Chet Stratton

Born into a theatrical family, Chet would become a prolific film, radio-television, and stage actor and singer. Starting when very young, Chet toured as a child in repertory shows and in vaudeville. He studied at the University of Alabama and Rutgers University and later appeared on Broadway in White Oaks with Ethel Barrymore in [The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), as well as with Katharine Cornell, and many others. Chet also had much stage work, appearing in a number of plays including The Live Wire, The Connecticut Yankee, and Man and Superman. He played radio's Hop Harrigan, and was the lead player for a decade on The O'Neills, as well as appearing on The Lux Radio Theater, Schlitz Playhouse, and more. When the television era dawned, Chet appeared on many programs from both Hollywood and New York and was a frequent talk-show guest. A lot of people will definitely recall him from his many appearances as part of a stock troop who worked with Jack Webb in the late 1960s version of Dragnet 1967 (1967). When acting jobs were scarce, he supported himself by driving a furniture delivery truck and selling washing machines, even sailing to Europe aboard an oil tanker.