Wallace Maynard "Wally" Cox

 Wallace Maynard "Wally" Cox (December 6, 1924 – February 15, 1973)

He appeared in the U.S. television series Mister Peepers from 1952 to 1955, plus several other popular shows, and as a character actor in over 20 films. Cox was the voice of the popular animated canine superhero Underdog. Although often cast as meek, he was actually quite athletic, as well as a military veteran. During World War II, Cox and his family returned to New York City, where he attended City College of New York. He next spent four months in the United States Army, and on his discharge attended New York University. He supported his invalid mother and sister by making and selling jewelry in a small shop and at parties, where he started doing comedy monologues. These would lead to regular performances at nightclubs, such as the Village Vanguard, beginning in December 1948. He became the roommate of Marlon Brando, who encouraged him to study acting with Stella Adler. In 1949, Cox appeared on the CBS network-radio show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, to the great amusement of host Godfrey.

He appeared in Broadway musical reviews, night clubs, and early television comedy-variety programs between 1949 and 1951, including the short-lived (January–April 1949) DuMont series The School House and CBS Television's Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town starring Faye Emerson. Cox had a huge impact in 1951 with a starring role as a well-meaning but ineffective policeman on Philco Television Playhouse. Other roles were as the hero of The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, based on a series of short stories by Paul Gallico and co-starring with Ainslie Pryor. He was a regular occupant of the upper left square on the television game show Hollywood Squares, and voiced the animated cartoon character Underdog. He played character roles in more than 20 motion pictures and worked frequently in guest-star roles in television drama, comedy, and variety series in the 1960s and early 1970s. On February 15, 1973, Cox died of a heart attack in his H