# Howard Petrie

Howard Alexander Petrie (November 22, 1906 – March 24, 1968) was an American radio, television, and film actor.

## Early life

Howard Petrie was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on November 22, 1906. When Howard was three years old his family moved to Concord. The Petries later lived in Arlington and then Somerville, where Petrie received his secondary school education. A talented musician, he conducted his high school glee club and played with various instrumental groups. He was a member of the debating team, a captain in the School Regiment and Chairman of the Senior Night Committee. He appeared in school dramatic productions including a starring role as "Marquis de la Seigliere" in the senior class play and the Jules Sandeau three-act comedy, Mademoiselle de la Seigliere.

## Radio career

After he graduated from Somerville High School in 1924, Petrie worked briefly as a bank clerk and a securities salesman. While on a sales call to a radio station, his sonorous bass voice landed him a job. He joined WBZ Radio in Boston in 1929 as a junior announcer. After ten months at the WBZ studios, Petrie left for New York City in June, 1930 where he joined the staff of NBC.
Petrie soon became the head announcer for many of the network's shows. His first major network assignment was on Everything Goes, starring Garry Moore. He was the announcer for scores of shows including Abie's Irish Rose, Big Sister, Camel Caravan, Blondie, The Ray Bolger Show, The Judy Canova Show, The Jimmy Durante Show, and The Garry Moore Show.
In 1936, Petrie won the Batten, Barten and Durstine Award for Good Announcing. In 1942 he was the recipient of the H.P. Davis Memorial Announcers' Award for "personality, adaptability, diction, voice and versatility". He moved to California in 1943 to become the announcer for The Judy Canova Show. As a "personality announcer", he became a character in the show.

## Film and television career

In 1947, a movie producer who was looking for a tall man for a character role, saw Petrie on the radio stage and offered him the part. At 6 feet four (193 cm) and 240 pounds (109 kg), Petrie played numerous "big man" roles. He worked as a character actor in over thirty feature films and forty television shows. He often appeared in Westerns in both mediums. He played Sheriff Akers in "Wanted Dead or Alive" S2 E13 "No Trail Back" which aired 11/26/1959.

## Personal life

On April 21, 1933, Petrie married Alice Wood, whom he met when he worked at NBC, where she was a hostess between 1931 and 1936. She had been an actress. The Petries had one son.

## Later years and death

Howard Petrie had been living in semi-retirement at his home, Autumn Hill, in Walpole, New Hampshire, when he died in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 24, 1968. He was interred in Worcester Rural Cemetery, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

## Filmography

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1947 | The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival | George Baxter, in "Fabulous Joe" | |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Joe | George Baxter | |
| 1950 | Fancy Pants | Secret Service Man | Uncredited |
| 1950 | Walk Softly, Stranger | Bowen | |
| 1950 | Rocky Mountain | Cole Smith / California Beal | |
| 1951 | No Questions Asked | Franko | |
| 1951 | Cattle Drive | Cap | |
| 1951 | The Racket | The Governor | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Golden Horde | Tugluk | Alternative title: The Golden Horde of Genghis Khan |
| 1952 | Bend of the River | Tom Hendricks | Alternative title: Where the River Bends |
| 1952 | The Wild North | Brody | |
| 1952 | Carbine Williams | Sheriff | |
| 1952 | Red Ball Express | Major General Lee Gordon | |
| 1952 | Woman of the North Country | Rick Barton | |
| 1952 | Pony Soldier | Insp. Frazer | |
| 1953 | Fair Wind to Java | Reeder | |
| 1953 | Trouble Along the Way | Marvin Adams | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Fort Ti | Maj. Rogers | |
| 1953 | The Veils of Bagdad | Karsh | |
| 1954 | Border River | Newlund | |
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Pete Perkins | |
| 1954 | The Bounty Hunter | Sheriff Brand | |
| 1954 | The Bob Mathias Story | Dr. Charles Mathias | |
| 1954 | Sign of the Pagan | Gundahar | |
| 1955 | Timberjack | 'Axe-Handle' Ole | |
| 1955 | Rage at Dawn | Lattimore, Prosecuting Attorney | Alternative title: Seven Bad Men |
| 1955 | How to Be Very, Very Popular | Desk Sergeant | |
| 1955 | The Return of Jack Slade | Joseph Ryan | |
| 1956 | The Maverick Queen | Butch Cassidy | |
| 1956 | A Kiss Before Dying | Howard Chesser, Chief of Police | |
| 1956 | Johnny Concho | Joe Helguson, Blacksmith | |
| 1957 | The Tin Star | Mayor Harvey King | |
| Television ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | Waterfront | Hugh Perry | 1 episode |
| 1955 | The Ford Television Theatre | Baker | 1 episode |
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Abe Brant | 1 episode "Yorky" |
| 1957 | Broken Arrow | Sam Carson | 1 episode |
| 1957 | Letter to Loretta | Scoutmaster | 1 episode |
| 1957 | Casey Jones | George Newsome | 1 episode "Dark Rider" |
| 1958 | The Californians | Stryker | 1 episode |
| 1958 | Alcoa Theatre | Lieutenant Gifford | 1 episode |
| 1958 | Cheyenne | Burt Wrangel | 1 episode "Wagon-Tongue North" |
| 1959 | Frontier Justice | Kroll | 1 episode |
| 1959 | Bonanza | Major Ormsby | 1 episode |
| 1959 | Lawman | Hal Mead | 1 episode |
| 1959 | Maverick | Mike Burke | 1 episode |
| 1959 | Colt .45 | John Porter | 1 episode |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Abbott | 1 episode |
| 1959 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Sheriff Akers | Episode: "No Trail Back" |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade | Major Kennedy | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Sam Pryor | Episode: "Angela" |
| 1960 | M Squad | Mr. Patrick - Head of heist team | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Jack Foster | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Mr. Lucky | John Dort | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Johnny Ringo | Ed Blanchard | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Bat Masterson | Hugh Blaine | 4 episodes |
| 1960 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Governor Gibbs | 2 episodes |
| 1960 | Bronco | Rigby | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Hennesey | Admiral Wright | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Peter Gunn | Lockland | 1 episode |
| 1960 | The Tom Ewell Show | Paul Wilkins | Episode: "The Spelling Bee" |
| 1960 | Rawhide | Abner Carter | S2:E28, "Incident of the Murder Steer" |
| 1960–1962 | Death Valley Days | Joseph Hooker | 2 episodes, (final appearance) |
| 1961 | National Velvet | Bjorensen | 1 episode |
| 1961 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Col. McCurdy | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Rawhide | Hunneker | S3:E11, "Incident of the Broken Word" |
| 1964–1965 | The Edge of Night | Otto Zimerman | Unknown episodes |