Chet Allen, a talented individual, is perhaps most famously recognized for his portrayal of Amahl in Gian Carlo Menotti's iconic television production, Amahl and the Night Visitors, which premiered in 1951. During this period, he was also an esteemed member of the renowned Columbus Boychoir, now known as the American Boychoir.
Throughout his career, Allen made several notable appearances, including a prominent role in the 1953 film Meet Me at the Fair, alongside Dan Dailey and Scatman Crothers, as well as a stint as one of Ezio Pinza's sons on his television series, Bonino, in 1953.
However, as Allen's voice changed and he entered adulthood, his life took a tragic turn. He struggled to find consistent employment and experienced periods of instability, during which he was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.
In a poignant visit to Allen in Columbus, just a year before his passing, Menotti found a deeply unhappy young man who had been disillusioned by life's disappointments. Menotti would later remark, "No one could have helped him enough."
Sadly, Allen's struggles ultimately took a devastating toll, and at the age of 44, he took his own life by ingesting five times the fatal dose of the prescription antidepressant he had been taking.
