Paul Michael Kelly (August 9, 1899 – November 6, 1956) was an American stage, film and television actor. His career survived a manslaughter conviction, tied to a sex scandal, that caused him to spend time in prison in the late 1920s.

Biography

He served 25 months for manslaughter at San Quentin prison for the death of actor Ray Raymond, a few days after the men had a physical confrontation. On April 16, 1927, a drunk Kelly confronted a drunk Raymond over Kelly's affair with and love for Raymond's wife, Dorothy Mackaye. Raymond was no match for Kelly, who bashed Raymond's head against a wall until he fell unconscious. The incident was witnessed by Raymond's daughter, Valerie, and the maid. Mackaye arrived home to tuck her groggy husband into bed. The next morning, Mackaye called a friend, Dr. Walter Sullivan, who sat at Raymond's bed while she visited Kelly. Raymond lingered for two days then succumbed to a brain hemorrhage. At his trial, Kelly contended that Raymond had started the fight and did not show signs of serious injury at the time. He showed no remorse. Years later, Kelly played the part of San Quentin Warden Clinton Duffy in Duffy of San Quentin.

Mackaye had denied claims in court that she had been romantically involved with Kelly before Raymond's death, but Kelly's love letters to her were introduced as evidence. She was not charged with perjury but with felony conspiracy for the attempted coverup, and sentenced to one to three years but served less than 10 months. Kelly was sentenced to up to 10 years but served only 25 months. Kelly and Mackaye married in 1931 and were back on Broadway. Then they returned to California, where Valerie Raymond, was apparently adopted by her stepfather and became known as Mimi Kelly. Mimi would later have her own modest Broadway career.

Dorothy Mackaye's written account of her experiences, Women in Prison, became a film, Ladies They Talk About (1933), with Barbara Stanwyck, and remade again as Lady Gangster in 1942. Mackaye died in a 1940 auto crash. In 1941, Kelly married Claire Owen (born Zona Mardelle Zwicker), a bit player he had met on the set of Flight Command (1940). She retired from acting, and went on to survive him.

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