Joseph A. Creaghan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965, and notably played
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
nine times between 1939 and 1958, most memorably in ''
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, ...
'' and ''
They Died with Their Boots On''.
Early life
Born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Crehan. He attended Calvert Hall College and
Kent College of Law but left the latter because of his stronger interest in drama.
[ ] Early in his career, Crehan worked in light comedy. He was in his late 30s when he began doing character roles.
Career
Crehan's Broadway credits include ''Twentieth Century'' (1932), ''Lilly Turner'' (1932), ''Angels Don't Kiss'' (1932), ''Those We Love'' (1930), ''Sweet Land of Liberty'' (1929), ''Merry Andrew'' (1929), ''Ringside'' (1928), and ''Yosemite'' (1914). Crehan often played alongside
Charles C. Wilson with whom he is sometimes confused.
In 1961, credited as "Joe Crehan", he appeared as "Thomas Boland" in the TV Western series ''
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 late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...
'' (S3E18 "The Prescott Campaign").
Death
On April 15, 1966, Crehan died of a stroke in
Hollywood, California
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
.
[ ]
Selected filmography
* ''
Under Two Flags'' (1916) as Rake
* ''
Stolen Heaven'' (1931) as Henry, Steve's Butler
* ''
Secrets of a Secretary'' (1931) as Reporter (uncredited)
* ''
Before Midnight'' (1933) as Police Captain Frank Flynn
* ''
Beyond the Law'' (1934) as Chief Anderson
* ''
Among the Missing'' (1934) as Detective O'Malley
* ''
Against the Law'' (1934) as Captain Elliott
* ''
The Line-Up'' (1934) as Police Captain Daniel McGrath
* ''
It Happened One Night
''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite ( Claudette Colbert) tr ...
'' (1934) as Detective
* ''
Traveling Saleslady'' (1935) as Murdock
* ''
Black Fury'' (1935) as Farrell
* ''
Go into Your Dance
''Go into Your Dance'' is a 1935 American musical drama film starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by Archie Mayo, and is based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. It was released by Warner Br ...
'' (1935) as H.P. Jackson
* ''
Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935) as Clements
* ''
Stranded'' (1935) as Johnny Quinn
* ''
Front Page Woman'' (1935) as Spike Kiley
* ''
Page Miss Glory'' (1935) as Detective Chief
* ''
Bright Lights'' (1935) as Post Office Attendant
* ''
Special Agent
In the United States, a special agent is an official title used to refer to certain investigators or detectives of federal, military, tribal, or state agencies who primarily serve in criminal investigatory positions. Additionally, some special ...
'' (1935) as Police Commissioner
* ''
The Case of the Lucky Legs'' (1935) as Detective Johnson
* ''
The Payoff'' (1935) as Harvey
* ''
Frisco Kid'' (1935) as McClanahan
* ''
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...
'' (1936) as Bill Hinsdale
* ''
Bullets or Ballots
''Bullets or Ballots'' is a 1936 American crime film, crime thriller film starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, and Humphrey Bogart. Robinson plays a police detective who infiltrates a crime gang. This is the first of sev ...
'' (1936) as Grand Jury Spokesman
* ''
Earthworm Tractors'' (1936) as Mr. Henderson
* ''
Trailin' West'' (1936) as Colonel Douglas
* ''
Anthony Adverse
''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Hervey ...
'' (1936) as Captain Elisha Jorham
* ''
China Clipper'' (1936) as Jim Horn
* ''
Cain and Mabel'' (1936) as Tom Reed's Boxing Manager
* ''
Road Gang'' (1936) as Harry Shields
* ''
Gold Diggers of 1937'' (1936) as Chairman
* ''
Smart Blonde'' (1937) as 'Tiny' Torgenson
* ''
Talent Scout
In professional sports, scouts are experienced talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports, and they determine whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the s ...
