Joe Kirk

TV Actor

Joe Kirk was born in New York City, New York, United States on October 1st, 1903 and is the TV Actor. At the age of 71, Joe Kirk biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

Date of Birth
October 1, 1903
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, United States
Death Date
Apr 16, 1975 (age 71)
Zodiac Sign
Libra
Profession
Actor, Television Actor
Joe Kirk Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 71 years old, Joe Kirk physical status not available right now. We will update Joe Kirk's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Height
Not Available
Weight
Not Available
Hair Color
Not Available
Eye Color
Not Available
Build
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Measurements
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Joe Kirk Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Not Available
Joe Kirk Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Marie Katherine Cristillo (?; div. 1953), Elizabeth Joan Walker (?; his death 1975)
Children
2
Dating / Affair
Not Available
Parents
Not Available
Siblings
Lou Costello (brother-in-law)
Joe Kirk Career

Kirk was a regular voice actor on Abbott and Costello's radio show during World War II and the postwar era of the 1940s. In addition to his ongoing—and best-known—role as Mr. Bacciagalupe, the highly excitable Italian neighbor, Kirk played many other bit parts on the show as well.

As Mr. Bacciagalupe, Kirk spoke with a thick Sicilian-American accent; his surname as well was pronounced in the Sicilian manner and not in proper Italian. When excited, Mr. Bacciagalupe frequently made improvized asides in the Italian language, which were obviously appreciated by many in the audience. Lou Costello, who was Italian-American himself, also understood these side remarks, and sometimes could not stay in character but laughed along as well.

Television career

In 1952 Kirk brought the popular role of Mr. Bacciagalupe to the television version of The Abbott and Costello Show. Kirk's friendly, mustachioed character held a variety of jobs. At various points in the show, he was a barber, grocer, fruit vendor, ice cream vendor, peanut vendor, bakery owner and music store salesman.

In the episodes featuring his character, Mr. Bacciagalupe would often show impatience with the indecision portrayed by Lou Costello, whom he called by his Sicilian name, Luigi. As he "lost his temperature", Mr. Bacciagalupe would lapse into broken Italian phrases and increasingly animated gesticulation to express his frustration. Sometimes he would find his place of business wrecked by Abbott and Costello's antics; at other times he would confound them completely and they would retreat in confusion as he crowed in triumph.

Kirk's Mr. Bacciagalupe character appeared in 15 of the 26 episodes in the show's first season, 1952–53. In all, he appeared in 19 episodes of the show's 52 total episodes through its end in 1954.

Film career

The bulk of Kirk's early film career consisted of playing bit parts, often uncredited, in low-budget productions. Typical roles for him were "ethnic" Sicilian-Americans – gangsters, bartenders, bookies and henchmen. He appeared in several films produced by low-budget studio Monogram Pictures, including Spooks Run Wild (1941), Mr. Wise Guy (1942) and Smart Alecks (1942). Kirk appeared as the villager Schwartz in Universal's House of Frankenstein (1944). He was occasionally billed as Joseph I. Kirk, the "I" standing for his birth-name, Ignazio.

Through his marriage to Marie Cristillo, the sister of Lou Costello, Kirk secured steady appearances (albeit in small roles) in Abbott and Costello films. His more prominent parts included the pet shop owner in Rio Rita (1942), Honest Dan the Bookie in Here Come the Co-Eds (1946), the shady real estate agent in Buck Privates Come Home (1947), an uncredited bystander in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) and Dr. Orvilla in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953).

Kirk continued acting through the late 1950s, with appearances in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), the 1956 Bowery Boys comedy Hot Shots and Fritz Lang's drama Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956). He also took small roles in television shows such as Adventures of Superman, Sheriff of Cochise and U.S. Marshal, before retiring from show business in 1958.

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