harold Lloyd and former actress Mildred Davis, Lloyd made several B-movies in the 1950s and 1960s, including The Flaming Urge (1953) (one of only two starring roles) and Frankenstein's Daughter (1958). In 1959, he had a role in the film Girls Town, which features the son of another famous silent movie comedian, Charles Chaplin Jr. He was given production roles in the compilations of his father's films, released in the early 1960s. As a singer, he performed in several films, had moderate successes in cabaret in Hollywood and elsewhere, and released an album of romantic ballads in 1965 titled Intimate Style.
Personal life
Lloyd (known as Dukey to his family) found it difficult to live in the shadow of his famous father, and was an alcoholic from his twenties onward. In addition, he struggled with his homosexuality at a time when it was considered socially unacceptable. Author Tom Dardis notes that Lloyd Sr. was understanding about his son's sexuality, all the more so given Lloyd Jr.'s tendency toward violent lovers. Consequently, the younger Lloyd often returned to Greenacres, the family estate, battered and bruised after his encounters. His father's tolerance had its limits, however, and Lloyd Sr. blamed his own absences during his son's childhood for his sexuality.[1][2]
In 1953, he briefly was engaged to the Chilean actress Marina Cisternas. In 1960, he was again engaged, this time to Parisian socialite Irene Barrelet de Ricou, daughter of French tennis player Paul Barrelet de Ricou and socialite Louise Barrelet de Ricou.[3] Irene was warned by many, including Bing Crosby, not to marry Lloyd, but it was not until she caught him with another man that the wedding was canceled.
He had a home in Palm Springs, California.[4]
Death
Lloyd suffered a massive stroke in 1965 from which he never fully recovered. He died on June 9, 1971, at age 40, three months after the death of his father.[5] He was interred with his parents in a crypt in the Great Mausoleum's Begonia Corridor at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Our Very Own | Student | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Flaming Urge | Tom Smith | |
| 1955 | A Yank in Ermine | Butch | |
| 1958 | Father Knows Best | Joel | Credited television appearance |
| 1958 | Frankenstein's Daughter | Don | |
| 1959 | Girls Town | Chip Gardner | |
| 1960 | Platinum High School | Charlie-Boy Cable | |
| 1960 | Sex Kittens Go to College | Policeman | |
| 1962 | Married Too Young | Tommy Blaine | |
| 1965 | Mutiny in Outer Space | Sgt. Andrews | (final film role) |
References
- Dardis, Tom (1983). Harold Lloyd: The Man on the Clock. Viking Press. p. 293. ISBN 978-0-6704-5227-9. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- Lambro, Phillip (November 27, 2006). Close Encounters of the Worst Kind. Lulu.com. pp. 243–245. ISBN 978-1-4303-0401-2.
- "Harold Lloyd's Son Will Marry in Paris". Long Beach Independent. Associated Press. April 9, 1960. p. A7. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- Wallace, David (2008). A City Comes Out: How Celebrities Made Palm Springs a Gay and Lesbian Paradise. Barricade Books. ISBN 978-1-5698-0349-3. Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- "Harold Lloyd Jr. Dies; Actor, Son of Comedy Star". The New York Times. United Press International. 10 June 1971. Retrieved 20 December 2020.