'' (1937) as A.J. Lambert
* ''
There Goes My Girl'' (1937) as Sergeant Wood
* ''
The Go Getter'' (1937) as Karl Stone
* ''
Kid Galahad'' (1937) as Brady
* ''
This Is My Affair'' (1937) as Priest
* ''
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop'' (1937) as Paul Drake
* ''
Born Reckless'' (1937) as District Attorney
* ''
The Wrong Road'' (1937) as District Attorney
* ''
Here's Flash Casey
''Here's Flash Casey'' is a 1937 American film directed by Lynn Shores and starring Eric Linden and Boots Mallory.
Plot
Flash Casey is able finally to get the job as photographer at Globe Press. And he would like to marry newspaper woman Kay Lann ...
'' (1938) as Blaine
* ''
Happy Landing'' (1938) as Agent
* ''
Night Spot'' (1938) as Inspector Wayland
* ''
Alexander's Ragtime Band
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911; it is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Despite its title, the song is a march as opposed to a rag and contains little sync ...
'' (1938) as Stage Manager
* ''
Four's a Crowd
''Four's a Crowd'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy, screwball comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell and Patric Knowles. The picture was written by Casey Robinson and Sig Herzig fr ...
'' (1938) as Butler Pierce
* ''
Billy the Kid Returns'' (1938) as U.S. Marshal Dave Conway
* ''
Girls on Probation
''Girls on Probation'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by William C. McGann and written by Crane Wilbur. The film stars Jane Bryan, Ronald Reagan, Anthony Averill, Sheila Bromley, Henry O'Neill and Elisabeth Risdon. The film was releas ...
'' (1938) as Todd
* ''
Gang Bullets'' (1938) as Wallace
* ''
Star Reporter'' (1939) as Gordon, Newspaper Editor
* ''
Whispering Enemies'' (1939) as George Harley
* ''
Society Lawyer'' (1939) as City Editor
* ''
You Can't Get Away with Murder'' (1939) as Warden
* ''
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) as General
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
* ''
Tell No Tales'' (1939) as Chalmers
* ''
Maisie'' (1939) as Defense Attorney Wilcox
* ''
Babes in Arms'' (1939) as Mr. Essex
* ''
Hollywood Cavalcade'' (1939) as Attorney
* ''
The Roaring Twenties'' (1939) as Mr. Fletcher, the Foreman (uncredited)
* ''
The Return of Doctor X'' (1939) as Editor
* ''
Navy Secrets'' (1939) as Captain Daly, Navy Intelligence Officer
* ''
Music in My Heart'' (1940) as Mark C. Gilman
* ''
Emergency Squad'' (1940) as H. Tyler Joyce, Editor
* ''
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell.
Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
'' (1940 serial) as Judge Stanton
* ''
The House Across the Bay'' (1940) as Federal Man
* ''
Gaucho Serenade'' (1940) as Edward Martin
* ''
Brother Orchid'' (1940) as Brother MacEwen
* ''
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
'' (1940) as General Ulysses S. Grant (uncredited)
* ''
City for Conquest'' (1940) as Doctor
* ''
South to Karanga'' (1940) as Ridgley (uncredited)
* ''
The Secret Seven'' (1940) as Police Chief Hobbs
* ''
Texas Rangers Ride Again'' (1940) as Johnson
* ''
Scattergood Baines'' (1941) as Keith
* ''
Andy Hardy's Private Secretary'' (1941) as Peter Dugan
* ''
Washington Melodrama'' (1941) as Phil Sampson
* ''
Love Crazy'' (1941) as Judge
* ''
Nevada City'' (1941) as Mark Benton
* ''
Manpower
Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...
