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Duke York

American actor (1908-52)

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
7 min read
Source updated July 6, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Duke York (né Charles Everest Sinsabaugh; October 17, 1908 , January 24, 1952), was an American film actor and stuntman who appeared in nearly 160 films between 1932 and 1952. He was also known as Duke Owl.

01Early years

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Sinsabaugh, York was born in Danby, New York.

York plays a docile wolfman who goes berserk whenever he hears music in The Three Stooges film Idle Roomers (1944).
York plays a docile wolfman who goes berserk whenever he hears music in The Three Stooges film Idle Roomers (1944).

02Career

Modern viewers will remember York for his portrayals of grotesque monsters, ape men, or other scary goon-like characters in Three Stooges short films such as Three Little Twirps, Idle Roomers, Three Pests in a Mess, Shivering Sherlocks, and Who Done It? His most prominent non-monster role was as Kelly in Higher Than a Kite. York also played the role of King Kala in the serial Flash Gordon.

In the 1930s, York worked as a combination lifeguard and bodyguard for actress Ida Lupino.

03Personal life and death

In the 1930s, York married movie stuntwoman Frances Miles, but the union ended in divorce in 1941. Several years later, York was dating Catherine Moench, a resident of Beverly Hills. They planned to marry, but she called it off, saying that he was "quite jealous and had misunderstood various actions" of hers in the past. York eventually admitted to Moench that he was wrong, and wanted to get back together, but she refused.

On January 24, 1952, during a three-hour phone call to Moench, York threatened suicide several times stating he could not live without her. He then shot himself in the head while on the phone with Moench. His body was discovered by friend and fellow actor George Cleveland.

04Selected filmography

Watch videos about Duke YorkExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Duke York”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

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