Wendell Reid Corey, a renowned American actor and politician, embarked on his theatrical journey with summer stock productions, gradually transitioning to the Broadway stage with his debut in Comes the Revelation in 1942. His breakthrough role as a cynical newspaperman in Elmer Rice's comedy Dream Girl in 1945 garnered significant attention, prompting producer Hal Wallis to sign him to a Paramount contract and pursue a Hollywood film career. Corey's cinematic debut arrived in 1947 with a gangster role in Desert Fury.
Corey's television credits include starring in the series Harbor Command alongside Casey Walters from 1957 to 1958, co-starring on The Nanette Fabray Show, and leading the medical drama The Eleventh Hour during its inaugural season from 1962 to 1963. He made guest appearances on various programs, such as Target: The Corruptors!, Channing, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, Burke's Law, Perry Mason, The Road West, and The Wild Wild West.
In addition to his acting career, Corey held prominent positions in the film industry. He served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963 and was a member of the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild. Corey's involvement in national politics began in 1956, and he was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in April 1965. Although he ran for the California seat in the United States Congress in 1966, ultimately losing the primary election, he remained a councilman until his passing in 1968.
