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Bennett Kilpatrick, biopic.

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William Bennett Kilpatrick was born on February 6, 1883 in Long Melford,

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and died on August 17, 1962 in Santa Monica.

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He was better known just as Bennett Kilpatrick, an actor, director and playwright.

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He is best known for his performances in the title role of NBC's Mr Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons.

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The drama was one of the longest running shows on the wireless, from October 12, 1937,

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till April 19, 1955, which continued well into the television era.

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Bennett Kilpatrick was the third of seven children born to William Gilbert Kilpatrick, a clergyman, and Maria Theresa Hanekon.

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Kilpatrick claims lineal descent from the poet Alfred Tennyson.

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He attended school in Sutton, the principal town of the London borough of Sutton in South London, England,

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and then at St John's College, Finsbury Technical College, and the London Oratory School.

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He immigrated to Canada for his first job as an apprentice in the locomotive factory,

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where he graduated as an electrical engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal.

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Later, he moved to the USA, but unable to find a job in engineering, he became an actor.

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Kilpatrick's first acting job was as Michael Cascio in Orthello.

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World War I interrupted his career when he became a member of the Royal Flying Corps.

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After the war, he returned to acting and toured with Sir Philip Ben Greets' Shakespearean players,

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and had several important parts in Broadway plays.

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In 1927, he was given the lead role in The Wayside Inn, an early radio serial.

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He subsequently played the part of Cepheus in Way Back Home, which was presented on radio and as a film,

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with Philip's Lord as Seth Parker.

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As a radio serial, it was also known as Sunday Night at Seth Parker's.

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Kilpatrick made his CBS debut in 1935 in Vanished Voices,

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and subsequently played roles in CBS radio in Ill Top House, Gang Busters, The Goldbergs, The Shadow, and Grand Central Station.

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Kilpatrick began his run as Mr Keen in 1937.

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For 18 years, Keen and his faithful assistant Mike Clancy entertained followers

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with their intuitive perception that kept listeners coming back for more.

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With 1,690 nationwide broadcasts, Mr Keen was the most resilient private detective in the namesake role.

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The nearest competitors were Nick Carter, Master Detective, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Adventures of the Falcon.

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Over a span of 13 years, Benner appeared on nearly 1,300 of the 1,700 broadcasts,

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and at the age of 67 he made his last appearance as Mr Keen on October 26, 1950, the show's 1,314th broadcast.

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For the Old Time Radio Researchers, I'm Paul Hudson, your announcer.