Henry Kulky
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- August 11, 1911
- Died
- February 12, 1965 (aged 53)
- Birthplace
- Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USa
Biography
Henry Kulky (born Henry Kulakowich; August 11, 1911 – February 12, 1965) was an American actor and professional wrestler from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, probably best remembered as Chief Petty Officer Curly Jones from season 1 of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Kulky began boxing in his teenage years. After six bouts, he stopped boxing when he was offered a position training wrestlers at St. Matthew's Lyceum in his native Hastings-on-Hudson. Stanislaus Zbyszko convinced Kulky to compete professionally in 1939. Moving to Argentina, Kulky competed throughout South America under the ring name Bomber Kulkavich. The number of matches in which he competed is uncertain; one claim states that he won 172 of 175 matches. Kulky, however, claims that he won nearly all of 7,000 matches. While in South America, he is also said to have won the continent's judo crown. Like most wrestlers who turned to acting in the 1950s he owed his big break to Mike Mazurki. The two appeared in several parts in the 1940s and 1950s, with Mazurki's agent getting him a part in Call Northside 777. Because of his rather tough guy image, Kulky became typecast as military men, thugs, gangsters, bartenders, wrestlers and other "strong guys" who were at times quite friendly and lovable characters contrasting strongly with the tough guy image. From 1953 to 1958, he played Otto Schmidlap in the television series The Life of Riley. In the series, Kulky portrayed a co-worker of series character Chester Riley, a wing riveter at an aircraft plant. In 1952 he appeared in an episode (#11) of Adventures of Superman, as a wrestler working for a crooked promoter. In 1954 he appeared in an episode (#141) of The Lone Ranger. From 1959 to 1962, Kulky was cast in the recurring role as Chief Max Bronsky in forty-six episodes of Jackie Cooper's CBS military sitcom-drama television series Hennesey. The role was close to Kulky's heart because during World War II, he was a boatswain's mate in the United States Navy. Kulky's last role was as Chief Curley Jones in the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He died on February 12, 1965, in Oceanside, California, of a heart attack suffered while he was studying a script.
Known For
Filmography
A Global Affair
Movie · as Charlie - Newsstand Proprietor (uncredited)
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
TV · as Curley Jones, Chief Curley Jones · 4 eps
Grindl
TV · 1 ep
Going My Way
TV · 1 ep
Guns of the Timberland
Movie · as Logger
Pete and Gladys
TV · 1 ep
Up Periscope
Movie · as Chief Petty Officer York
Hennesey
TV · as Chief Max Bronsky · 96 eps
Bonanza
TV · as Bearcat Sampson · 1 ep
The Texan
TV · as Joe · 1 ep
U.S. Marshall
TV · as Pinto · 1 ep
Sierra Stranger
Movie · as Bartender Matt
Bombers B-52
Movie · as Calvin (uncredited)
The Thin Man
TV · as Tom Culdane, Sandy · 1 ep
Maverick
TV · as Bartender (uncredited) · 1 ep
Army Daze
Movie · as Sergeant Bonebreaker
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
TV · 1 ep
Hey, Jeannie!
TV · as Guy · 1 ep
New York Confidential
Movie · as Gino
Illegal
Movie · as Taylor
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
Movie · as Brakeman (uncredited)
It's Always Fair Weather
Movie · as Drunk in Bar (uncredited)
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Movie · as Man in Bar (uncredited)
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing
Movie · as Prisoner (uncredited)
Love Me or Leave Me
Movie · as Bouncer
Navy Log
TV · 1 ep
The Human Jungle
Movie · as Matty
Fireman Save My Child
Movie · as Harry
Tobor the Great
Movie · as Paul (Spy Henchman)
A Star Is Born
Movie · as Cuddles (uncredited)
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Movie · as Maurice, Maurice - Sailor (uncredited)
Hell and High Water
Movie · as McCrossin (uncredited)
Yukon Vengeance
Movie · as Schmidt
New Faces
Movie · as Mr. Dee (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV · as Father with Nine Kids (uncredited) · 1 ep
Public Defender
TV · as Murphy · 1 ep
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
Movie · as Stroogo (uncredited)
Target Hong Kong
Movie · as Dutch Pfeifer
Down Among the Sheltering Palms
Movie · as First Sergeant Jones
The Glory Brigade
Movie · as Sgt. 'Smitty' Smitkowsky
The Life Of Riley
TV · as Feeney's Big Goon (uncredited), Otto Schmidlap · 1 ep
No Holds Barred
Movie · as Mike the Mauler
Aim, Fire, Scoot
Movie · as Sgt. Bonebreaker
Red Skies of Montana
Movie · as Dawson (uncredited)
The World in His Arms
Movie · as Peter, Russian Servant
What Price Glory
Movie · as Company Cook (uncredited)
Adventures of Superman
TV · as Crusher (uncredited) · 1 ep
Cavalcade of America
TV · as Ernie · 1 ep
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
TV · as Fish Truck Driver · 1 ep
The Abbott and Costello Show
TV · as Mulligan · 1 ep
Fixed Bayonets!
Movie · as Vogl (uncredited)
You Never Can Tell
Movie · as Gorilla / Prisoner (uncredited)
The Guy Who Came Back
Movie · as Wizard, Wrestler
Love Nest
Movie · as George Thompson
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
TV · as Referee (uncredited) · 2 eps
Racket Squad
TV · 2 eps
The Red Skelton Show
TV · as Sergeant Flannagan, Jerry · 1 ep
I Love Lucy
TV · as Trainer (uncredited) · 1 ep
Jiggs and Maggie Out West
Movie · as 'Bomber' Kulkowich (as Henry Kulkowich)
A Snitch in Time
Movie · as Steve (uncredited)
South Sea Sinner
Movie · as Bartender
Alias the Champ
Movie · as Bomber Kulkovich - Wrestler
Mighty Joe Young
Movie · as Strong Man (uncredited)
Tarzan's Magic Fountain
Movie · as Vredak
The Red Danube
Movie · as Russian Officer at Camp 12 Deportation
Call Northside 777
Movie · as First Bartender (uncredited)
To the Ends of the Earth
Movie · as Giant Chinese Man (uncredited)
A Foreign Affair
Movie · as Russian Sergeant (uncredited)
A Likely Story
Movie · as Tremendo