'' (1941) as Sweeney
* ''
Nine Lives Are Not Enough'' (1941) as Yates
* ''
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
'' (1941) as Dusty King
* ''
Three Girls About Town'' (1941) as Labor Leader (uncredited)
* ''
They Died with Their Boots On'' (1941) as President Ulysses S. Grant (uncredited)
* ''
The Courtship of Andy Hardy'' (1942) as Peter Dugan
* ''
Junior Army'' (1942) as Mr. Jeffrey Ferguson
* ''
Eyes of the Underworld'' (1942) as Assistant Police Chief Kirby
* ''
Sealed Lips'' (1942) as Chief Charles R. Dugan
* ''
Gang Busters'' (1942, Serial) as Police Chief Martin O'Brien
* ''
Murder in the Big House'' (1942) as Jim F. Ainslee
* ''
Larceny, Inc.'' (1942) as Warden
* ''
Adventures of the Flying Cadets'' (1943, Serial) as Colonel George Bolton
* ''
Mystery Broadcast'' (1943) as Chief Daniels
* ''
She Has What It Takes'' (1943) as George Clarke
* ''
Hands Across the Border'' (1944) as Jeff Adams
* ''
Phantom Lady'' (1944) as Detective
* ''
The Navy Way'' (1944) as Chaplain Benson
* ''
The Great Alaskan Mystery'' (1944, Serial) as Bill Hudson
* ''
The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) as Ulysses S. Grant / Riverboat Captain
* ''
Black Magic
Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes.
The links and interaction between black magic and religi ...
'' (1944) as Police Sergeant Matthews
* ''
Man Alive'' (1945) as Dr. James P. Whitney
* ''
Dick Tracy'' (1945) as Police Chief Brandon
* ''
The Shadow Returns'' (1946) as Police Inspector Cardona
* ''
Deadline at Dawn'' (1946) as Lieutenant Kane
* ''
Strange Journey'' (1946) as Thompson
* ''
The Phantom Thief'' (1946) as 'Jumbo' Madigan, Pawnbroker
* ''
O.S.S.'' (1946) as General Donovan
* ''
The Big Sleep'' (1946) as Medical Examiner (uncredited)
* ''
Dangerous Money'' (1946) as Captain Black
* ''
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball'' (1946) as Chief Brandon
* ''
The Falcon's Adventure'' (1946) as Inspector Cavanaugh
* ''
Behind the Mask'' (1946) as Police Inspector Cardonna
* ''
Monsieur Verdoux
''Monsieur Verdoux'' is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, and ...
'' (1947) as Broker (uncredited)
* ''
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (1947) as Chief Brandon
* ''
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
'' (1947) as Neilson
* ''
Philo Vance's Gamble'' (1947) as District Attorney Ellis Mason
* ''
Adventures in Silverado'' (1948) as McHugh
* ''
The Hunted'' (1948) as Police Captain
* ''
Night Time in Nevada'' (1948) as Engineer Casey
* ''
The Countess of Monte Cristo'' (1948) as Joe
* ''
Street Corner'' (1948) as Dr. James Fenton
* ''
The Last Bandit'' (1949) as Local Number 44 Engineer
* ''
Prejudice
Prejudice can be an affect (psychology), affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived In-group and out-group, social group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classifi ...
'' (1949) as J. P. Baker
* ''
Triple Trouble'' (1950) as Warden Burnside
* ''
Pride of Maryland'' (1951) as Mr. Herndon
* ''
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:
* Roadworks
*Temporary road closure during special events
* Police chase
*Robbery
* Sobriety checkpoint
* Protests
In peaceful ...
'' (1951) as Thompson (uncredited)
* ''
The Family Secret'' (1951) as Bailiff (uncredited)
* ''
Deadline - U.S.A.'' (1952) as City Editor (uncredited)
* ''
Crazylegs'' (1953) as Hank Hatch
* ''
Highway Dragnet
''Highway Dragnet'' is a 1954 American film noir B movie, B film crime film directed by Nathan Juran from a story by Uell Stanley Andersen, U.S. Andersen and Roger Corman. The film stars Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix. It was Roger ...
'' (1954) as Elderly Border Inspection Officer
* ''
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 ...
'' (1961) (Season 6 Episode 25: "Museum Piece") as Juror (uncredited)
* ''
Judgment at Nuremberg'' (1961) as Courtroom Spectator at verdict (uncredited)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crehan, Joseph
1883 births
1966 deaths
American male film actors
Male actors from Baltimore
20th-century American male actors
Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players