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(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)
Mid 1920s


(Courtesy of Donna Patterson)
1935		  
(From Old Corral collection)
1939


(From Old Corral collection)
1946


On the trail of Charles La Fayette King, Jr. (1895 - 1957)

Various tradezines from about 1917 - late 1920s have lots about Charlie and his years doing "Mike and Ike" and "The Excuse Makers" comedy shorts for the Stern Brothers and Universal. Below are a few about his early movie period ... and marriage and alimony problems:

Family Search (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Death Certificate, newspapers and trade publications provide more on Charlie King anf family. Some tidbits:

Existing King biographies have him born in Hillsboro, Texas (which is about 60 miles south of Dallas and Fort Worth). That appears to be incorrect. On his World War I and World War II draft registrations, Charlie listed his birth location as Whitesboro, Texas which is about 80 miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth. Charlie and his father are interred at Oak Wood Cemetery, Whitesboro, Grayson County, Texas.

Charlie and first wife Pauline Dorothy Nelson had two sons, Charles Lafayette King III (1920 - 1990) and William Nelson King (1923 - 2005). At the time of the 1930 census, Charlie and Pauline were divorced and the two boys were living apart - Charles III was with Charlie in Los Angeles and William was living with Pauline's mother in Long Beach, California.

Marriage number two was to Dorothy G. Klauber in 1927 and the marriage license has her occupation as "Actress - Stage". Her mother's maiden name was Murray, and Dorothy's stage name was "Dorothy Murray".

There was a third marriage - to Ellen Etoile Dier who was born about 1911 in British Columbia. Son Robert Lafayette King was born February 9, 1928. Etoile and Charlie are living with Etoile's mother Gertrude Dier in the 1930 census and the info is a confusing mess (and I've highlighted that below with an ❋). In the 1940 census, they're married. But there's no trace of Robert in those 1930 and 1940 census records (which could be an error by the census taker).

Find A Grave website notes that Charlie and his father are interred at Oak Wood Cemetery, Whitesboro, Grayson County, Texas:
     Charlie: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=87441452
     Dr. Charles L. King I: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24960492


Charlie's three wives

Charlie's first wife, Pauline Dorothy Nelson (1891 - 1981):

Charlie married Pauline Dorothy Nelson on December 14, 1919 in Los Angeles, and they had two sons, Charles King III (1910 - 1990) and William Nelson King (1923 - 2005). They divorced in the mid 1920s. In the 1930 census, their two sons were living apart - Charles III was with Charlie in Los Angeles and William was with Pauline's mother in Long Beach, California.

In 1946, Pauline married noted movie still photographer Sherman Clark (1900 - 1978).

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Sherman Clark: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164510


Charlie's second wife, Dorothy Klauber / stage name of "Dorothy Murray":

Charlie married 18 year old Dorothy G. Klauber on April 5, 1927 in Los Angeles, and her occupation was "Actress - Stage". Her mother's maiden name was Murray, and Dorothy's stage name was "Dorothy Murray". Have not found any divorce records on Charlie and Dorothy. And there were only a few traces of a "Dorothy Murray" in trade publications circa 1927 - early 1930s.


Charlie's third wife, Ellen Etoile Dier:

Have not found any marriage or divorce records on Charlie and Etoile.


Charlie's three kids

Charlie's son #1 - Charles Lafayette King III (1920 - 1990):

Charles III was born December 30, 1920 to Charlie and Pauline Dorothy Nelson King, and he became a movie sound technician. He began his film and TV work circa 1950 and retired as a sound mixer in 1989. In TV, he worked on "The Six Million Dollar Man", "Bionic Woman", "Wagon Train", and many other series. His film work included SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Universal, 1980) which starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

Variety tradepaper and newspapers had news on his death: 69 year old Charles L. King was shot and killed by an intruder in his Hollywood apartment just before midnight on June 29, 1990. After retirement from the movie business, he was training as the apartment manager in the complex where he was killed. Survivors were his wife Suzy; son Clark, a sound mixer; brother Bill Clark, a cameraman; and brother Robert.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on sound technician Charles 'Chuck' King (1920 - 1990) - the IMDb credits for him which go beyond his death date: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454383



(Courtesy of Parry Hall)

Above from L-to-R are Buster Crabbe, Eddie Hall, Charlie King and Al St. John in a lobby card from SHADOWS OF DEATH (PRC, 1945).

Years ago, Parry Hall provided biography info on his father, actor Eddie Hall. Parry also provided background on his parents ... and Charlie King's oldest son was mentioned:

"My dad and his first wife Pat had a Las Vegas wedding ceremony in May, 1944, but the couple later divorced. Pat later married baddie Charlie King's son, Charles 'Chuck' King, Jr., who was a film sound technician."

(See the August 6, 1954 marriage license above for Charles Lafayette King, III and Patricia Helene Hall.)


Charlie's son #2, William Nelson King (1923 - 2005) ... who became William Nelson Clark:

William Nelson King was born June 12, 1923 to Charlie and Pauline Dorothy Nelson King, and he became a movie camera operator. After Pauline and Charlie split and divorced, William lived with Pauline and her family. In 1946, Pauline married noted movie photographer Sherman Clark. Unsure if William did a formal/legal name change to "Clark" ... or if he just began using that last name.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on camera operator William Nelson King who became William Nelson Clark (1923 - 2005): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164618


Charlie's son #3, Robert Lafayette King (1928 - 1999):

Robert Lafayette King was born February 9, 1928 to Charlie and Etoile Dier. Charlie and Etoile are together in the 1930 and 1940 census ... but Robert is not there (though that could be an error by the census taker).


The "other" Charles King - Charles Joseph King (1886? - 1944)



CHASING RAINBOWS (MGM, 1930) was Charles King's second musical with Bessie Love.		 Some biographies on our Charlie King, B western bad guy, have him mixed up with a baritone singer and stage and vaudeville actor Charles King (1886? - 1944).

Charles Joseph King was a successful Broadway star and circa 1929, he began a brief career in Hollywood musicals. His film debut was THE BROADWAY MELODY (MGM, 1929) with Bessie Love.

By the mid 1930s, King exited Tinseltown and returned to the stage. He passed away in 1944 while on a USO tour in England.

Biography of Charles Joseph King at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_King_(musical_actor)

The Internet Broadway Database has King in over twenty New York plays scattered over the years 1908 - 1942: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/charles-king-48100

  Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Charles King, Hollywood musical star: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454558/



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