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.
Acted in
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1964
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1964
as Curley Jones
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1964
as Chief Curley Jones
Grindl
1963
Going My Way
1962
Pete and Gladys
1960
Guns of the Timberland
1960
as Logger
Hennesey
1959
Bonanza
1959
as Bearcat Sampson
Up Periscope
1959
as Chief Petty Officer York
The Texan
1958
as Joe
Bombers B-52
1957
as Calvin (uncredited)
The Thin Man
1957
as Tom Culdane
The Thin Man
1957
as Sandy - Henchman
The Thin Man
1957
Sierra Stranger
1957
as Bartender Matt
U.S. Marshall
1956
as Pinto
Hey, Jeannie!
1956
as Guy
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
Army Daze
1956
as Sergeant Bonebreaker
I'll Cry Tomorrow
1955
as Man in Bar (uncredited)
Illegal
1955
as Taylor
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing
1955
as Prisoner (uncredited)
Navy Log
1955
It's Always Fair Weather
1955
as Drunk in Bar (uncredited)
Love Me or Leave Me
1955
as Bouncer
New York Confidential
1955
as Gino
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
1955
as Brakeman (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Father with Nine Kids (uncredited)
The Human Jungle
1954
as Matty
A Star Is Born
1954
as Cuddles (uncredited)
Tobor the Great
1954
as Paul (Spy Henchman)
Fireman Save My Child
1954
as Harry
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
1954
as Maurice
Public Defender
1954
as Murphy
New Faces
1954
as Mr. Dee (uncredited)
Hell and High Water
1954
as McCrossin (uncredited)
Yukon Vengeance
1954
as Schmidt
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
1953
as Stroogo (uncredited)
The Glory Brigade
1953
as Sgt. 'Smitty' Smitkowsky
Down Among the Sheltering Palms
1953
as First Sergeant Jones
Target Hong Kong
1953
as Dutch Pfeifer
The Life Of Riley
1953
as Feeney's Big Goon (uncredited)
The Life Of Riley
1953
as Otto Schmidlap
The Life Of Riley
1953
as Otto Schmidlapp
The Life Of Riley
1953
as Otto
The Life Of Riley
1953
The Abbott and Costello Show
1952
as Mulligan
No Holds Barred
1952
as Mike the Mauler
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
1952
as Fish Truck Driver
Cavalcade of America
1952
as Ernie
Adventures of Superman
1952
as Crusher (uncredited)
Aim, Fire, Scoot
1952
as Sgt. Bonebreaker
Red Skies of Montana
1952
as Dawson (uncredited)
Fixed Bayonets!
1951
as Vogl (uncredited)
I Love Lucy
1951
as Trainer (uncredited)
Love Nest
1951
as George Thompson
You Never Can Tell
1951
as Gorilla / Prisoner (uncredited)
The Guy Who Came Back
1951
as Wizard, Wrestler
Racket Squad
1951
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951
A Snitch in Time
1950
as Steve (uncredited)
South Sea Sinner
1950
as Bartender
Jiggs and Maggie Out West
1950
as 'Bomber' Kulkowich (as Henry Kulkowich)
Alias the Champ
1949
as Bomber Kulkovich - Wrestler
The Red Danube
1949
as Russian Officer at Camp 12 Deportation
Mighty Joe Young
1949
as Strong Man (uncredited)
Tarzan's Magic Fountain
1949
as Vredak
A Foreign Affair
1948
as Russian Sergeant (uncredited)
Call Northside 777
1948
as First Bartender (uncredited)
To the Ends of the Earth
1948
as Giant Chinese Man (uncredited)
A Likely Story
1947
as Tremendo