Fred Kelsey
Born
August 20, 1884
Died
September 2, 1961 (77 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Frederick Alvin Kelsey (August 20, 1884 – September 2, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Kelsey directed one- and two-reel films for Universal Film Manufacturing Company. He appeared in more than 400 films between 1911 and 1958, often playing policemen or detectives. He also directed 37 films between 1914 and 1920. Kelsey was caricatured as the detective in the 1943 MGM cartoon Who Killed Who? directed by Tex Avery. He was born in Sandusky, Ohio and died at the Motion Picture Country Home in Hollywood, California, aged 77.
Known For

Westbound
Townsman (uncredited)
1959

Auntie Mame
Front Row Audience at Play (uncredited)
1958

The Opposite Sex
Club Patron (uncredited)
1956

Serenade
Opera Attendee (uncredited)
1956

Illegal
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
1955

To Catch a Thief
Party Guest (uncredited)
1955

Tall Man Riding
Townsman (uncredited)
1955

Outlaw's Son
1954

The Silver Chalice
Silversmith (uncredited)
1954
So You Want to Know Your Relatives
Mr. Watson (uncredited)
1954

A Star Is Born
Audience Member (uncredited)
1954

Lucky Me
Passerby on Street (uncredited)
1954
So You Think You Can't Sleep
Sleeping patient in waiting room
1953

Crime Wave
Old Man Crossing Street (uncredited)
1953

Murder Without Tears
Sergeant-at-Arms
1953
So You Want to Be a Musician
Restaurant diner
1953

Hans Christian Andersen
First Gendarme
1952

Springfield Rifle
Barfly (uncredited)
1952

O. Henry's Full House
Mr. Schultz (segment "The Gift of the Magi")
1952
So You Want to Enjoy Life
Boat Salesman / Flugleman's Assistant (uncredited)
1952

My Six Convicts
Store Detective
1952

Room for One More
1952

Strangers on a Train
Tennis Match Spectator / Carnival Attendee (uncredited)
1951

Goodbye, My Fancy
Party Guest (Uncredited)
1951

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Doc Jones (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1951

The Enforcer
1951

Storm Warning
Townsman (uncredited)
1951

Revenue Agent
Sgt. Wallace
1950
So You Want a Raise
1950

The Flame and the Arrow
Guard (uncredited)
1950
So You Want to Hold Your Husband
Lamb - Curry's Partner
1950

The Damned Don't Cry
Man on Dock (uncredited)
1950
So You Think You're Not Guilty
Police Turnkey (uncredited)
1950

Backfire
Fight Fan (uncredited)
1950

The Inspector General
Villager (uncredited)
1949
So You Want to Be an Actor
Counter Man
1949

Dancing in the Dark
Deputy
1949
So You Want to Be a Muscle Man
Delivery Man
1949

The Fountainhead
Old Watchman (uncredited)
1949

Colorado Territory
Train Engineer (uncredited)
1949

Flamingo Road
Train Conductor (uncredited)
1949

Homicide
Officer O'Brien
1949

The Noose Hangs High
Cop (uncredited)
1948
So You Want an Apartment
Apartment Manager with a Vacancy (uncredited)
1948

The Unfaithful
Courtroom Spectator
1947

Nora Prentiss
Turnkey (uncredited)
1947

So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck
Fred
1946

The Man I Love
Mac the Doorman (uncredited)
1946
Andy Plays Hookey
Policeman
1946

Never Say Goodbye
Policeman (uncredited)
1946
So You Want to Play the Horses
Detective (uncredited)
1946

Night and Day
First-Nighter (uncredited)
1946

A Stolen Life
Bartender (uncredited)
1946

Hiss and Yell
Policeman (uncredited)
1946

Three Strangers
Man on the Street / Man in Pub
1946

Detour to Danger
Det. Kelsey
1946

How DOooo You Do
Detective
1945

Frontier Days
Mayor Stone (uncredited)
1945

Saratoga Trunk
Train Conductor (uncredited)
1945

Mildred Pierce
Bumped First Night Diner (uncredited)
1945

Come Out Fighting
Mr. McGinnis, Sr. (as Fred Kelsy)
1945

If a Body Meets a Body
Detective
1945

Christmas in Connecticut
Harper (uncredited)
1945

Snooper Service
1945

The Strange Mr. Gregory
Lefert
1945

Crime by Night
Dad Martin (uncredited)
1944

Make Your Own Bed
Turnkey
1944

Trial by Trigger
Jerry (uncredited)
1944

Mr. Skeffington
Cop in Raid (uncredited)
1944

Roaring Guns
1944

A Gem of a Jam
Police Chief
1943

True to Life
Cop (uncredited)
1943

Old Acquaintance
Train Conductor / Man at Radio Broadcast (uncredited)
1943

Food and Magic
1943

Northern Pursuit
Train Conductor (uncredited)
1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars
Pub Waiter in Errol Flynn Number (uncredited)
1943

