Alan Young

Alan Young was married three times. He first got married to Mary Anne Grimes in 1941. Alan and Mary divorced in 1947. Alan has two children from this first marriage.

Alan next got married to Virginia Mccurdy in 1948. This relationship lasted a little more than four decades, and ended in 1995.

Alan, later got married to a woman named Mary Chipman for a period of just one year, from 1996 to 1997.

Alan Young was born on 19 November 1919 to Florence Pinckney and John Cathcart Young in North Shields, England. Alan’s father worked at a dockyard, whereas his mother’s ancestors were involved in the American freedom struggle.

Alan, along with his parents, moved to Scotland first and later relocated to Canada. At a very young age he was diagnosed with Asthma, which left him bedridden for quite a while. During this time, Alan frequently listened to the radio, which motivated him to pursue a career in the same.

Alan made his debut on radio at the tender age of 13. After a few years, he wrote and performed on his exclusive show for radio.

During World War II, Alan tried to join the Royal Canadian Navy and then the Canadian Army, but wasn't able to make the cut because of his poor health.

For almost a decade, starting from 1944, Alan grabbed the attention of the American audiences through the ‘Alan Young Show’. The show first started on radio and then moved to television. This sitcom saw Young portray the role of a Bank Teller, and won much acclaim for his work.

In 1946, Alan stepped into the world of Cinema. He made his debut through the film ‘Margie’ which released that year. This romantic comedy flick saw Alan play a small role, that of Roy Hornsdale.

In 1949, Alan starred in another film named ‘Chicken Every Sunday’, yet another comedy film where his work went largely unnoticed.

By 1951, the ‘Alan Young Show’ had become one of the most popular shows of American television history back then. It was during the same time that Alan grabbed a big opportunity in the form of ‘Androcles and The Lion’. The movie saw him play the lead role.

The rest of the 1950’s saw Alan Young appear in several films such as ‘Gentlemen Marry Brunettes’, ‘Tom Thumb’ and ‘The Time Machine’.

Other than the widely acclaimed ‘The Alan Young Show’, one of Alan’s other famous works is ‘Androcles and The Lion’. This film which is an adaptation of a play conceived by famous theatre person George Bernard Shaw, saw Alan play the protagonist ‘Androcles’. The movie revolves around a fugitive Christian tailor, who tries to escape the wrath of Roman persecutors.

Alan Young became a household name because of his performance on the famous television show ‘Mister Ed’. This show which was aired on CBS from 1961 to 1966 saw Alan portray the role of an architect called Wilbur Post. The story revolved around Wilbur and his horse Mister Ed. The chemistry between the two was well appreciated by audiences and critics alike.