Acting
Henry Kulky
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.
Filmography
A Global Affair
Film · 1964
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Series · 1964
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Series · 1964
Grindl
Series · 1963
Going My Way
Series · 1962
Guns of the Timberland
Film · 1960
Pete and Gladys
Series · 1960
Up Periscope
Film · 1959
Hennesey
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
The Texan
Series · 1958
U.S. Marshall
Series · 1958
Sierra Stranger
Film · 1957
Bombers B-52
Film · 1957
The Thin Man
Series · 1957
The Thin Man
Series · 1957
The Thin Man
Series · 1957
Maverick
Series · 1957
Army Daze
Film · 1956
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Series · 1956
Hey, Jeannie!
Series · 1956
New York Confidential
Film · 1955
Illegal
Film · 1955
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
Film · 1955
It's Always Fair Weather
Film · 1955
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Film · 1955
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing
Film · 1955
Love Me or Leave Me
Film · 1955
Navy Log
Series · 1955
The Human Jungle
Film · 1954
Fireman Save My Child
Film · 1954
Tobor the Great
Film · 1954
A Star Is Born
Film · 1954
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Film · 1954
Hell and High Water
Film · 1954
Yukon Vengeance
Film · 1954
New Faces
Film · 1954
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Film · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
Public Defender
Series · 1954
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
Film · 1953
Target Hong Kong
Film · 1953
Down Among the Sheltering Palms
Film · 1953
The Glory Brigade
Film · 1953
The Life Of Riley
Series · 1953
The Life Of Riley
Series · 1953
No Holds Barred
Film · 1952
Aim, Fire, Scoot
Film · 1952
Red Skies of Montana
Film · 1952
The World in His Arms
Film · 1952
What Price Glory
Film · 1952
Adventures of Superman
Series · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Series · 1952
The Abbott and Costello Show
Series · 1952
Fixed Bayonets!
Film · 1951
You Never Can Tell
Film · 1951
The Guy Who Came Back
Film · 1951
Love Nest
Film · 1951
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Series · 1951
Racket Squad
Series · 1951
The Red Skelton Show
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
The Red Skelton Show
Series · 1951
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Series · 1951
Jiggs and Maggie Out West
Film · 1950
A Snitch in Time
Film · 1950
South Sea Sinner
Film · 1950
Alias the Champ
Film · 1949
Mighty Joe Young
Film · 1949
Tarzan's Magic Fountain
Film · 1949
The Red Danube
Film · 1949
Call Northside 777
Film · 1948
To the Ends of the Earth
Film · 1948
A Foreign Affair
Film · 1948
A Likely Story
Film · 1947