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Arthur Shields (15 February 1896 – 27 April 1970) was an Irish actor on television, stage and film.


Early years

Born into an Irish Protestant family in
Portobello, Dublin Portobello (, meaning 'beautiful harbour') is an area of Dublin in Ireland, within the southern city centre and bounded to the south by the Grand Canal. It came into existence as a small suburb south of the city in the 18th century, centred on ...
, Shields started acting in the
Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...
when he was 17 years old. He was the younger brother of Oscar-winning actor
Barry Fitzgerald William Joseph Shields (10 March 1888 – 14 January 1961), known professionally as Barry Fitzgerald, was an Irish stage, film and television actor. In a career spanning almost forty years, he appeared in such notable films as ''Bringing Up Ba ...
. They were the sons of Adolphus Shields, who "was well-known in Dublin as a labour organiser" although the 1901 census listed his occupation as "press reader", and Fanny Sophia Shields (née Ungerland), who was German.


Irish nationalist activity

Along with six others of the Abbey Players, Shields fought in the Easter Rising of 1916. He was interned for six months in the
Frongoch internment camp Frongoch internment camp at Frongoch in Merionethshire, Wales was a makeshift place of imprisonment during the First World War and the 1916 Easter Rising. History 1916 the camp housed German prisoners of war in a yellow distillery and crude h ...
in
Frongoch Frongoch is a village located in Gwynedd, Wales. It lies close to the market town of Bala, on the A4212 road. It was the home of the Frongoch internment camp, used to hold German prisoners-of-war during First World War, and then Irish Republi ...
, Wales. His obituary in '' The Times'' of San Mateo, California, reported, "... upon his release he was decorated by the Republic of Eire."


Stage

Shields returned to the Abbey Theatre and had a varied career there from 1914 to 1939 as actor, assistant director, director and stage manager. He appeared in many productions ("more than 300 roles in 350 plays) while he was there, three of the productions he appeared in were by Irish playwright Teresa Deevy 'The Reapers' 'Temporal Powers' and 'Katie Roche'. Three times he brought the Abbey Company to the United States.


Film and television

In 1936,
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
brought him to the United States to act in a film version of ''The Plough and the Stars'', and in 1939 Shields decided to live permanently in California, where the mild climate would help his tuberculosis. Some of his memorable roles were in Ford films. Shields portrayed the Reverend Playfair in Ford's '' The Quiet Man'', opposite John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and his brother, Barry Fitzgerald. He played Dr. Laughlin in '' She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' with Wayne and Joanne Dru, and appeared yet again with Wayne and Barry Fitzgerald in Ford's '' Long Voyage Home''. His other films include: '' Little Nellie Kelly'', '' The Keys of the Kingdom'', '' The Fabulous Dorseys'', ''
Gallant Journey ''Gallant Journey'' (aka ''The Great Highway'') is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford and Janet Blair. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Mo ...
'', ''
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses on ...
'', ''
Drums Along the Mohawk ''Drums Along the Mohawk'' is a 1939 American historical drama western film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author Walter D. Edmonds. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John Ford. Henry Fonda and Clau ...
'', ''
Apache Drums ''Apache Drums'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Hugo Fregonese and produced by Val Lewton. The drama features Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, and Willard Parker. The film was based on an original story: ''Stand at Spanish Boot'', by ...
'', ''
Lady Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly re ...
'', '' National Velvet'' and '' The River''. He also made television appearances including a 1958 role on ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...
'' as Dr. George Barnes in "The Case of the Screaming Woman" as well as a 1960
episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning th ...
of ''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...
'' starring
Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...
titled "The Bold Fenian Men."


Personal life

Shields married Bazie Magee in 1920, and their son Adam was born in 1927. In 1943, the couple were divorced and Shields married Aideen O'Connor. Their daughter Christine was born in 1946. Aideen died in 1950. Shields' third marriage to Laurie Bailey in 1955 lasted until his death. Shields died of complications related to emphysema on 27 April 1970, in Santa Barbara, California. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, a son and four grandchildren. His body was cremated, with the ashes taken to his native city of Dublin and buried with military honours in Deans Grange Cemetery.


