JOSEPH KEARNS

February 12, 1907

Joseph Sherrard Kearns

was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but his family moved to California when he was very young. His mother was a concert pianist, from whom Kearns derived his love of music. He and his family were devout Mormons, whose ancestors were Mormon pioneers. In 1916 he joined The Rising Generation, a vaudeville troupe. He studied at the University of Utah, teaching a course in theatrical make-up to fund his tuition. After graduating from college, he briefly tried his hand at wool buying but soon gave up the wool business and pursued a show business career.

Kearns began his acting career in radio in the 1930s with appearances on “The Adventures of Sam Spade”, “Burns and Allen”, and dozens of other shows. Kearns played the security guard for Jack Benny’s underground money vault, on “The Jack Benny Program”. Coincidentally, he briefly played banker Rudolph Atterbury on Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband,” until the role was assumed by Gale Gordon, an actor who would figure prominently in Kearns’ career. 

He made his television debut as himself on a March 14, 1950, episode of “The Alan Young Show” guest starring Milton Berle. That same year he acted on television for the first time in the TV film “Let’s Join Joanie” starring Joan Davis. 

He reteamed with Davis for her TV series “I Married Joan” doing five episodes from 1953 to 1955. He had previously done a dozen episodes of “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” from 1951 to 1954. 

Kearns made his film debut in Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) and that same year was the voice of the Doorknob in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951). 

He did his first episode of “I Love Lucy” playing psychiatrist Tom Robinson in “The Kleptomaniac” (ILL S1;E27) filmed on March 7, 1952 and first aired on April 14, 1952. 

From 1953 to 1959, he did nine episodes of “Our Miss Brooks” shot at Desilu playing School Superintendent Edgar T. Stone with Gale Gordon as Principal Osgood Conklin.  

In his second “I Love Lucy” appearance, Kearns played the theatre manager in “Lucy’s Night in Town” (ILL S6;E22) filmed on February 21,1957 and first aired on March 25, 1957. 

That same year (1957) he did an episode of “The Danny Thomas Show” filmed at Desilu Studios and did his third and final episode of Desilu’s “December Bride”. His first time on the series in 1956, he played Desi Arnaz’s manager (above) in an episode that featured Arnaz (the show’s producer) as himself. 

Later in 1957, he returned to Desilu for an episode of “The Real McCoys” starring Richard Crenna and Walter Brennan. He also was at the studio for an episode of the short-lived “Angel” in 1960. 

From 1953 to 1961, Kearns reprised many of his radio bits with Jack Benny on television in “The Jack Benny Program.”  

In the fall of 1959, he created the role he would be best known for – and would ultimately be his last. Mr. George Wilson on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” appearing in 96 episodes starting with the very first. When he passed away during the show’s final season, his “Our Miss Brooks” co-star Gale Gordon took over for him, playing his brother John. Luckily for Lucille Ball, the series was canceled soon after, allowing Gordon to re-join Ball on “The Lucy Show.” 

Kearns never married nor had any children.

He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died on February 17, 1962, just five days after his 55th birthday.