Ranny Weeks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
February 25, 1907
- Bandleader
- naval officer
- university administrator
- actor
Ranny Weeks | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Weeks in Bill Cracks Down (1937) | |
| Born | Randall Webster Weeks February 25, 1907 Everett, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1979 (aged 72) Falmouth, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1928–1965 |
Randall Webster Weeks (February 25, 1907 – April 26, 1979) was an American bandleader, actor, naval commander, and university administrator.
Weeks was born in 1907 in Everett, Massachusetts. His father, William E. Weeks, was a politician who served as Mayor of Everett and was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Weeks attended Everett High School and played quarterback for the school's football team. However, his family moved to Reading, Massachusetts, before he finished school. After graduating from Reading High School, Weeks attended Boston University's Business and Law schools, but left in 1929 due to a lack of funds.[1]
Music
In 1928, Weeks began spending his summers singing and playing piano at a coffee house in Hyannis, Massachusetts, to help pay for school. After leaving school he joined Bert Lowe's Orchestra and later formed his own band.[1] In 1929 and 1930, Weeks recorded as a vocalist with the Colonial Club Orchestra.[2] In 1930, Ranny Weeks and his Red Cross Aristocrats were given a weekly show on WBZ radio.[3] From 1930 to 1932, Weeks led the I. J. Fox Fur Trappers Orchestra, which was heard twice a week on WEEI.[4] On March 13, 1931, Ranny Weeks & His Orchestra recorded four songs for Brunswick Records.[2] In 1934 he was hired to conduct a permanent orchestra in the RKO Boston Theatre.[5]
Acting
In 1932, Weeks made his film debut in It Happened in Paris, a musical remake of The Two Orphans.[6] In 1937, Herbert Yates signed Weeks to a contract with Republic Pictures. He appeared in ten films for the company, including a starring role in Bill Cracks Down.[1]