Murder on the Waterfront
Capt. Beal
1943

Here Comes Mr. Zerk
Policeman
1943

Action in the North Atlantic
Joe (uncredited)
1943

One Dangerous Night
Detective Dickens
1943

Gentleman Jim
Sutro (uncredited)
1942

X Marks the Spot
Police Officer Martin
1942
Dear! Deer!
Policeman
1942

Counter-Espionage
Dickens
1942
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
Policeman (uncredited)
1942

Spy Ship
Night Watchman
1942

In This Our Life
Jailer (uncredited)
1942

Larceny, Inc.
Bronson
1942

Murder in the Big House
"Screw"
1942

I Was Framed
Drunk
1942

My Favorite Blonde
Sam - Policeman
1942

Lady Gangster
Policeman (uncredited)
1942

Bullet Scars
Police Chief Hansen
1942

Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Jailer
1942

Pacific Blackout
Cop
1941

The Man Who Came to Dinner
Detective (uncredited)
1941

They Died with Their Boots On
Ft. Lincoln Bartender (uncredited)
1941

At the Stroke of Twelve
Police Sergeant
1941

Secrets of the Lone Wolf
Wesley Dickens
1941

One Foot in Heaven
Train Conductor (uncredited)
1941

Invisible Ghost
Detective Ryan
1941

Mr. District Attorney
Officer McCloskey
1941

The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance
Detective Dickens
1941

Misbehaving Husbands
Sgt. Murphy
1940

The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date
Dickens
1940

Mexican Spitfire Out West
Jim - Detective
1940

The Green Archer
Capt. Thompson
1940

The Golden Fleecing
Cop (uncredited)
1940

Deadwood Dick
Bottles
1940

The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady
Dickens
1940
Mutiny in the County
Policeman
1940

The Lone Wolf Strikes
Dickens
1940

High School
Junk Man
1940

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
Bailiff
1940

Too Busy to Work
Hank Fidler
1939

Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
Pete - Railroad Detective
1939

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
Detective - in Cab and at Theatre
1939

Chicken Wagon Family
Policeman
1939

Charlie Chan in Reno
Reno Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
1939

Tell No Tales
Policeman at School (uncredited)
1939

Moving Vanities
Police Officer (uncredited)
1939

Clock Wise
Landlord
1939

Rough Riders' Round-up
Agitator
1939

Tiny Troubles
Judge
1939

Down on the Farm
Bit Role
1938

Straight, Place and Show
Cop at Racetrack
1938

Many Sappy Returns
Finnegan
1938

Josette
Hotel Detective
1938

Safety in Numbers
Cop
1938
Berth Quakes
Train Conductor
1938

Night Spot
Police Band Leader
1938

Everybody's Doing It
Police Sergeant
1938

Love and Hisses
Officer
1937

Borrowing Trouble
Policeman
1937

That I May Live
Abner Jenkins
1937

One Mile from Heaven
Smitty - Policeman
1937

The Lady Escapes
Man on telephone (uncredited)
1937

Wild and Woolly
Policeman (uncredited)
1937

Super-Sleuth
Jailer
1937

She Had to Eat
Police Officer Tracy (uncredited)
1937

Big Business
Oil Man at Well
1937

Slave Ship
Seaman at Auction
1937

Angel's Holiday
Conductor
1937

Love Is News
Cop (uncredited)
1937

Time Out for Romance
Policeman
1937

High Tension
Desk Sergeant
1936

Private Number
Detective in Ellen's Apartment (Uncredited)
1936

The Witness Chair
Detective Costigan
1936

At Sea Ashore
Cop (uncredited)
1936

The Little Red Schoolhouse
First Detective
1936

The Garden Murder Case
Heath's Assistant (Uncredited)
1936

The Sagebrush Troubadour
Hank Polk
1935
Hot Money
Police Officer Kelsey (as Fred A. Kelsey)
1935

The Public Menace
Mike - Cop
1935

Diamond Jim
Horsley's Secretary
1935

Atlantic Adventure
Police Officer Riley
1935

Danger Ahead
Detective O'Brien
1935

One Frightened Night
Sheriff Jenks
1935

Death Flies East
Police Lieutenant O'Brien
1935

Carnival
Bit Part
1935

A Notorious Gentleman
1935

Horses' Collars
Detective Hyden Zeke (uncredited)
1935

Lightning Strikes Twice
Dugan
1934

Among the Missing
Police Sgt. Murphy
1934
I'll Be Suing You
Insurance Adjustor
1934

