Thursday, May 23, 2013

1947 Indy 500 - Fame and the 500


The Indy 500 and celebrity have always gone together, and in this photograph from the August 1947 issue of Popular Mechanics we get a chance to see evidence of that connection. Keenan Wynn came into the world under the extravagant moniker Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn. He was the son of vaudeville comedian, perfect fool, Disney voice of the Mad Hatter, and early variety show host, Ed Wynn.
To be honest, I didn't recognize Keenan Wynn's name until I checked out his list of film credits. He appeared in hundreds of television and movie rolls over his long career including A World of His Own one of two Twilight Zone episodes in which Wynn would feature.

Wynn also made appearances on the big screen, including roles in Annie Get Your Gun along side Betty Hutton and Howard Keel, Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, Kiss Me Kate, A Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson, The Absent Minded Professor, and Dr. Strangelove with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott.
Some amazing photos and the great story of Keenan Wynn’s little Alfa Romeo’s history can be found on the Hemmings Motor News site.

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