CineScope
Walter Connolly picture

Walter Connolly

Acting
Known For

53 Years Old

The name may have been forgotten, especially today (seven decades later), but the portly, apoplectic, exasperated figure on the 1930s screen wasn't. While his film career, save a couple of silents, lasted a paltry seven years (1932-1939), character actor Walter Connolly certainly ran the distance. While some film historians complain that a number of his performances were annoying or overbaked, he was for the most part applauded for his zesty contributions to a number of comedy classics. Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), Broadway Bill (1934) and It Happened One Night (1934), not to mention the Carole Lombard/Fredric March screwball farce Nothing Sacred (1937) as news reporter March's hot-headed editor boss are sure-fire examples. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was born on April 8, 1887 and schooled there. The son of the head of the Western Union relay office, he attended St. Xavier College and the University of Dublin in Ireland before making his New York debut in 1910 in an outdoor presentation of "As You Like It". For the next year or so he was a member of E.H. Sothern's touring company and played supporting roles in a number of Shakespearean shows on the road. After a few silent pictures left him unimpressed with film-making, he turned to the Broadway stage in the 1920s and scored quite well. Somewhat short and tubby, it was not difficult for the jowly, mustachioed actor to seize laughs and he found his share in such outings as "The Talking Parrot" (1923), "Applesauce" (1925), "The Springboard" (1927), "The Happy Husband" (1928), "Stepping Out" (1929), "Your Uncle Dudley" (1930), "Anatol" (1931), "Six Characters in Search of an Author" (1931), "The Good Fairy" (1932) and "The Late Christopher Bean" (1932). With his talents as a stage farceur firmly established, it was time to make a second attempt at a film career and Hollywood (specifically, Columbia) wisely opened their doors to him. Interestingly, his debut in a full-length talking picture came at age 45 in the form of a drama, Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932), where he was third-billed as a rather benign senator. For the next seven years Connolly, often playing older than he really was, could be found everywhere giving good fluster to the greatest and glossiest of stars -- Janet Gaynor, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Paul Muni, Spencer Tracy, and Ginger Rogers, among hordes of others. His hobbies were collecting old books and theatre programmes. Connolly was married to actress Nedda Harrigan from 1923 to his death. They had one daughter, Ann (1924–2006). Connolly suffered a fatal stroke on May 28, 1940, and was buried in New St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati.

Born

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on 8th April 1887

Died

28th May 1940

All Credits

It Happened One Night Image
It Happened One Night
Alexander Andrews
Libeled Lady Image
Libeled Lady
James B. Allenbury
The Good Earth Image
The Good Earth
Uncle
Nothing Sacred Image
Nothing Sacred
Oliver Stone
Twentieth Century Image
Twentieth Century
Oliver Webb
Lady for a Day Image
Lady for a Day
Count Romero
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Image
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The 'King'
Broadway Bill Image
Broadway Bill
J.L. Higgins
The Bitter Tea of General Yen Image
The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Jones
The Great Victor Herbert Image
The Great Victor Herbert
Victor Herbert
Fifth Avenue Girl Image
Fifth Avenue Girl
Mr. Borden
The Captain Hates the Sea Image
The Captain Hates the Sea
Captain Helquist
Lady by Choice Image
Lady by Choice
Judge Daly
Breakdowns of 1938 Image
Breakdowns of 1938
Carter Hibbard (archive footage) (uncredited)
Coast Guard Image
Coast Guard
Tobias Bliss
She Couldn't Take It Image
She Couldn't Take It
Daniel Van Dyke
Four's a Crowd Image
Four's a Crowd
John P. Dillingwell
Man's Castle Image
Man's Castle
Ira
So Red the Rose Image
So Red the Rose
Malcolm Bedford
Good Girls Go to Paris Image
Good Girls Go to Paris
Olaf Brand
Too Hot to Handle Image
Too Hot to Handle
Gabby MacArthur
Penitentiary Image
Penitentiary
Dist. Atty. Thomas Mathews
Father Brown, Detective Image
Father Brown, Detective
Father Brown
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1 Image
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1
Servants' Entrance Image
Servants' Entrance
Viktor Nilsson
First Lady Image
First Lady
Carter Hibbard
The Girl Downstairs Image
The Girl Downstairs
Mr. Brown
Start Cheering Image
Start Cheering
Sam Lewis
Let's Get Married Image
Let's Get Married
Joe Quinn
Whom the Gods Destroy Image
Whom the Gods Destroy
John Forrester aka Eric Jann aka Peter Korotoff
Once to Every Woman Image
Once to Every Woman
Dr. Selby
Nancy Steele Is Missing! Image
Nancy Steele Is Missing!
Michael Steele
Bridal Suite Image
Bridal Suite
Dr. Theodore Grauer
Soak the Rich Image
Soak the Rich
Humphrey Craig
No More Orchids Image
No More Orchids
Bill Holt
The Music Goes 'Round Image
The Music Goes 'Round
Hector Courtney
White Lies Image
White Lies
John Mitchell
The League of Frightened Men Image
The League of Frightened Men
Nero Wolfe
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen Image
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
Self (archive footage)
Washington Merry-Go-Round Image
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Senator Wylie
Master of Men Image
Master of Men
Sam Parker
One Way Ticket Image
One Way Ticket
Captain Bourne
The King Steps Out Image
The King Steps Out
Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria
Eight Girls in a Boat Image
Eight Girls in a Boat
Storm
East of Fifth Avenue Image
East of Fifth Avenue
John Lawton
Those High Grey Walls Image
Those High Grey Walls
Dr. MacAuley
Paddy the Next Best Thing Image
Paddy the Next Best Thing
Major Adair
Man Against Woman Image
Man Against Woman
Mossie Ennis