Joe Downing (June 26, 1903 – October 16, 1975) was an American stage, TV and

B-movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

actor who made more than 70 appearances.

Career

Downing's early acting experience included work with the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of ...

, particularly dancing in ''

The Garrick Gaieties ''Garrick Gaieties'' is a revue with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, the first successful musical by this songwriting team. It debuted in 1925 on Broadway and was the first of three ''Garrick Gaiety'' revues, which were subs ...

''. His Broadway credits include ''Ramshackle Inn'' (1944), ''Cross-town'' (1937), ''Dead End'' (1935), ''Ceiling Zero'' (1935), ''Page Miss Glory'' (1934), ''The Drums Begin'' (1933), ''Heat Lightning'' (1933), ''Shooting Star'' (1933), and ''A Farewell to Arms'' (1930). Downing's film debut came in ''Doctor Socrates''. Often cast as gangsters, his film credits include '' A Slight Case of Murder'', '' Danger on the Air'', '' Racket Busters'', '' Each Dawn I Die'', and '' The Big Shot''. His television credits include three appearances on ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' from 1956 to 1958, as well as other

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

popular during the era.

Partial filmography

*''

The Case of the Lucky Legs ''The Case of the Lucky Legs'' is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. Plot Margie Clune wins the "Lucky Legs" beauty contest concocted by Frank Patton, but has trouble ...

'' (1935) as George Sanborne *'' Dr. Socrates'' (1935) as Cinq Laval *'' Borrowing Trouble'' (1937) as Charlie *'' A Slight Case of Murder'' (1938) as Innocence *'' Wide Open Faces'' (1938) as Stretch *'' The Lady in the Morgue'' (1938) as Steve Collins *'' The Devil's Party'' (1938) as Frank Diamond *'' Danger on the Air'' (1938) as Joe Carney *'' Racket Busters'' (1938) as Joe Pender, Martin's Henchman *'' I Am the Law'' (1938) as Tom Cronin (uncredited) *'' The Night Hawk'' (1938) as Lefty *''

Angels with Dirty Faces ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Brothers. It stars James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, The Dead End Kids, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and George Bancroft. The screenplay was wr ...

'' (1938) as Steve (uncredited) *''

North of Shanghai ''North of Shanghai'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Plot Cast * James Craig as Jed Howard * Betty Furness as Helen Warner * Keye Luke as Jimmy Riley * Morgan Conway as Bob Laird * Joe Downing as Chandler (a ...

'' (1939) as Chandler *''

You Can't Get Away with Murder ''You Can't Get Away with Murder'' is a 1939 crime drama directed by Lewis Seiler, starring Humphrey Bogart and Gale Page, and featuring " Dead End Kid" leader Billy Halop. The film is from Bogart's period of being cast in B pictures by Warn ...

'' (1939) as Smitty *'' Torchy Runs for Mayor'' (1939) as Spuds O'Brien *'' The Forgotten Woman'' (1939) as Johnny Bradshaw *'' Each Dawn I Die'' (1939) as Limpy Julien *'' Smashing the Money Ring'' (1939) as Dice Mathews *''

Beware Spooks! ''Beware Spooks!'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Joe E. Brown, Mary Carlisle and Clarence Kolb.Gehring p.100 Plot Rookie cop Roy L. Gifford is kicked off the force after he accidentally assists a bank ro ...

'' (1939) (uncredited) *'' Missing Evidence'' (1939) as Marty Peters *''

Another Thin Man ''Another Thin Man'' is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the ''Thin Man'' series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Contin ...

'' (1939) as Hoodlum (uncredited) *'' Invisible Stripes'' (1939) as Johnny *'' Oh Johnny, How You Can Love'' (1940) as 'Doc' Kendrick, Bank Robber *''

Castle on the Hudson ''Castle on the Hudson'' (UK title: ''Years Without Days'') is a 1940 American prison film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring John Garfield, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. The film was based on the book ''Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing ...

'' (1940) as Gangster in Car (uncredited) *'' Sandy Is a Lady'' (1940) as Nick Case *''

The Secret Seven The Secret Seven or Secret Seven Society is a fictional group of child detectives created by Enid Blyton and based on the publisher's children. They appear in one of several adolescent detective series which Blyton wrote. The Secret Seven c ...

'' (1940) as Lou Bodie *'' The San Francisco Docks'' (1940) as Cassidy *''

Tall, Dark and Handsome "Tall, dark, and handsome" is a phrase that refers to an appealing man. It originates from romantic fiction produced in the early 1900s. History and interpretation According to British lexicographer Eric Partridge, the phrase "tall, dark and ha ...

'' (1941) as Cigar Store Killer (uncredited) *''

Double Date Dating is a stage of Romance (love), romantic relationships in which individuals engage in activity together, often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the cate ...

'' (1941) as Burglar *''

Strange Alibi ''Strange Alibi'' is a 1941 American film noir directed by D. Ross Lederman, written by Kenneth Gamet, Leslie T. White and Fred Niblo Jr., and starring Arthur Kennedy, Joan Perry, Jonathan Hale, John Ridgely, Florence Bates and Charles Tr ...

'' (1941) as Benny McKaye *''

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaws. ...

'' (1941) as Jim Cole *'' Unholy Partners'' (1941) as Jerry, Henchman *'' Johnny Eager'' (1941) as Ryan *'' Sealed Lips'' (1942) as Trigger Dolan (uncredited) *'' Larceny, Inc.'' (1942) as Smitty *''

My Gal Sal ''My Gal Sal'' is a 1942 American musical film distributed by 20th Century Fox and starring Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature. The film is a biopic of 1890s German-American composer / songwriter Paul Dresser and singer Sally Elliot. It was based ...

'' (1942) as Slip (uncredited) *'' The Big Shot'' (1942) as Frenchy (credited as Joseph Downing) *''

You Can't Escape Forever ''You Can't Escape Forever'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Jo Graham and written by Fred Niblo, Jr. and Hector Chevigny. The film stars George Brent, Brenda Marshall, Gene Lockhart, Roscoe Karns, Eduardo Ciannelli and Paul Harve ...

'' (1942) as Varney (uncredited) *''

Lucky Jordan ''Lucky Jordan'' is a 1942 comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Alan Ladd in his first leading role, Helen Walker in her film debut and Sheldon Leonard. The screenplay concerns a self-centered gangster who tangles with Nazi spies. Pl ...

'' (1942) as Harrison (uncredited) *'' Las Vegas Shakedown'' (1955) as Henchman Matty *'' Fighting Trouble'' (1956) as Handsome Hal Lomax *''

'' (Season 1 Episode 15: "The Big Switch") (1956) as Lieutenant Al Hawkshaw (credited as Joseph Downing) *''

'' (Season 1 Episode 22: "Place of Shadows") (1956) as Floyd Unser (credited as Joseph Downing) *'' Slaughter on Tenth Avenue'' (1957) as Eddie 'Cockeye' Cook *''

'' (Season 3 Episode 26: "Bull in a China Shop") (1958) as Detective Kramer (credited as Joseph Downing)

References

External links

* * 1903 births 1975 deaths American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from New York City {{US-theat-actor-1900s-stub