Filmography

* ''Knocknagow'' (1918) – Phil Lahy * '' The Sign of the Cross'' (1932) – Chaplain Costello (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited) * '' The Plough and the Stars'' (1936) – Irish Leader * ''
Drums Along the Mohawk ''Drums Along the Mohawk'' is a 1939 American historical drama western film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author Walter D. Edmonds. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John Ford. Henry Fonda and Clau ...
'' (1939) – Reverend Rosenkrantz * ''
The Long Voyage Home ''The Long Voyage Home'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell and Ian Hunter. It features Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick, and Ward Bond, among others. The fi ...
'' (1940) – Donkeyman * '' Little Nellie Kelly'' (1940) – Timothy Fogarty * ''
Lady Scarface ''Lady Scarface'' is a 1941 American crime drama film that was directed by Frank Woodruff and starred Dennis O'Keefe, Judith Anderson, and Frances Neal. Plot The scar-faced gangster Slade is on the loose. Lieutenant Bill Mason travels to a ho ...
'' (1941) – Matt Willis * ''
The Gay Falcon ''The Gay Falcon'' is a 1941 B film, the first in a series of 16 films about a suave detective nicknamed The Falcon. Intended to replace the earlier The Saint detective series, the first film took its title from the lead character, Gay Laurenc ...
'' (1941) – Inspector Mike Waldeck * '' How Green Was My Valley'' (1941) – Mr. Parry, deacon * ''
Confirm or Deny ''Confirm or Deny'' is a 1941 film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Archie Mayo and Fritz Lang (uncredited), and starring by Don Ameche and Joan Bennett. The screenplay was written by Jo Swerling, based on a story by Samuel Fuller and Hen ...
'' (1941) – Jeff, Blind Typist * ''
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
'' (1942) – Pete Dailey * '' This Above All'' (1942) – Chaplain * ''
Pacific Rendezvous ''Pacific Rendezvous'' is a 1942 American mystery film directed by George Sidney. It stars Lee Bowman and Jean Rogers. The previous film version was the 1935 film '' Rendezvous'', starring William Powell and Rosalind Russell, directed by William ...
'' (1942) – Prof. Harvey Lessmore * ''
The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe ''The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe'' is a 1942 drama film directed by Harry Lachman, starring Linda Darnell and Shepperd Strudwick. The film is a cinematic biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines his romantic relationships with Sarah Elmira Royst ...
'' (1942) – Griswald – Broadway Journal (uncredited) * ''
Dr. Renault's Secret ''Dr. Renault's Secret'' is a 1942 American horror mystery film. The story was written by William Bruckner and Robert Metzler. It is loosely based on the 1911 novel ''Balaoo'' by Gaston Leroux. The production was directed by Harry Lachman and is ...
'' (1942) – Inspector Duval (uncredited) * '' Nightmare'' (1942) – Sergeant * '' Gentleman Jim'' (1942) – Father Burke * ''
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant ''Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' is a 1942 feature film from MGM in their long-running Dr. Kildare series. Directed by Willis Goldbeck, it introduced two new doctors, Dr. Randall Adams (Van Johnson) and Dr. Lee Wong How (Keye Luke). Plot Physica ...
'' (1942) – Mr. Kipp (uncredited) * '' The Black Swan'' (1942) – The Bishop (uncredited) * '' Random Harvest'' (1942) – Liverpool Chemist (uncredited) * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) – Walmer Hotel Porter (uncredited) * ''
The Man from Down Under ''The Man from Down Under'' is an American 1943 drama film starring Charles Laughton as a man who raises two war orphans. It was called "Hollywood's first full-length film dealing exclusively with Australia and Australians". Plot After the end ...
'' (1943) – Father Polycarp * ''
Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was direct ...
'' (1943) – Andrew * ''
Madame Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...
'' (1943) – Businessman (uncredited) * ''
The White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...
'' (1944) – Benson (uncredited) * ''
Youth Runs Wild ''Youth Runs Wild'' is a 1944 B movie directed by Mark Robson and starring Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Jean Brooks, Glen Vernon and Vanessa Brown. The plot concerns inattentive parents and juvenile delinquency. The film was produced by Val Le ...
'' (1944) – Mr. Dunlop * '' National Velvet'' (1944) – Mr. Hallam * '' The Keys of the Kingdom'' (1944) – Father Fitzgerald – Dean at Holywell * ''
Roughly Speaking ''Roughly Speaking'' is the sixteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in November 2006. The album was recorded without computerized modern digital recording techniques. Instead, the group employed the same type of a ...
'' (1945) – Minister (uncredited) * '' The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1945) – Street Preacher (uncredited) * ''
The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...
'' (1945) – Glyn Thomas * ''
The Valley of Decision ''The Valley of Decision'' is a 1945 film directed by Tay Garnett, based on Marcia Davenport's 1942 novel of the same name. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1870s, it stars Greer Garson and Gregory Peck. It tells the story of a young Iri ...
'' (1945) – Callahan * ''
Too Young to Know ''Too Young to Know'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Frederick de Cordova, and written by Jo Pagano, and starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Dolores Moran, Harry Davenport, Rosemary DeCamp and Barbara Brown. It was released by Warne ...
'' (1945) – Mr. Enright * ''
Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco, written by John Huston and Howard Koch, starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. Pl ...
'' (1946) – Prosecutor * ''
Gallant Journey ''Gallant Journey'' (aka ''The Great Highway'') is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford and Janet Blair. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Mo ...
'' (1946) – Father Kenton * '' The Verdict'' (1946) – Rev. Holbrook * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) – McCarthy (uncredited) * ''
