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[[File:Bill Cracks Down lobby card.jpg|200px|right|Lobby card for ''Bill Cracks Down'' with Weeks on the far right]]
'''Randall W. "Ranny" Weeks''' (1907–1979) was an American bandleader, actor, naval commander, and university administrator.
==Early life==
Weeks was born in 1907 in [[Everett, Massachusetts]]. His father, [[William E. Weeks]], was a politician who served as Mayor of Everett and was a member of the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]]. Weeks attended [[Everett High School (Massachusetts)|Everett High School]] and played quarterback for the school's football team. However, his family moved to [[Reading, Massachusetts]] before he finished school. After graduating from Reading High School, Weeks attended [[Boston University]]'s [[Questrom School of Business|Business]] and [[Boston University School of Law|Law school]]s, but left in 1929 due to a lack of funds.<ref name="Obituary" />
==Music==
In 1928, Weeks began spending his summers singing and playing piano at a coffee house in [[Hyannis, Massachusetts]] to help pay for school. After leaving school he joined Bert Lowe's Orchestra and later formed his own band.<ref name="Obituary" /> In 1929 and 1930, Weeks recorded as a vocalist with the Colonial Club Orchestra.<ref name="Brunswick" /> In 1930, Ranny Weeks and his Red Cross Aristocrats were given a weekly show on [[WBZ (AM)|WBZ radio]].<ref></ref> From 1930 to 1932, Weeks led the I. J. Fox Fur Trappers Orchestra, which was heard twice a week on [[WEEI (AM)|WEEI]].<ref></ref> On March 13, 1931, Ranny Weeks & His Orchestra recorded four songs for [[Brunswick Records]].<ref name="Brunswick"></ref> In 1934 he was hired to conduct a permanent orchestra in the [[RKO Boston Theatre]].<ref></ref>
==Acting==
In 1932, Weeks made his film debut in ''It Happened in Paris'', a musical remake of ''[[The Two Orphans (1915 film)|The Two Orphans]]''.<ref></ref> In 1937, [[Herbert Yates]] signed Weeks to a contract with [[Republic Pictures]]. He appeared in ten films for the company, including a starring role in ''[[Bill Cracks Down]]''.<ref name="Obituary" /><ref></ref>
==Return to Boston==
After his contract with Republic ended, Weeks and his family moved to [[Newtonville, Massachusetts]]. He went into the advertising business and resumed his career as a bandleader. In 1942, Weeks was appointed co-chairman of the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety's radio division, which supervised all programming on every radio station in the state. He then served four years as an administrative officer in the [[United States Navy]] during and following [[World War II]].<ref name="Obituary" /> From 1947 to 1949, Weeks and his Orchestra spent the summer playing the Sheraton Roof in Boston.<ref></ref> In 1950, Weeks was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for [[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]]. He finished second in a seven candidate primary with 19% of the vote to Russell A. Wood's 26%.<ref></ref> Weeks returned to the Navy during the [[Korean War]]. From 1951 to 1954 he was in charge of recruitment in the [[Philadelphia]] district.<ref></ref> In 1954, Weeks was named [[Boston University]]'s executive alumni secretary. <ref></ref> In 1965 he was named special assistant to the vice president for university affairs. He also served as executive director of the B.U. Law School Aumni Association. After retiring from B.U., Weeks moved to [[Falmouth, Massachusetts]]. He died on April 26, 1979 after a short illness.<ref name="Obituary"></ref>
==References==
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:American bandleaders]]
[[Category:American naval personnel of the Korean War]]
[[Category:American naval personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Big band bandleaders]]
[[Category:Boston University faculty]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Republicans]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Everett, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Falmouth, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Newton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Singers from Massachusetts]]
'''Randall W. "Ranny" Weeks''' (1907–1979) was an American bandleader, actor, naval commander, and university administrator.
==Early life==
Weeks was born in 1907 in [[Everett, Massachusetts]]. His father, [[William E. Weeks]], was a politician who served as Mayor of Everett and was a member of the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]]. Weeks attended [[Everett High School (Massachusetts)|Everett High School]] and played quarterback for the school's football team. However, his family moved to [[Reading, Massachusetts]] before he finished school. After graduating from Reading High School, Weeks attended [[Boston University]]'s [[Questrom School of Business|Business]] and [[Boston University School of Law|Law school]]s, but left in 1929 due to a lack of funds.<ref name="Obituary" />
==Music==
In 1928, Weeks began spending his summers singing and playing piano at a coffee house in [[Hyannis, Massachusetts]] to help pay for school. After leaving school he joined Bert Lowe's Orchestra and later formed his own band.<ref name="Obituary" /> In 1929 and 1930, Weeks recorded as a vocalist with the Colonial Club Orchestra.<ref name="Brunswick" /> In 1930, Ranny Weeks and his Red Cross Aristocrats were given a weekly show on [[WBZ (AM)|WBZ radio]].<ref></ref> From 1930 to 1932, Weeks led the I. J. Fox Fur Trappers Orchestra, which was heard twice a week on [[WEEI (AM)|WEEI]].<ref></ref> On March 13, 1931, Ranny Weeks & His Orchestra recorded four songs for [[Brunswick Records]].<ref name="Brunswick"></ref> In 1934 he was hired to conduct a permanent orchestra in the [[RKO Boston Theatre]].<ref></ref>
==Acting==
In 1932, Weeks made his film debut in ''It Happened in Paris'', a musical remake of ''[[The Two Orphans (1915 film)|The Two Orphans]]''.<ref></ref> In 1937, [[Herbert Yates]] signed Weeks to a contract with [[Republic Pictures]]. He appeared in ten films for the company, including a starring role in ''[[Bill Cracks Down]]''.<ref name="Obituary" /><ref></ref>
==Return to Boston==
After his contract with Republic ended, Weeks and his family moved to [[Newtonville, Massachusetts]]. He went into the advertising business and resumed his career as a bandleader. In 1942, Weeks was appointed co-chairman of the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety's radio division, which supervised all programming on every radio station in the state. He then served four years as an administrative officer in the [[United States Navy]] during and following [[World War II]].<ref name="Obituary" /> From 1947 to 1949, Weeks and his Orchestra spent the summer playing the Sheraton Roof in Boston.<ref></ref> In 1950, Weeks was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for [[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]]. He finished second in a seven candidate primary with 19% of the vote to Russell A. Wood's 26%.<ref></ref> Weeks returned to the Navy during the [[Korean War]]. From 1951 to 1954 he was in charge of recruitment in the [[Philadelphia]] district.<ref></ref> In 1954, Weeks was named [[Boston University]]'s executive alumni secretary. <ref></ref> In 1965 he was named special assistant to the vice president for university affairs. He also served as executive director of the B.U. Law School Aumni Association. After retiring from B.U., Weeks moved to [[Falmouth, Massachusetts]]. He died on April 26, 1979 after a short illness.<ref name="Obituary"></ref>
==References==
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:American bandleaders]]
[[Category:American naval personnel of the Korean War]]
[[Category:American naval personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Big band bandleaders]]
[[Category:Boston University faculty]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Republicans]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Everett, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Falmouth, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Newton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Singers from Massachusetts]]
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