Joseph Michael Kerrigan (16 December 1884 – 29 April 1964) was an Irish actor.

Early life

Joseph Michael Kerrigan was born on 16 December 1884 in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, which was part of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...

at that time. He studied at Belvedere College and worked as a newspaperman.

Career

In 1907, Kerrigan joined the Irish National Theatre, later known as the Abbey Players. There he became a stalwart, appearing in plays by Lady Gregory,

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...

and

John Millington Synge Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909), popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, essayist, and collector of folklores. As an important driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, Ir ...

(for whom he created the role of Shawn Keogh in '' The Playboy of the Western World''). He toured with the company to New York City in 1908 and again in 1911, when their American premiere of '' The Playboy of the Western World'' met with riotous disapproval. By the 1920s he was appearing on Broadway, often in plays by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

, and Sheridan. In 1924, he and Abbey colleague Dudley Digges appeared in Sutton Vane's '' Outward Bound'', along with Alfred Lunt, Leslie Howard, Margalo Gillmore, and Beryl Mercer. All in all, he played in 35 Broadway productions in his career. His first screen appearance was in ''Food of Love'', one of six silent films he did in 1916. He settled permanently in Hollywood in 1935, having been recruited along with several other Abbey performers to appear in

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

's '' The Informer''. In this film and in Ford's '' The Long Voyage Home'', he played similar roles, that of a

leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...

who attaches himself to men until they run out of money. Perhaps his best-known role was in '' The General Died at Dawn'', wherein he plays a character named Leach, a sinister thief who, holding a gun on Cooper, says: "I may be fat, but I'm agile." He had little screen time in films in which he had minor roles, such as the First Drayman in '' Merely Mary Ann'' (1931) with Janet Gaynor. One of his more recognizable roles was in '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939), in which he played John Gallegher, the seemly jovial mill owner who whips his convict labor into "co-operation". He appeared in

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's '' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (1954), the film version of Jules Verne's 1870 novel, in a minor role at the beginning of the film. In a 1946 attempt to reach Broadway, Kerrigan starred as the discombobulated leprechaun Jackeen J. O'Malley in the show ''Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley'', based on the

Crockett Johnson Crockett Johnson (October 20, 1906 – July 11, 1975) was the pen name of the American cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk. He is best known for the comic strip ''Barnaby (comics), Barnaby'' (1942–1952) and the ''Harol ...

comic strip. The play was unsuccessful, completing only four performances. Kerrigan made his final Broadway appearance later that year, however, in Guthrie McClintic's revival of '' The Playboy of the Western World'', this time playing Michael James Flaherty. Over his career, he had roles in 114 short and feature-length motion pictures, and between 1952 and 1960 he appeared in episodes of 15 different TV series. Kerrigan died in Hollywood on 29 April 1964, aged 79. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6621 Hollywood Blvd.

Partial filmography

* '' Little Old New York'' (1923) – John O'Day (film debut) * '' Lucky in Love'' (1929) – Connors * '' New Movietone Follies of 1930'' (1930) – Gateman in Show (uncredited) * '' Song o' My Heart'' (1930) – Peter * '' Just Imagine'' (1930) – Traffic Policeman in 1980 (uncredited) * '' Lightnin''' (1930) – Judge Lemuel Townsend * '' Under Suspicion'' (1930) – Doyle * '' Don't Bet on Women'' (1931) – Chipley Duff * '' The Black Camel'' (1931) – Thomas MacMasters * '' Merely Mary Ann'' (1931) – First Drayman * '' The Rainbow Trail'' (1932) – Paddy Harrigan * '' Careless Lady'' (1932) – Trowbridge * '' State's Attorney'' (1932) – Coachman (uncredited) * '' Vanity Street'' (1932) – Dan – Irish Cop (uncredited) * '' Rockabye'' (1932) – Fagin * '' The Monkey's Paw'' (1933) – Cpl. O'Leary (uncredited) * '' Air Hostess'' (1933) – Pop Kearny * '' A Study in Scarlet'' (1933) – Jabez Wilson * '' Paddy the Next Best Thing'' (1933) – Collins * '' Lone Cowboy'' (1933) – Mr. Curran * '' The Lost Patrol'' (1934) – Quincannon * '' A Modern Hero'' (1934) – Mr. Ryan * '' The Key'' (1934) – O'Duffy * '' Treasure Island'' (1934) – Tom Morgan – Pirate (uncredited) * '' The Fountain'' (1934) – Shordley * '' Happiness Ahead'' (1934) – Window Washer Boss * '' The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' (1935) – Chief Verger Tope * '' Vanessa: Her Love Story'' (1935) – Perkins (uncredited) * '' The Informer'' (1935) – Terry * ''

Werewolf of London ''Werewolf of London'' is a 1935 horror film directed by Stuart Walker (director), Stuart Walker and starring Henry Hull as the titular werewolf. The supporting cast includes Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Matthews, and Spring Byington. ...