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses on ...
'' (1947) – Michael * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) – Timothy Mike Donovan * '' The Fabulous Dorseys'' (1947) – Mr. Dorsey * ''
Seven Keys to Baldpate Seven Keys to Baldpate may refer to: * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'', a novel by Earl Derr Biggers * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (play), a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on the novel * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1916 film), a 1916 Australian si ...
'' (1947) – Prof. Bolton * ''
Fighting Father Dunne ''Fighting Father Dunne'' is a 1948 American biographical film about the life of Father Peter Dunne, and the creation of his News Boys Home in St. Louis, Missouri. Directed by Ted Tetzlaff, the screenplay was written by Martin Rackin and Frank ...
'' (1948) – Mr. Michael O'Donnell * '' My Own True Love'' (1948) – Iverson * ''
Tap Roots ''Tap Roots'' is a 1948 Technicolor Western war film set during the American Civil War. It is very loosely based on the true life story of Newton Knight, a farm owner who attempted to secede Jones County from Mississippi.Stephen Jacobs, ''Bor ...
'' (1948) – Reverend Kirkland * ''
The Fighting O'Flynn ''The Fighting O'Flynn'' is a 1949 American adventure film directed by Arthur Pierson. The film's screenplay by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is based on the novel of the same name by Justin Huntly McCarthy. Fairbanks stars, along with Helena Carter. P ...
'' (1949) – Dooley * '' She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' (1949) – Dr. O'Laughlin * '' Red Light'' (1949) – Father Redmond * ''
Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''Lassi ...
'' (1949) – Dr. Lee * ''
Tarzan and the Slave Girl ''Tarzan and the Slave Girl'' is a 1950 American adventure film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan, Vanessa Brown as Jane, and Robert Alda as big game hunter Neil. The plot involves a lost civilization in Africa, a strang ...
'' (1950) – Dr. E.E. Campbell * '' A Wonderful Life'' (1951) – Pastor * '' Blue Blood'' (1951) – Tim Donovan * ''
Apache Drums ''Apache Drums'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Hugo Fregonese and produced by Val Lewton. The drama features Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, and Willard Parker. The film was based on an original story: ''Stand at Spanish Boot'', by ...
'' (1951) – Rev. Griffin * ''
Sealed Cargo ''Sealed Cargo'' is a 1951 American war film about a fisherman, played by Dana Andrews, who gets tangled up with Nazis and their U-boats. Other major cast members are Claude Rains, Carla Balenda and Philip Dorn. Andrews' brother Steve Forrest ha ...
'' (1951) – Kevin Dolan * '' The River'' (1951) – Mr. John * ''
The People Against O'Hara ''The People Against O'Hara'' is a 1951 American crime film noir directed by John Sturges and based on Eleazar Lipsky's novel. The film features Spencer Tracy, Pat O'Brien, John Hodiak, and James Arness. Plot James Curtayne ( Tracy) was once a ...
'' (1951) – Mr. O'Hara * '' The Barefoot Mailman'' (1951) – Ben Titus * '' Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1952) – Patrick the Harp (voice) * '' The Quiet Man'' (1952) – Reverend Mr. Cyril Playfair * ''
Scandal at Scourie ''Scandal at Scourie'' is a 1953 American drama Technicolor film directed by Jean Negulesco, starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon "above the title", and co-starring Donna Corcoran. Garson and Pidgeon were together for the 8th and last time in th ...
'' (1953) – Father Reilly * ''
South Sea Woman ''South Sea Woman'' is a 1953 American black-and-white action-comedy-drama film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Chuck Connors. It is credited as being based on the play ''General Court Martial'' by William ...
'' (1953) – 'Jimmy-legs' Donovan * ''
Main Street to Broadway ''Main Street to Broadway'' is a 1953 American romantic musical comedy-drama film by independent producer Lester Cowan, his final credit, in collaboration with The Council of the Living Theatre, which provided tie-up with a number of well-known ...
'' (1953) – Actor in Fantasy Sequence * ''
World for Ransom ''World for Ransom'' is a 1954 American film noir drama directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Dan Duryea, Patric Knowles, Gene Lockhart, Reginald Denny, and Nigel Bruce (in his final film role). Many of the actors and sets used in the film wer ...
'' (1954) – Sean O'Connor * '' Pride of the Blue Grass'' (1954) – Wilson * '' River of No Return'' (1954) – Minister at Tent City (uncredited) * ''
Lady Godiva of Coventry ''Lady Godiva of Coventry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor historical drama film, directed by Arthur Lubin. It starred Maureen O'Hara in the title role. Alec Harford, the English actor who portrayed Tom the Tailor, died eight months before the f ...
'' (1955) – Innkeeper * ''
The King and Four Queens ''The King and Four Queens'' is a 1956 DeLuxe Color American Western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker and filmed in CinemaScope. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is based on a story written by Margaret Fi ...
'' (1956) – Padre * '' The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' (1957) – Dr. Lomas * '' Enchanted Island'' (1958) – James 'Jimmy' Dooley * ''
Night of the Quarter Moon ''Night of the Quarter Moon'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Hugo Haas and written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis. The film stars Julie London, John Drew Barrymore, Anna Kashfi, Dean Jones, Agnes Moorehead and Nat King Cole. The f ...
'' (1959) – Captain Tom O'Sullivan * '' For the Love of Mike'' (1960) – Father Walsh * ''
The Pigeon That Took Rome ''The Pigeon That Took Rome'' is a 1962 American comedy war film directed and written by Melville Shavelson and starring Charlton Heston. The film is set in the Italian Campaign of World War II and was based on the 1961 novel ''The Easter Dinner ...
'' (1962) – Monsignor O'Toole (final film role)


