George Anderson (March 6, 1886 – August 26, 1948) was an American stage and film actor who appeared in 74 films and 25 Broadway productions in his 34-year career.

Career

Born in New York City in 1886, Anderson made his Broadway debut on August 5, 1907, as the star of an original

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

called ''The Time, the Place and the Girl.'' For the next ten years he continued to perform on the Great White Way in both musicals and plays – including

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

's '' The Duchess'' – until the end of November 1917. During about this same period, he also appeared in six movies, from 1915 to 1918, at a time when the nascent film industry was largely located in the New York City area. From 1922 to 1924 and from 1927 to 1936, Anderson again appeared on Broadway in musicals, comedies and melodramas, including '' The Strawberry Blonde'', which he also directed, frequently with about a year between each production, time during which it would be the normal procedure of the period for the production to tour the country. Anderson appeared in two short films released in 1935 and 1936, when the film industry had largely relocated to

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 ...

and become known as "

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

". After 1937, until 1948, Anderson worked consistently in films, playing small parts such as policemen, prison wardens, government officials, doctors and businessmen, as well as the occasional worker or bartender. During this time Anderson became part of writer-director

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in six films written and directed by Sturges, as well as one Sturges wrote but did not direct. In 1944, he returned to Broadway for the last time, performing in

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

's '' Catherine Was Great''. Anderson's final film was

Cy Endfield Cyril Raker Endfield (November 10, 1914 – April 16, 1995) was an American film director, who at times also worked as a writer, theatre director, and inventor. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he worked in the New York theatre in the late 1930s ...

's '' The Argyle Secrets'', released in 1948. He died in

London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on August 26, 1948, at the age of 62.

Partial filmography

*'' Little Pal'' (1915) - John Grandon *''The Question'' (1916) - Ralph Tudor *''The Shadow of a Doubt'' (1916) - John Randolph *'' The Almighty Dollar'' (1916) - Dr. Thornton *'' The Co-Respondent'' (1917) - Howard Van Keel *''Her Man'' (1918) - Roger Malcom *'' Night of Mystery'' (1937) - Det. Snitkin (uncredited) *'' Hotel Haywire'' (1937) - Bartender (uncredited) *'' Under Suspicion'' (1937) - Bill *'' Born to Be Wild'' (1938) - Mayor *'' The Saint in New York'' (1938) - Bonacci (uncredited) *'' King of Alcatraz'' (1938) - Officer #3 (uncredited) *'' Crime Takes a Holiday'' (1938) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' King of Chinatown'' (1939) - Detective *'' The Lady's from Kentucky'' (1939) - Joe Lane *''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

'' (1939) - Railwayman (uncredited) *'' Undercover Doctor'' (1939) - Dr. Parsons (uncredited) *'' They All Come Out'' (1939) - Associate Warden (uncredited) *'' Million Dollar Legs'' (1939) - State College President Greene (uncredited) *'' Behind Prison Gates'' (1939) - State Atty. Gen. Matthews (uncredited) *'' The Man They Could Not Hang'' (1939) - Prison Warden (uncredited) *'' A Woman Is the Judge'' (1939) - Detective (uncredited) *'' Our Neighbors – The Carters'' (1939) - Drug Representative (uncredited) *'' Chip of the Flying U'' (1939) - Foreign Agent (uncredited) *''

The Earl of Chicago ''The Earl of Chicago'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen and Edmund Gwenn. Made during 1939 and released in January 1940, it was the first MGM film of the 1940 ...

'' (1940) - Prison Guard (uncredited) *'' Santa Fe Marshal'' (1940) - Tex Barnes *'' Women Without Names'' (1940) - Juror (uncredited) *'' The Way of All Flesh'' (1940) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Hidden Gold'' (1940) - Ward Ackerman *'' The Great McGinty'' (1940) - Charlie - Cashier (uncredited) *''

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

'' (1940) - Doctor (uncredited) *'' The Secret Seven'' (1940) - Bennett *'' Glamour for Sale'' (1940) - Chief of Police (uncredited) *'' The Quarterback'' (1940) - Doctor (uncredited) *'' Christmas in July'' (1940) - Mr. Jenkins (uncredited) *''

Hold Back the Dawn Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also calle ...

'' (1941) - Emmy's Doctor (uncredited) *'' Sullivan's Travels'' (1941) - Sullivan's Ex-Manager (uncredited) *'' South of Santa Fe'' (1942) - Reed - Lawyer (uncredited) *''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942) - Jailer (uncredited) *'' This Gun for Hire'' (1942) - Plainclothesman (uncredited) *'' The Palm Beach Story'' (1942) - The Gent (uncredited) *'' The Major and the Minor'' (1942) - Train Passenger with Esquire Magazine (uncredited) *''

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

'' (1943) - Board Member (uncredited) *''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

'' (1943) - Publisher (uncredited) *'' The Underdog'' (1943) - Kraeger *'' The Chance of a Lifetime'' (1943) - Warden J.A. Edwards (uncredited) *'' Henry Aldrich Haunts a House'' (1943) - Olin Bidecker (uncredited) *'' Destination Tokyo'' (1943) - Officer (uncredited) *'' Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid'' (1944) - Mr. Benton (uncredited) *''

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) - Businessman (uncredited) *'' The Great Moment'' (1944) - Frederick T. Johnson (uncredited) *'' Wilson'' (1944) - Secretary David F. Houston (uncredited) *''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, ...

'' (1944) - Bartender (uncredited) *'' The Missing Juror'' (1944) - Wharton Attorney (uncredited) *''

Murder, My Sweet ''Murder, My Sweet'' (released as ''Farewell, My Lovely'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1944 American film noir, directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley (in her final film before retirement). The fi ...

'' (1944) - Detective (uncredited) *'' Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1945) - Doorman (uncredited) *'' The Unseen'' (1945) - Plainclothesman (uncredited) *''

Nob Hill Nob Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States that is known for its numerous luxury hotels and historic mansions. Nob Hill has historically served as a center of San Francisco's upper class. Nob Hill is among the highe ...

'' (1945) - Rafferty (uncredited) *'' Shady Lady'' (1945) - Conductor (uncredited) *'' Mildred Pierce'' (1945) - Peterson's Assistant (uncredited) *''

Road to Utopia ''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to ...''" ...

'' (1945) - Townsman (uncredited) *'' Masquerade in Mexico'' (1945) - Customs Official (uncredited) *'' Because of Him'' (1946) - Detective (uncredited) *'' The Bride Wore Boots'' (1946) - Judge #1 (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) - Jail Ward Doctor (uncredited) *''

'' (1947) - Miner (uncredited) *'' My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947) - Judge (uncredited) *'' Blaze of Noon'' (1947) - Doctor (uncredited) *'' Desperate'' (1947) - Man on Train (uncredited) *'' The Perils of Pauline'' (1947) - Western Saloon Set Director (uncredited) *'' Song of the Thin Man'' (1947) - Dunne (uncredited) *'' Unconquered'' (1947) - Villager (uncredited) *'' My Wild Irish Rose'' (1947) - Plainclothesman (uncredited) *'' King of the Gamblers'' (1948) - O'Brien *'' The Argyle Secrets'' (1948) - Allen Pierce

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, George 1886 births 1948 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors