Maurice Cass (October 12, 1884 – June 8, 1954) was a

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

on stage and in films and television shows.

Early life

Born in Vilna,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(modern day

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

) he moved to America at six years of age.New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 - Ancestry.com When he was 17, he toured the southern United States with a repertory company.

Career

His slight build,

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y hair and

pince-nez Pince-nez ( or , plural form same as singular; ) is a style of glasses, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that are supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the nose. The name comes from French language, French ''pi ...

glasses cast him as the "absent minded professor" or eccentric scientist type in many of his films, such as the character who discovers the element kryptonite in '' Adventures of Superman''. He is best remembered for his role as Professor Newton in the 1954 TV science fiction show '' Rocky Jones, Space Ranger,'' which later was produced as a film '' Manhunt in Space.'' Cass's Broadway credits included ''The Sky's the Limit'' (1934), ''Broadway Boy'' (1932), ''Wild Waves'' (1932), ''Wonder Boy'' (1931), ''Overture'' (1930), ''The Violet and One, Two, Three'' (1930), ''The Novice and the Duke'' (1929), ''The Broken Chain'' (1929), and ''Faust'' (1928).

Personal life

He married Fay Elaine Geffen in 1910.

Death

He died of a heart attack at age 69, he is interred in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California, United States. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Selected filmography

* '' Two for Tonight'' (1935) * ''

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour Day in some countries) is a Secularity, secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date v ...

'' (1936) * '' Charlie Chan at the Opera'' (1936) (Stage Manager—Mr. Arnold) * '' Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' (1937) - Pompout * '' Women of Glamour'' (1937) * '' She Had to Eat'' (1937) * '' The Lady Escapes'' (1937) * '' Exiled to Shanghai'' (1937) * '' The Jones Family in Big Business'' (1937) * '' The Lone Wolf in Paris'' (1938) * '' Josette'' (1938) * '' The Baroness and the Butler'' (1938) * '' Second Fiddle'' (1939) * '' Rose of Washington Square'' (1939)''Great Movie Musicals on DVD'' - A Classic Movie Fan's Guide
by John Howard Reid - Google search with book preview * '' Sunset Trail'' (1939) * '' Pier 13'' (1940) * '' Her Lucky Night'' (1945) * '' Paris Underground'' (1945) * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1945) * '' High Conquest'' (1947) * '' Once More, My Darling'' (1949) * '' The Go-Getter'' (1956)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cass, Maurice 1884 births 1954 deaths People from Vilna Governorate American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery American male stage actors