Television

*'' Your Show Time'' – 26 episodes – The Bookshop Man (1949) *''The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure'' – 8 episodes – Boles (1956) *''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...
'' – episode – The Case of the Screaming Woman – Dr. George Barnes (1958) *''
Captain David Grief ''Captain David Grief'' (also known as ''The Jack London Stories'') is an American action/adventure television series that aired in syndication from October 1957 to 1960. The program was based on a series of Jack London short-stories centered on t ...
'' – episode – The Return of Blackbeard – Angus Macmor (1959) *''
Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
'' – episode – The Conspiracy: Parts 1 & 2 – Dana Ruggles (1959) *''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...
'' – episode – The Bold Fenian Men – Terence Fogarty (1960) *''
Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American western (genre), Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on American Broadcasting Company, ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, ...
'' – episode – The Amos Gibbon Story – Judge Tremayne (1960) *'' Rawhide'' – episode – Incident of the Dust Flower – Sam Cartwright (1960) *''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'' – episode – The Stranger – Dennis (1960) *'' Death Valley Days'' – episode – Loophole – Jebal McSween (1961)


Playography

* The Reapers (1930) * Temporal Powers (1932) * Katie Roche (1936)


References


External links

* * * *Arthur Shields a
The Abbey Theatre Archive
*Arthur Shields a
The Teresa Deevy Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shields, Arthur 1896 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Irish male actors Burials at Deans Grange Cemetery Deaths from emphysema Irish expatriate male actors in the United States Irish male film actors Irish male stage actors Irish people of German descent Irish Protestants Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood Male actors from Dublin (city) People of the Easter Rising People from Portobello, Dublin