Aldrich Bowker (January 1, 1875 – March 21, 1947) was an American stage and film actor.

Biography

Bowker was born in

Ashby, Massachusetts Ashby is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,193 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which makes it the least populous municipality in Middle ...

. He graduated from Fitchburg High School. His debut came in Boston in a stage adaptation of ''The Christian'', by

Hall Caine Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine (14 May 1853 – 31 August 1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was a British novelist, dramatist, short story writer, poet and critic of the late 19th and early 20th century. Caine's popularity during his lifetim ...

. He was a long-time stage performer in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, and in summer stock at

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

Whalom Park in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Bowker was a pioneer in "open air" theatre at Whalom Park and at his summer home in Ashburnham, where other performers were frequent guests, including Ainsworth Arnold and

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

. Between 1912 and 1938 he was active on Broadway. Notable stage plays he performed in were ''The High Road'' (1912), ''A Night in Avignon'' (1919), '' You Can't Take It With You'' (1936) and ''200 Were Chosen'' (1936). Between 1939 and 1942 he appeared in about 25 films, including '' Ball of Fire'' (1941). Bowker died at

Patton State Hospital Patton State Hospital is a forensic psychiatric hospital in San Bernardino, California, United States. Though the hospital has a Patton, California address, it lies entirely within the San Bernardino city limits. Operated by the California Dep ...

in San Bernardino, California, from

arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis, literally meaning "hardening of the arteries", is an umbrella term for a vascular disorder characterized by abnormal thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries; this process gradually restricts th ...

and

senility Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, ...

Partial filmography

* '' Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter'' (1939) as Matt Brandon * '' Waterfront'' (1939) as Father Dunn * '' Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite'' (1939) as Judge Hershey * '' These Glamour Girls'' (1939) as Charlie, the Counterman (uncredited) * '' Everybody's Hobby'' (1939) as Uncle Bert Leslie * '' Angels Wash Their Faces'' (1939) as Turnkey * '' No Place to Go'' (1939) as Heffernan * '' Pride of the Blue Grass'' (1939) as Judge * ''

On Dress Parade ''The 'Dead End' Kids "On Dress Parade"'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. film that marked the first time The Dead End Kids headlined a film without any other well-known actors. Plot A hero of World War I, Colonel William Duncan, is on his deathbed. He ...

'' (1939) as Father Ryan * '' Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President'' (1939) as Mike O'Brien * '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940) as Judge Bowling Green * '' It All Came True'' (1940) as Father McDuffy (uncredited) * '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940) as Judge Squire Jennings * '' Susan and God'' (1940) as Patrick * '' Jennie'' (1940) as Dr. Hildebrand * '' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1940) as Padre Martinez * '' Meet John Doe'' (1941) as Pop Dwyer (uncredited) * '' Pot o' Gold'' (1941) as Judge Mike Murray (uncredited) * ''

The Wagons Roll at Night ''The Wagons Roll at Night'' is a 1941 American circus drama film directed by Ray Enright and starring Humphrey Bogart as traveling carnival owner Nick Coster, Sylvia Sidney as his girlfriend, and Eddie Albert as a newcomer who falls in love wi ...

'' (1941) as Mr. Williams * '' Love Crazy'' (1941) as Jimmy, the Doorman (uncredited) * '' Ball of Fire'' (1941) as Justice of the Peace * '' I Was Framed'' (1942) as Dr. Phillip Black * '' Mississippi Gambler'' (1942) as Judd Higgins, Mississippi Newspaper Editor * '' The Major and the Minor'' (1942) as Reverend Doyle * '' I Married a Witch'' (1942) as Justice of the Peace (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowker, Aldrich 1875 births 1947 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors Male actors from Massachusetts 20th-century American male actors