Judson Pratt
Judson Pratt (December 6, 1916 – February 9, 2002) was an American film, television, and theatre actor. He was best known for playing Sergeant Major Kirby in the 1959 film The Horse Soldiers.
Judson Pratt

trailer screenshot (Universal Pictures) · The Ugly American trailer · Public domain
- Name
- Judson Pratt
- Born
- 6 December 1916
- Birthplace
- Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died
- 9 February 2002
- Place of death
- Northridge, California, U.S.
- Education
- Ithaca College
- Occupation
- Actor
- Spouse
- Roberta Jonay (m. 1950; died 1976)
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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Judson Pratt (December 6, 1916 – February 9, 2002) was an American film, television, and theatre actor. He was best known for playing Sergeant Major Kirby in the 1959 film The Horse Soldiers.
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Judson Pratt (1916–2002) was an American actor. Born in Hingham, the actor died in Northridge. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Judson Pratt • Born — 6 December 1916 • Birthplace — Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S. • Died — 9 February 2002 • Place of death — Northridge, California, U.S. • Education — Ithaca College • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1941–1980 • Spouse — Roberta Jonay (m. 1950; died 1976)
Early life and career
Early life and career
Pratt was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. He attended Hingham High School, graduating in 1934. He also attended Ithaca College, graduating in 1938. He began his stage career in 1941, playing a Western Union messenger in the Broadway play Popsy. He then began his screen career in 1950, in the anthology television series Armstrong Circle Theatre, starring opposite Mary Patton in the episode "Blaze of Glory". In 1953, he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's film I Confess. Later in his career, in 1958, Pratt starred as Billy Kinkaid in the syndicated western television series Union Pacific starring along with Jeff Morrow and Susan Cummings. After the series ended in 1959, he guest-starred in numerous television programs including Barney Miller, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Father Knows Best, Thriller, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, The Streets of San Francisco, Rawhide, Mayberry, R.F.D., Nanny and the Professor, Mission: Impossible, The Guns of Will Sonnett, The Partridge Family, Bewitched and Charlie's Angels. He also appeared in films such as The Horse Soldiers (as Sergeant Major Kirby), The Toy Tiger, Outside the Law, I Confess, Four Girls in Town, The Great American Pastime, Man Afraid, Vigilante Force, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Cheyenne Autumn, A Distant Trumpet, The Ugly American and The Barefoot Executive. Pratt retired from acting in 1980, last appearing in the CBS soap opera television series Days of Our Lives.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Pratt was married to actress Roberta Jonay from May 21, 1950 until her death on April 19, 1976. They had two children. Pratt died on February 9, 2002 in Northridge, California, at the age of 85. His body was cremated.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1916
Judson Pratt born at Hingham.
2002
Judson Pratt died at Northridge.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Hingham.
Birth place
Northridge.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Judson Pratt. Internet Broadway Database.
- 2."Hingham Boy Awarded Dramatic Scholarship". The Boston Globe. May 18, 1934. p. 5. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- 3."College Graduate Has Part in Movie". The Ithaca Journal. p. 4. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- 4."Television News and Programs". The Buffalo News. August 29, 1950. p. 20. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- 5.Mayers, Boyd. Do You Remember. Union Pacific. westernclippings.com.
- 6.Lentz, Harris. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002. McFarland. 242–243. April 9, 2003. 9780786414642.
- 7.Darby, William. John Ford's Westerns: A Thematic Analysis, with a Filmography. McFarland. 42. August 2015. 9781476607528.
- 8.The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California - 86. The Los Angeles Times. 86. September 29, 1976.
- 9.Herzberg, Bob. Savages and Saints: The Changing Image of American Indians in Westerns. McFarland. 200–202. January 10, 2014. 9780786451821.
- 10.The Ugly American (1963). The New York Times.
- 11.Arnold, Mark (2023). Stars of Walt Disney Productions. Orlando, FL: BearManor Productions. .
- 12.Russell, Maureen (1995). Days of Our Lives : A Complete History of the Long-running Soap OperaJefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Company. p. 197. .
- 13.Marriages. Variety. 75. May 24, 1950.
- 14.Obituaries: Singer Roberta Jonay Pratt. Newsday. 36. April 22, 1976.
- 15.Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. 602. August 22, 2016. 978-0786479924.
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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