Howard Freeman (December 9, 1899 – December 11, 1967) was an American actor of the early 20th century, and film and television actor of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Biography

Freeman was born in

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...

, and began working as a stage actor in his 20s. He did not enter the film industry until he was over 40, in 1942, when he played a small uncredited role in ''Inflation''. Despite his late start in film acting, Freeman would build himself a fairly substantial career in that field that would last over twenty three years. From 1943 onward he worked on a regular basis, sometimes in uncredited roles, but more often than not in small but credited bit or supporting parts. He appeared in ten films in 1943, and another eighteen from 1944 through 1945. In 1946 Freeman would appear in twelve films, the most notable of which was his first film of that year, '' Abilene Town'', starring

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

and

Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, includi ...

, and ''

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

'', starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

. From 1947 through 1950 Freeman appeared in twenty films, and in 1951 he began appearing on numerous

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

, which would be his main acting roles for the remainder of his career, lasting into 1965. He appeared in three episodes of '' Studio One'', along with many other TV series, including ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

'' and ''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

''. He retired from film and television acting in 1965, and settled into retirement in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he was living at the time of his death on December 11, 1967.

Broadway roles

* ''

The Star-Wagon ''The Star-Wagon'' was a 1937 Broadway drama written by Maxwell Anderson, produced and staged by Guthrie McClintic, with scenic design by Jo Mielziner and musical direction by Albert Pearl. The general manager was Stanley Gilkey. It ran for 2 ...

'' (1937) as Apfel * '' Knickerbocker Holiday'' (1938) as Schermerhorn * '' The Unconquered'' (1940) as Karp Morozov * ''

Liliom ''Liliom'' is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical ''Carousel''. P ...

'' (1940) (revival) as policeman and as the richly dressed man

Selected filmography

* '' Margin for Error'' (1943) as Otto Horst * '' The Human Comedy'' (1943) as Reverend Holly (uncredited) * '' Slightly Dangerous'' (1943) as Mr. Quill * ''

Air Raid Wardens ''Air Raid Wardens'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was the first of two feature films starring the duo for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Set during World War II, Stan and Ollie face a series of m ...

'' (1943) as J. P. Norton * '' Hitler's Madman'' (1943) as

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

* '' Pilot #5'' (1943) as Governor Hank Durban * ''

Girl Crazy ''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Co-leads Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman made their stage debuts in the first production and Rogers became an overnight sta ...

'' (1943) as Governor Tait * '' Whistling in Brooklyn'' (1943) as Steve Conlon * '' Madame Curie'' (1943) as Prof. Constant (voice, uncredited) * '' Lost Angel'' (1943) as Professor Richards * ''

Rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution (marketing), distribution of scarcity, scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resourc ...

'' (1944) as Cash Riddle * ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'' (1944) as McKenzie (uncredited) * ''

Meet the People ''Meet the People'' (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical comedy film made, and set, during World War II, and starring Lucille Ball and Dick Powell and featuring Virginia O'Brien, Bert Lahr, Rags Ragland and June Allyson. The film takes its ...

'' (1944) as Mr. George Peetwick * '' Mr. Winkle Goes to War'' (1944) as Mayor Williams (uncredited) * '' Secret Command'' (1944) as Max Lessing * '' The Mark of the Whistler'' (1944) as M. K. Simmons (uncredited) * '' An American Romance'' (1944) as Jarrett's Associate (uncredited) * ''

The Unwritten Code ''The Unwritten Code'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Herman Rotsten and written by Leslie T. White and Charles Kenyon. The film stars Ann Savage, Tom Neal, Roland Varno, Howard Freeman, Mary Currier and Bobby Larson. The film wa ...

'' (1944) as Mr. Norris * '' Dancing in Manhattan'' (1944) as George Hartley * '' Carolina Blues'' (1944) as Tom Gordon * '' Meet Miss Bobby Socks'' (1944) as Tom Tyler * '' A Song to Remember'' (1945) as Kalkbrenner * '' Where Do We Go from Here?'' (1945) as Kreiger * '' I'll Tell the World'' (1945) as Lester Westchester * '' You Came Along'' (1945) as Drunk * '' That Night with You'' (1945) as Wilbur Weedy * ''

This Love of Ours ''This Love of Ours'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Merle Oberon, Maris Wrixon, Claude Rains, Charles Korvin and Carl Esmond. The film's composer, Hans J. Salter, was nominated for an Academy Award f ...

'' (1945) as Dr. Barnes * '' Mexicana'' (1945) as Beagle * '' Abilene Town'' (1946) as Ed Balder * ''

House of Horrors A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

'' (1946) as Hal Ormiston * '' The Blue Dahlia'' (1946) as Corelli * '' So Goes My Love'' (1946) as Willis * ''

Inside Job An inside job is a crime committed by a person in a position of trust, or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs or premises. Inside Job may also refer to: Books * ''Inside J ...

'' (1946) as Mr. Winkle * '' Night and Day'' (1946) as Max Fisher (uncredited) * ''

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

'' (1946) as Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited) * '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) as King Philip II * ''

Swell Guy ''Swell Guy'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Sonny Tufts, Ann Blyth and Ruth Warwick. It was distributed by Universal Pictures. The film's screenplay by Richard Brooks is based on the 1921 play ''The Hero'' ...

'' (1946) as Botsworth (uncredited) * '' Susie Steps Out'' (1946) as Mr. Starr * '' Cross My Heart'' (1946) as Wallace Brent * ''

'' (1947) as Sen. Creel * '' The Perfect Marriage'' (1947) as Peter Haggerty * '' My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947) as Hector Damson * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) as Magistrate (uncredited) * '' Cigarette Girl'' (1947) as B. J. Halstead * '' That Way with Women'' (1947) as Dr. Harvey * '' The Long Night'' (1947) as Sheriff Ned Meade * '' Magic Town'' (1947) as Nickleby * '' Cass Timberlane'' (1947) as Hervey Plint * '' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) as Mr. Clinton * '' Summer Holiday'' (1948) as Mr. Peabody * '' Arthur Takes Over'' (1948) as Bert Bixby * '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (1948) as Herr Kastner * ''

Up in Central Park ''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was ...

'' (1948) as Myron Schultz * '' The Time of Your Life'' (1948) as Society Gentleman * '' Give My Regards to Broadway'' (1948) as Mr. Waldron * '' Cry of the City'' (1948) as Sullivan the Drunk (uncredited) * '' The Girl from Manhattan'' (1948) as Sam Griffin * ''

The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiog ...

'' (1948) as Dr. Curtis * '' Take One False Step'' (1949) as Dr. Markheim * '' Chicago Deadline'' (1949) as Hotspur Shaner * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1950) as Arthur Timkin * '' Here Comes the Groom'' (1951) as Governor * '' Double Dynamite'' (1951) as R. B. Pulsifer Sr. * ''

Scaramouche Scaramouche () or Scaramouch (; Italian: Scaramuccia ; ) is a stock clown character of the 16th-century commedia dell'arte (comic theatrical arts of Italian literature). The role combined characteristics of the Zanni (servant) and il Capitan ...

'' (1952) as Michael Vanneau * '' The Turning Point'' (1952) as Fogel * '' Million Dollar Mermaid'' (1952) as Aldrich * '' Remains to Be Seen'' (1953) as Clark * '' Raiders of the Seven Seas'' (1953) as Mayor Pompaño * '' Dear Brigitte'' (1965) as Dean Sawyer

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Howard 1899 births 1967 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors People from Helena, Montana 20th-century American male actors