Lionel Alfred William Atwill (1 March 1885 – 22 April 1946) was an English and American stage and screen actor. He began his acting career at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

. After coming to the United States, he appeared in Broadway plays and Hollywood films. Some of his more significant roles were in '' Captain Blood'' (1935), '' Son of Frankenstein'' (1939) and '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942).

Life and career

Atwill was born on 1 March 1885 in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

, London, England. He studied architecture before his stage debut at the

, London, in 1904. Atwill-Cornell-Outsider-1924

He became a star in Broadway theatre by 1918 and made his screen debut in 1919. His Broadway credits include ''The Lodger'' (1916), ''The Silent Witness'' (1930), ''Fioretta'' (1928), ''The Outsider'' (1924), ''Napoleon'' (1927), ''The Thief'' (1926), ''Slaves All'' (1926), ''Beau Gallant'' (1925), ''Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1924), ''The Outsider'' (1923), ''The Comedian'' (1922), ''The Grand Duke'' (1921), '' Deburau'' (1920), ''Tiger! Tiger!'' (1918), ''Another Man's Shoes'' (1918), ''A Doll's House'' (1917), ''Hedda Gabler'' (1917), ''The Wild Duck'' (1917), ''The Indestructible Wife'' (1917), ''L'elevation'' (1917), and ''Eve's Daughter'' (1917). He acted on the stage in Australia and then became involved in U.S. horror films in the 1930s, including leading roles in '' Doctor X'' (1932), '' The Vampire Bat'', ''

Murders in the Zoo ''Murders in the Zoo'' is a 1933 pre-Code horror film directed by A. Edward Sutherland, written by Philip Wylie and Seton I. Miller. Particularly dark, even for its time, film critic Leonard Maltin called the film "astonishingly grisly." Plot B ...

'' and '' Mystery of the Wax Museum'' (all 1933), and perhaps most memorably as the one-armed Inspector Krogh in '' Son of Frankenstein'' (1939), a role famously parodied by Kenneth Mars in

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

' 1974 satire '' Young Frankenstein''. He appeared in four subsequent Universal Frankenstein films as well as many other of the studio's beloved chillers. His other roles include a romantic lead opposite

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the Silent film, silent to the Sound film, sound era, during which he worked with mos ...

's ''The Devil Is a Woman'' (1935), a crooked insurance investigator in '' The Wrong Road'' (1937) for RKO, Dr. James Mortimer in

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

's film version of ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...

'' (1939), and

Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could ...

in the

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

film ''

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) is the fourth in the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of 14 Sherlock Holmes films which updated the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the then p ...

'' (1943). He also had a rare comedy role in

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

's 1942 classic '' To Be or Not to Be'' and that same year menaced

Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...

in '' Pardon My Sarong''. Lionel-Atwell-by-Manuel Rosenberg

Career-ending scandal

Virginia Lopez was a 30-year-old dress designer from Cuba. Sylvia Hamalaine was a 16-year-old Minnesota girl who came to Hollywood to break into film. Lopez, along with her boyfriend Adolphe LaRue, was charged with having molested Hamalaine in the Hollywood apartment where both women resided. Lopez's defense attorney, Donald MacKay, tried to deflect blame from Lopez by claiming Hamalaine was a sex worker. He accused Hamalaine of being present at several parties at the beach home of Lionel Atwill in December and January 1940 where "indecencies" took place. Both LaRue and Lopez were convicted of contributing to the deliquency of a minor. A grand jury was summoned to investigate the charges levied at actors and others in the motion picture industry. Atwill testified on May 21, 1941, before the grand jury and vehemently denied all accusations. Nothing "scandalous" had happened, he said. The grand jury declined to indict anyone on June 1, 1941. Grand jury foreman Theodore Peirce said, "The stories were just too fabulous and the credulity of the jury was taxed beyond all endurance by all of the witnesses." In June 1942, a second grand jury re-examined the 1941 evidence and decided to re-open the investigation. Atwill was indicted on charges of perjury. By showing pornographic films at his parties, "scandalous" activity had, indeed, occurred, the grand jury concluded. Atwill pleaded not guilty to the charge. A second perjury indictment was handed down on August 11, after the grand jury determined Atwill had lied twice under oath. The two indictments were consolidated. Trial was set for September 28, 1942, but on September 24 Atwill changed his plea to guilty. He denied all charges of immoral acts, but did admit to possessing and showing lewd films to a small group of friends at his beach house. Atwill was sentenced on October 15 to five years of probation. The court noted that the witnesses against Atwill were "unsavory", and that Atwill had received numerous character references from local law enforcement and important Hollywood people. Under the

