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Howard Keel
ACTOR

Howard Keel

Known for Murder, She Wrote · Dallas · The Love Boat

Howard Keel (born Harold Clifford Keel; April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004) was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s. He is best known to modern audiences for his starring role in the CBS television series Dallas from 1981 to 1991, as Clayton Farlow, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes's character, but to an earlier generation, he was known as the star of some of the most famous MGM film musicals ever…

Snapshot 2026-10-15

Born
Apr 13, 1919
Died
Nov 7, 2004
Birthplace
Gillespie, Illinois, U.S.
Known For
Acting

Biography

Howard Keel (born Harold Clifford Keel; April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004) was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s. He is best known to modern audiences for his starring role in the CBS television series Dallas from 1981 to 1991, as Clayton Farlow, opposite Barbara Bel Geddes's character, but to an earlier generation, he was known as the star of some of the most famous MGM film musicals ever made, with a rich baritone singing voice.

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Known For

TVMurder, She Wrote
Murder, She WroteLarry Thorson · 1984
★ 7.5
TVDallas
DallasClayton Farlow · 1978
★ 6.9
TVThe Love Boat
The Love BoatDuncan Harlow · 1977
★ 6.2
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 1962
★ 7.6
TVGreat Performances
Great PerformancesSelf · 1971
★ 6.1
TVGolden Globe Awards
Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Presenter · 1944
★ 7.0
TVThe Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin ShowSelf · 1962
★ 6.8
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas ShowSelf - Co-Host · 1961
★ 5.8

Filmography

Movies

The Small VoiceBoke
1948
Annie Get Your GunFrank Butler
1950
Pagan Love SongHazard Endicott
1950
Across the Wide MissouriNarrator (voice) (uncredited)
1951
Callaway Went ThatawayStretch Barnes / Smoky Callaway
1951
Show BoatGaylord Ravenal
1951
Texas CarnivalSlim Shelby
1951
Three Guys Named MikeMike Jamison
1951
Desperate SearchVince Heldon
1952
Lovely to Look AtTony Naylor
1952
TH
The HoaxtersNarrator (voice)
1952
Calamity JaneWild Bill Hickok
1953
Fast CompanyRick Grayton
1953
Kiss Me KateFred Graham, "Petruchio"
1953
Ride, Vaquero!King Cameron
1953
Deep in My HeartPerformer (segment "My Maryland")
1954
Rose MarieCapt. Mike Malone
1954
Seven Brides for Seven BrothersBrother Adam Pontipee
1954
Jupiter's DarlingHannibal
1955
KismetThe Poet
1955
Floods of FearDonovan
1958
The Big FishermanSimon Peter
1959
Armored CommandCol. Devlin
1961
The Day of the TriffidsBill Masen
1963
Kiss Me, KateFred Graham
1964
Waco'Waco'
1966
Red TomahawkCapt. Tom York
1967
The War WagonLevi Walking Bear
1967
Arizona BushwhackersLee Travis
1968
Hollywood: The Dream FactorySelf (archive footage)
1972
That's Entertainment!(archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
That's Entertainment, Part II(archive footage)
1976
Night of 100 StarsSelf
1982
James Bond: The First 21 YearsSelf
1983
Royal Variety Performance 1984
1984
That's Dancing!From 'Kiss Me Kate' (archive footage)
1985
Creepy ClassicsBill Masen - (archive footage)
1987
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart IsCapt. Quentin "Jack" Jackson
1994
That's Entertainment! IIISelf - Host
1994
Inside the Dream FactorySelf
1995
Sobbin' Women: The Making of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'Himself - Host
1997
CP
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn HotSelf
2003
Frankie Laine: An American DreamerSelf
2006
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the MusicalSelf (archive)
2009

Television

Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Presenter · 2 eps
1944
The Ed Sullivan ShowSelf · 1 eps
1948
The OscarsSelf · 2 eps
1953
MGM ParadeSelf · 2 eps
1955
Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreWill Gorman · 1 eps
1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy ShowSelf · 1 eps
1956
The Bell Telephone HourSelf · 5 eps
1959
The Mike Douglas ShowSelf - Co-Host · 1 eps
1961
The Merv Griffin ShowSelf · 2 eps
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 1 eps
1962
Run for Your LifeHardie Rankin · 1 eps
1965
Here's LucyStanley Livingston · 1 eps
1968
Great PerformancesSelf · 1 eps
1971
The QuestShanghai Pierce · 1 eps
1976
The Love BoatDuncan Harlow · 1 eps
1977
DallasClayton Farlow · 222 eps
1978
Murder, She WroteLarry Thorson · 1 eps
1984
Good SportsSonny Gordon · 2 eps
1991
Walker, Texas RangerD. L. Dade · 1 eps
1993
LegendsSelf (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1 eps
2006
LegendsWild Bill Hickok (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1 eps
2006

Photos

Howard Keel photo
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