Lafe McKee

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American actor (1872–1959)

title: "Lafe McKee" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1872-births", "1959-deaths", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-silent-film-actors", "people-from-morrison,-illinois", "male-actors-from-illinois", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "male-western-(genre)-film-actors", "burials-at-grand-view-memorial-park-cemetery"] description: "American actor (1872–1959)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafe_McKee" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actor (1872–1959) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameLafe McKee
imageBattling Buckaroo lobby card 2.jpg
captionMcKee (left) on lobby card for
Battling Buckaroo, 1932
birth_nameLafayette S. McKee
birth_date
birth_placeMorrison, Illinois, US
death_date
death_placeTemple City, California, US
occupationActor
footnotes
yearsactive1893–1948
spouseLelah Underwood (1900–1955) (her death)
children3
::

| name = Lafe McKee | image = Battling Buckaroo lobby card 2.jpg | caption = McKee (left) on lobby card for Battling Buckaroo, 1932 | birth_name = Lafayette S. McKee | birth_date = | birth_place = Morrison, Illinois, US | death_date = | death_place = Temple City, California, US | occupation = Actor | footnotes = | yearsactive = 1893–1948 | spouse = Lelah Underwood (1900–1955) (her death) | children = 3

Lafayette S. "Lafe" McKee (January 23, 1872 – August 10, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in more than 400 films from 1912 to 1948.

Early life, family and education

McKee was born in Morrison, Illinois, to Lucy (nee Johnson) and Jesse McKee, who "operated both a furniture business and a funeral parlor."

Career

McKee began working in show business in 1893. At 40 years old, he and his family moved to Hollywood in 1912 and he began working in silent films.

Part of his career was spent with Art Mix Productions. McKee also worked as a stage actor from 1910 until at least 1932. His last film appearance was likely as a dancer in Belle Starr's Daughter when he was 76 years old.

Personal life, legacy and demise

McKee and his wife Lelah "Lulu" Underwood (1900–1955) had three children: Lucille (born 1906) and Joe (born 1911). A third son, Dick, was born many years later (1925).

He died at age 87 of arteriosclerosis in Temple City, California. He is featured at the Heritage Museum in his hometown, Morrison, Illinois.

Selected filmography

References

References

  1. Katchmer, George A.. (2009). "A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses". McFarland.
  2. "Lafe McKee".
  3. . (March 20, 1938). ["Feud of the Trail"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12703674/clipped_for_use_as_reference_in/). *[[Post Register]]*.
  4. Doak, Olive M.. (April 15, 1932). "The Call Board..". [[Or. Statesman.
  5. . (May 30, 1935). ["Ideal to Present Western on Friday"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12704069/clipped_for_use_as_reference_in/). *[[Corsicana Dly. Sun*.
  6. Jeter, Goetze. (July 22, 1933). "The Week's Pictures". [[Moberly Monit.-Index.
  7. Pitts, Michael R.. (2005). "Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940". McFarland.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1872-births1959-deathsamerican-male-film-actorsamerican-male-silent-film-actorspeople-from-morrison,-illinoismale-actors-from-illinois20th-century-american-male-actorsmale-western-(genre)-film-actorsburials-at-grand-view-memorial-park-cemetery