'' (1935) – Hawkins * '' The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (1935) – Angus (uncredited) * '' Hot Tip'' (1935) – Matt * '' Barbary Coast'' (1935) – Judge Harper * '' A Feather in Her Hat'' (1935) – Pobjoy * '' Timothy's Quest'' (1936) – Dr. Cudd * '' The Prisoner of Shark Island'' (1936) – Judge Maiben * '' Laughing Irish Eyes'' (1936) – Tim * '' Colleen'' (1936) – Pop Reilly * '' Special Investigator'' (1936) – Judge Plumgate * '' Hearts in Bondage'' (1936) – Paddy Callahan * '' Spendthrift'' (1936) – Pop O'Connell * '' The General Died at Dawn'' (1936) – Leach * '' Lloyd's of London'' (1936) – Brook Watson * '' Let's Make a Million'' (1936) – Sam Smith * '' The Plough and the Stars'' (1936) – Uncle Peter * '' The Barrier'' (1937) – Sergeant Thomas * '' Motor Madness'' (1937) – Henry John 'Cap' McNeil * '' London by Night'' (1937) – Tims * '' Vacation from Love'' (1938) – Danny Dolan, Hansom Cabbie * '' Spring Madness'' (1938) – Mr. Maloney (uncredited) * ''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and print syndication#Comic strip syndication, syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James ...

'' (1938) – Tom Jennings * '' Ride a Crooked Mile'' (1938) – Sgt. Flynn * '' The Great Man Votes'' (1939) – Hot Shot Gillings * '' Boy Slaves'' (1939) – Brakeman (uncredited) * '' The Flying Irishman'' (1939) – Mr. Clyde Corrigan Sr. * '' The Kid from Texas'' (1939) – Farr * '' Undercover Agent'' (1939) – Tom 'Pop' Madison * ''

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) – Monahan * '' Sorority House'' (1939) – Lew Fisher * '' The Zero Hour'' (1939) – Timothy * '' 6,000 Enemies'' (1939) – Dan Barrett * '' Two Bright Boys'' (1939) – Mike Casey * '' The Witness Vanishes'' (1939) – Flinters * ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

'' (1939) – Mel * '' Two Thoroughbreds'' (1939) – Jack Lenihan * '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) – Johnny Gallagher * '' Congo Maisie'' (1940) – Captain Finch * '' Young Tom Edison'' (1940) – Mr. McCarney * '' Three Cheers for the Irish'' (1940) – Scanlon * '' Curtain Call'' (1940) – Mr. Middleton * '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) – Eli Matson * '' Untamed'' (1940) – Angus McGavity * '' One Crowded Night'' (1940) – Joseph * '' No Time for Comedy'' (1940) – Jim * '' The Long Voyage Home'' (1940) – Crimp * '' Adventure in Washington'' (1941) – Jim O'Brien * '' Appointment for Love'' (1941) – Timothy * '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) – Charles Conliffe * '' The Vanishing Virginian'' (1942) – John Phelps * '' Captains of the Clouds'' (1942) – Foster * '' Action in the North Atlantic'' (1943) – Caviar Jinks (uncredited) * '' Mr. Lucky'' (1943) – Mr. McDougal (uncredited) * '' The Fighting Seabees'' (1944) – Sawyer Collins * '' Wilson'' (1944) – Edward Sullivan * '' An American Romance'' (1944) – Charlie O'Rourke – Steam Shovel Operator (uncredited) * '' The Big Bonanza'' (1944) – Judge Jasper Kincaid * '' Tarzan and the Amazons'' (1945) – Splivens * '' The Great John L.'' (1945) – Father O'Malley * '' Crime Doctor's Warning'' (1945) – Robert MacPherson (uncredited) * '' The Spanish Main'' (1945) – Pillery Gow * '' She Went to the Races'' (1945) – Jeff Habbard * '' Black Beauty'' (1946) – John * '' Abie's Irish Rose'' (1946) – Patrick Murphy * '' Call Northside 777'' (1948) – Sullivan – Court Bailiff (uncredited) * '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) – Tatie the Innkeeper * '' The Fighting O'Flynn'' (1949) – Timothy * '' Mrs. Mike'' (1949) – Uncle John * '' Double Crossbones'' (1951) – Debtor (uncredited) * '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) – Skipper Ben * '' Two of a Kind'' (1951) – Father Lanahan (uncredited) * '' The Wild North'' (1952) – Callahan * '' Park Row'' (1952) – Dan O'Rourke * '' My Cousin Rachel'' (1952) – Reverend Pascoe * '' The Silver Whip'' (1953) – Riley * '' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (1954) – Old Billy * '' It's a Dog's Life'' (1955) – Paddy Corbin * '' The Fastest Gun Alive'' (1956) – Kevin McGovern (final film) * '' Shirley Temple's Storybook'' (1958, TV) – The Magic Fishbone * '' Tales of Wells Fargo'' (1959, TV) – Smalley * '' Wagon Train'' (1959, TV) – John Reed * '' The Loretta Young Show'' (1960, TV) – Mr. Thomas J. Flaherty * '' Lock-Up'' (1960, TV) – Professor Caldwell (last appearance)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kerrigan, J. M. Irish male film actors 20th-century Irish male actors Male actors from Dublin (city) Male actors from Los Angeles Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 1884 births 1964 deaths Irish expatriate male actors in the United States People educated at Belvedere College