Hays Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as th ...

of conduct for the motion picture industry, Atwill was blackballed from working. On April 16, 1943, Atwill asked a court to terminate his probation and allow him to change his 1942 guilty plea to not guilty. Seven days later, Superior Court Judge William R. McKay granted Atwill's motion. After Atwill pleaded not guilty, the judge vacated his 1942 conviction. The court said the perjury charges had been brought by someone with a "personal motive" who wanted to "get even" with Atwill.

Personal life

Atwill married four times. His first wife was Phyllis Relph; the couple married in 1913 and divorced in 1919. In 1941, their son John Arthur Atwill (born 1914) was killed in action at age 26. Atwill married the actress

Elsie Mackay Elsie Mackay (21 August 1893 – 13 March 1928) was a British actress, jockey, interior decorator and pioneering aviator who died attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean with Walter Hinchliffe in a single engined Stinson Detroiter. Her stage nam ...

in 1920. He married

Louise Cromwell Brooks Louise Cromwell (born Henrietta Louise Cromwell; September 24, 1890 – May 30, 1965) was an American socialite whose four marriages included seven years as the first wife of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. She was "considered one of W ...

in 1930 after her divorce from General of the Army

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

; they divorced in 1943. Atwill married Paula Pruter in 1944, and their marriage continued until his death. Their son, Lionel Anthony Atwill, is a retired writer. Atwill died on 22 April 1946, as a result of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Filmography

*''

Eve's Daughter ''Eve's Daughter'' is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Kirkwood and starred popular theatre star Billie Burke. The film is based ...

'' (1918) - Courtenay Urquhart *'' For Sale'' (1918) - Minor Role *'' The Marriage Price'' (1919) - Kenneth Gordon *'' The Eternal Mother'' (1920) - Howard Hollister *'' The Highest Bidder'' (1921) - Lester *'' The Silent Witness'' (1932) - Sir Austin Howard *'' Doctor X'' (1932) - Dr. Jerry Xavier *'' The Vampire Bat'' (1933) - Dr. Otto von Niemann *'' The Secret of Madame Blanche'' (1933) - Aubrey St. John *'' Mystery of the Wax Museum'' (1933) - Ivan Igor *''

'' (1933) - Eric Gorman *'' The Sphinx'' (1933) - Jerome Breen *''

The Song of Songs The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, it is erotic poe ...

'' (1933) - Baron von Merzbach *'' Secret of the Blue Room'' (1933) - Robert von Helldorf *''

The Solitaire Man ''The Solitaire Man'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Jack Conway and starring Herbert Marshall and Mary Boland. Plot After a job in Monte Carlo, an English jewel theft ring returns to Paris. Suave cat burglar Oliver Lane ...

'' (1933) - Inspector Wallace *'' Nana'' (1934) - Colonel André Muffat *'' Beggars in Ermine'' (1934) - John 'Flint' Dawson aka John Daniels *'' Stamboul Quest'' (1934) - Herr Von Sturm *'' One More River'' (1934) - Brough *'' The Age of Innocence'' (1934) - Julius Beaufort *''

The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (; ) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine, who c ...

'' (1934) - John Pointer *''

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ''The Man Who Reclaimed His Head'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Jean Bart (writer), Jean Bart and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill, Juanita Quigley, Henry O'Neill an ...

'' (1934) - Henry Dumont *'' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1935) - Capt. Don Pasqual 'Pasqualito' Costelar *''

Mark of the Vampire ''Mark of the Vampire'' is a 1935 American horror film directed by Tod Browning, and starring Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan (British actress), Elizabeth Allan, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, and Jean Hersholt, produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. ...

