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

Early years

Born into an Irish

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

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. 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 cru ...

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 Rep ...

, Wales. His obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' 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 Teresa Deevy (21 January 1894 – 19 January 1963) was an Irish dramatist and writer, who was deaf from the age of 19. Best known for her works for theatre, she was also a short story writer, and writer for radio. Early life Teresa Deevy w ...

'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 ''The Quiet Man'' is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen. The screenplay by Frank S. Nugent was based on a 1933 ''Saturday Ev ...

'', opposite John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and his brother, Barry Fitzgerald. He played Dr. Laughlin in ''

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' is a 1949 American Technicolor Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. It is the second film in Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy", along with '' Fort Apache'' (1948) and '' Rio Grande'' (1950). With a b ...

'' with Wayne and

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

, 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 Keys of the Kingdom'' is a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning six decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission in China. Beset by tragedy in h ...

'', ''

The Fabulous Dorseys ''The Fabulous Dorseys'' is a 1947 musical biopic which tells the story of the brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, from their boyhood in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through their rise, their breakup, and their personal reunion. The film was also rele ...

'', ''

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 M ...

'', ''

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 Cla ...

'', ''

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 ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...

'' 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 c ...

'' 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 Burea ...

'' starring Roger Moore titled "The Bold Fenian Men." Fitzgeraldhouse

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 Deans Grange Cemetery (; also spelled ''Deansgrange'') is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown part of the former County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been burie ...

Filmography

* ''Knocknagow'' (1918) – Phil Lahy * '' The Sign of the Cross'' (1932) – Chaplain Costello (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited) * ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' (1936) – Irish Leader * ''

'' (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 f ...

'' (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 ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...

'' (1941) – Mr. Parry, deacon * '' Confirm or Deny'' (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'' (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 Roys ...

'' (1942) – Griswald – Broadway Journal (uncredited) * '' Dr. Renault's Secret'' (1942) – Inspector Duval (uncredited) * '' Nightmare'' (1942) – Sergeant * '' Gentleman Jim'' (1942) – Father Burke * '' Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' (1942) – Mr. Kipp (uncredited) * '' The Black Swan'' (1942) – The Bishop (uncredited) * ''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...

'' (1942) – Liverpool Chemist (uncredited) * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) – Walmer Hotel Porter (uncredited) * '' The Man from Down Under'' (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 dire ...

'' (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'' (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 Lewt ...

'' (1944) – Mr. Dunlop * ''

'' (1944) – Mr. Hallam * ''

'' (1944) – Father Fitzgerald – Dean at Holywell * '' Roughly Speaking'' (1945) – Minister (uncredited) * ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...

'' (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'' (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 * ''

'' (1946) – Father Kenton * ''

The Verdict ''The Verdict'' is a 1982 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by David Mamet, adapted from Barry Reed's 1980 novel of the same name. It stars Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea, an ...

'' (1946) – Rev. Holbrook * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) – McCarthy (uncredited) * ''

'' (1947) – Michael * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) – Timothy Mike Donovan * ''

'' (1947) – Mr. Dorsey * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1947) – Prof. Bolton * '' Fighting Father Dunne'' (1948) – Mr. Michael O'Donnell * '' My Own True Love'' (1948) – Iverson * '' Tap Roots'' (1948) – Reverend Kirkland * '' The Fighting O'Flynn'' (1949) – Dooley * ''

'' (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 ''La ...

'' (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 strange ...

'' (1950) – Dr. E.E. Campbell * '' A Wonderful Life'' (1951) – Pastor * '' Blue Blood'' (1951) – Tim Donovan * ''

'' (1951) – Rev. Griffin * '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) – Kevin Dolan * '' The River'' (1951) – Mr. John * '' The People Against O'Hara'' (1951) – Mr. O'Hara * ''

The Barefoot Mailman ''The Barefoot Mailman'' is a comedy-adventure film starring Robert Cummings and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1951. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''The Barefoot Mailman'' by Theodore Pratt. Filmed in Super Cinecolor on location i ...

'' (1951) – Ben Titus * ''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Co ...

'' (1952) – Patrick the Harp (voice) * ''

'' (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 t ...

'' (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'' (1953) – Actor in Fantasy Sequence * '' World for Ransom'' (1954) – Sean O'Connor * '' Pride of the Blue Grass'' (1954) – Wilson * ''

River of No Return ''River of No Return'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The screenplay by Frank Fenton is based on a story by Louis Lantz, who borrowed his premise from the 1948 Italia ...

'' (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 ...

'' (1956) – Padre * ''

The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll ''Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' is a low-budget black-and-white 1957 American horror film produced by Jack Pollexfen, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and released by Allied Artists. The film is a variation on the 1886 gothic novella '' Strange Case of D ...

'' (1957) – Dr. Lomas * '' Enchanted Island'' (1958) – James 'Jimmy' Dooley * '' Night of the Quarter Moon'' (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 ''Your Show Time'' is an American anthology drama series that debuted on NBC Television on the East Coast in September 1948 and then on both the East and the West Coast, as a network show, on January 21, 1949. The show was produced by Marshall ...

'' – 26 episodes – The Bookshop Man (1949) *''The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure'' – 8 episodes – Boles (1956) *''

'' – episode – The Case of the Screaming Woman – Dr. George Barnes (1958) *'' Captain David Grief'' – 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) *''

'' – episode – The Bold Fenian Men – Terence Fogarty (1960) *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' – episode – The Amos Gibbon Story – Judge Tremayne (1960) *'' Rawhide'' – episode – Incident of the Dust Flower – Sam Cartwright (1960) *'' Bonanza'' – episode – The Stranger – Dennis (1960) *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' – 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