Twentieth Century
Train Detective (uncredited)
1934

Rough Necking
Joe Cuttlehammer Sr.
1934

I'll Tell the World
Sergeant at Border
1934
Strictly Fresh Yeggs
Policeman
1934

School for Girls
Detective
1934

The Crime Doctor
Bloodgood
1934

Beloved
Mulvaney
1934

The Moth
Detective Blake
1934
Quiet Please!
Train Conductor
1933

Sailor's Luck
Cop
1933

King of the Jungle
Cop (uncredited)
1933

The Crime of the Century
Police Guard (uncredited)
1933
Boys Will Be Boys
Doorman
1932

If I Had a Million
Prison Jailer (uncredited)
1932

Red Haired Alibi
Corcoran
1932
Yoo-Hoo
Detective
1932

Speak Easily
Process Server
1932
The Iceman's Ball
Police Sergeant
1932

Guilty as Hell
Detective Duffy
1932

Huddle
Policeman (uncredited)
1932

Love in High Gear
Detective Duffy
1932
Shopping with Wifie
Det. Dugan
1932

Discarded Lovers
Delaney
1932

Side Show
Sheriff Hornsby
1931

Young Donovan's Kid
Collins
1931

Subway Express
Detective Kearney
1931

Scandal Sheet
Detective Sgt. Vincent Molloy
1931

The Naughty Flirt
Policeman (uncredited)
1931

Going Wild
The Conductor
1930

Only Saps Work
Murphy (uncredited)
1930
She Got What She Wanted
1930

Men Without Law
Deputy Sheriff Jeff
1930

Scarlet Pages
Murphy
1930

Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 1
Self - Tour Guide
1930

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case
Chief of Detectives (uncredited)
1930

Road to Paradise
Casey
1930

The Girl Said No
Policeman
1930

Wide Open
Detective
1930

Murder on the Roof
Ryan
1930

The Woman Racket
Police Captain
1930

Smiling Irish Eyes
County Fair Manager
1929

The Donovan Affair
Carney
1929

Wrong Again
1929

The Faker
Police Detective
1929

The Last Warning
Inspector
1928

Naughty Baby
Dugan
1928

A Woman of Affairs
Detective (uncredited)
1928

On Trial
Clerk
1928
Plastered in Paris
1928

The Wright Idea
M. T. Flatt
1928

Harold Teen
Mr. Lovewell
1928

Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
Detective
1928

Tenderloin
Detective Simpson
1928

While the City Sleeps
Detective in Shadow Box
1928

The Gorilla
Mulligan
1927

The 13th Juror
The Detective
1927

The Thirteenth Hour
Det. Shaw
1927

Soft Cushions
The Police
1927

Jewish Prudence
Rent Collector
1927

Orchids and Ermine
Police Sergeant
1927

There Ain't No Santa Claus
Store Detective (uncredited)
1926

The Third Degree
Assistant Chief of Detectives
1926

Atta Boy
Detective
1926

Bromo and Juliet
The Detective (uncredited)
1926

Crazy Like a Fox
Man with Badge on Train (uncredited)
1926

Say It with Babies
Policeman
1926
The Mystery Pilot
Skipper Larsen
1926
That's My Baby
Murphy
1926

Dog Shy
Cop
1926

The Uneasy Three
1925

Seven Sinners
Policeman
1925

Seven Keys to Baldpate
1925

Little Annie Rooney
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
1925

The Lawful Cheater
Tom Horan
1925

Paths to Paradise
Confederate
1925

Friendly Enemies
1925

Excuse Me
George Ketchem
1925

The Yankee Consul
Agent John J. Doyle
1924

The Night Hawk
1924

Lights Out
Decker
1923

Bag and Baggage
Fred
1923

The Eleventh Hour
The Submarine Commander
1923

Souls for Sale
Detective Quinn (uncredited)
1923

Lovebound
Detective Hahn
1923

Captain Fly-by-Night
Gomez
1922

Deserted at the Altar
The Other Man
1922

Manslaughter
Member of the Jury (uncredited)
1922

Don't Shoot
Police Officer
1922

South of Suva
Karl Swartz
1922

One Clear Call
Starnes
1922

The Song of Life
Police Inspector
1922

There Are No Villains
Dugall
1921

The Last Card
Detective (uncredited)
1921
Puppets of Fate
Bobs
1921

Alias Jimmy Valentine
Bit Part (uncredited)
1920

The Fire Flingers
Sgt. Powers
1919

The Silk Lined Burglar
Capt. von Hoffmeier
1919

The Light of Victory
Captain Eric von Prohme
1919

The Yellow Dog
Max Kummich
1918

A Society Sensation
JIm Cox
1918

The Empty Cab
The Detective
1918
The Honor of an Outlaw
The Deputy
1917

Arms and the Gringo
1914
Silent Sandy
Silent Sandy
1914
A Left Hook
1911