'' (1935) - Inspector Neumann *'' The Murder Man'' (1935) - Captain Cole *'' Rendezvous'' (1935) - Major William Brennan *'' Captain Blood'' (1935) - Colonel Bishop *'' Lady of Secrets'' (1936) - Mr. Whittaker *'' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) - Ludwig *''

Absolute Quiet ''Absolute Quiet'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and written by Harry Clork. The film stars Lionel Atwill, Irene Hervey, Raymond Walburn, Stuart Erwin, Ann Loring and Louis Hayward. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, it was ...

'' (1936) - G.A. Axton *''

The High Command ''The High Command'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Lionel Atwill, Lucie Mannheim and James Mason. It was shot at Ealing Studios and location filming, on location on the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold ...

'' (1937) - Maj. Gen. Sir John Sangye, VC *'' The Road Back'' (1937) - Prosecutor *'' The Last Train from Madrid'' (1937) - Col. Vigo *''

Lancer Spy ''Lancer Spy'' is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Dolores Del Rio and George Sanders. Its plot concerns an Englishman who impersonates a German officer and a female German spy who falls in love with him. Pl ...

'' (1937) - Colonel Fenwick *'' The Wrong Road'' (1937) - Mike Roberts *''

The Great Garrick ''The Great Garrick'' is a 1937 American historical comedy film directed by James Whale and starring Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, and Edward Everett Horton. The film also features Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Melville Cooper, and fu ...

'' (1937) - Beaumarchais *'' Three Comrades'' (1938) - Breuer *'' The Great Waltz'' (1938) - Count Hohenfried *'' Son of Frankenstein'' (1939) - Inspector Krogh *''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' (1939) - De Rochefort *''

'' (1939) - James Mortimer M.D. *'' The Gorilla'' (1939) - Walter Stevens *'' The Sun Never Sets'' (1939) - Zurof *'' Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation'' (1939) - Prof. Roger Chauncey Hildebrand *'' The Secret of Dr. Kildare'' (1939) - Paul Messenger *''

Balalaika The balalaika (, ) is a Russian string instrument, stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck, and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a perf ...

'' (1939) - Prof. Marakov *'' The Mad Empress'' (1939) - General Bazaine *''

Charlie Chan in Panama ''Charlie Chan in Panama'' is a 1940 mystery film starring Sidney Toler. It is an uncredited remake of Jacques Deval's novel ''Marie Galante'', produced by 20th Century Fox in 1934, directed by Henry King (director), Henry King. Plot Charlie Chan ...

'' (1940) - Cliveden Compton *'' Johnny Apollo'' (1940) - Jim McLaughlin *'' Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise'' (1940) - Dr. Suderman *'' Girl in 313'' (1940) - Russell aka Henry Woodruff *'' The Great Profile'' (1940) - Dr. Bruce *'' Boom Town'' (1940) - Harry Compton *'' Man Made Monster'' (1941, re-released as ''The Atomic Monster'') - Dr. Paul Rigas *'' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) - Rawitch *'' The Mad Doctor of Market Street'' (1942) - Graham / Dr. Ralph Benson *''

The Ghost of Frankenstein ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the ''Frankenstein'' series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-u ...

'' (1942) - Doctor Theodore Bohmer *'' The Strange Case of Doctor Rx'' (1942) - Dr. Fish *'' Junior G-Men of the Air'' (1942, Serial) - The Baron *'' Pardon My Sarong'' (1942) - Varnoff *''

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

'' (1942) - Teutonic Gentleman *'' Night Monster'' (1942) - Dr. King *''

'' (1943) - Moriarty *'' Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' (1943) - Mayor *''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

'' (1944, Serial) - Cyrus Maldor *'' Lady in the Death House'' (1944) - Charles Finch *'' Raiders of Ghost City'' (1944, Serial) - Erich von Rugen, alias Alex Morel *'' Secrets of Scotland Yard'' (1944) - Waterlow *'' House of Frankenstein'' (1944) - Inspector Arnz *'' Fog Island'' (1945) - Alec Ritchfield *'' Crime, Inc.'' (1945) - Pat Coyle *'' House of Dracula'' (1945) - Police Inspector Holtz *'' Lost City of the Jungle'' (1946, Serial) - Sir Eric Hazarias *'' Genius at Work'' (1946) - Latimer Marsh / The Cobra (final film role)

References

External links