Paul Cavanagh
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William Grigs Atkinson (8 December 1888 – 15 March 1964), known professionally as Paul Cavanagh, was an English film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1928 and 1959.


Life and career

Cavanagh was born in Felling, Durham. He attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was an undergraduate student. Cavanagh studied law in England, earning a master of arts degree at
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
. A newspaper article published 17 June 1931, reported, "It is on record that Cavanagh won high honors in mathematics and history." Cavanagh practised "for several years" before he changed professions. He went to Canada "for a year of sightseeing and wandering" before he joined and served nine months with the Royal North-West Mounted Police. After serving in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he returned to Canada, where he practised law, including revising the statutes of
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, but eventually went back to England to practise law. Cavanagh went onto the stage after a stroke of bad luck in 1924 caused him to lose his savings, and later he went into films. In 1926, Cavanagh lost $22,000 in one evening on a
roulette Roulette (named after the French language, French word meaning "little wheel") is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italy, Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various grouping ...
wheel in
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
. An observer offered to provide a letter "to some of my theatrical acquaintances" in London, England. Those contacts led to Cavanagh's role in Walter Hackett's '' It Pays to Advertise.'' He also appeared in Eden Phillpotts' '' Blue Comet'' in the West End. After appearing in a handful of British
silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
s he moved to the United States. Cavanagh's first film contract and film came in 1929 with
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
. Cavanagh died in London from a heart attack in 1964, aged 75, and is buried in Lorraine Park Cemetery,
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, Maryland.Hoey, Michael A. (2011).
Sherlock Holmes & the Fabulous Faces - The Universal Pictures Repertory Company
'. Duncan, OK: BearManor Media. p. 178. .


Filmography

* '' Two Little Drummer Boys'' (1928) as Capt. Darrell * '' Tesha'' (1928) as Lenane * '' The Runaway Princess'' (1929) as Prince of Savonia * '' Strictly Unconventional'' (1930) as Ted * '' Grumpy'' (1930) as Chamberlin Jarvis * '' The Storm'' (1930) as Dave Stewart * '' The Virtuous Sin'' (1930) as Capt. Orloff * '' The Devil to Pay!'' (1930) as Grand Duke Paul * '' Unfaithful'' (1931) as Ronald Killkerry * '' Born to Love'' (1931) as Sir Wilfred Drake * '' Always Goodbye'' (1931) as Reginald Armstrong, alias of Morgan * '' Transgression'' (1931) as Robert Maury * '' The Squaw Man'' (1931) as Henry - Earl of Kerhill * '' Heartbreak'' (1931) as Captain Wolke * ''
Devil's Lottery ''Devil's Lottery'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Sam Taylor and written by Guy Bolton. The film stars Elissa Landi, Victor McLaglen, Alexander Kirkland, Ralph Morgan, Paul Cavanagh and Barbara Weeks. The film was re ...
'' (1932) as Major Hugo Beresford * '' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1932) as Gray * '' The Crash'' (1932) as Ronnie Sanderson * '' Tonight Is Ours'' (1933) as Prince Keri of Zalgar * '' Curtain at Eight'' (1933) as Wylie Thornton - Actor * '' The Kennel Murder Case'' (1933) as Sir Thomas MacDonald * '' The Sin of Nora Moran'' (1933) as Gov. Dick Crawford * '' Uncertain Lady'' (1934) as Bruce King * '' Tarzan and His Mate'' (1934) as Martin Arlington * '' Shoot the Works'' (1934) as Alvin Ritchie * '' The Notorious Sophie Lang'' (1934) as Max Bernard/Sir Nigel Crane * '' One Exciting Adventure'' (1934) as Lavassor * '' Menace'' (1934) as Col. Leonard Crecy * '' Goin' to Town'' (1935) as Edward Carrington * '' Escapade'' (1935) * '' Without Regret'' (1935) as Robert Godfrey * '' Thunder in the Night'' (1935) as Count Peter Alvinczy * '' Splendor'' (1935) as Martin Deering * '' Champagne Charlie'' (1936) as Charlie Cortland * '' Crime Over London'' (1936) as Inspector Gary * '' Cafe Colette'' (1937) as Ryan * '' A Romance in Flanders'' (1937) as John Morley * '' Within the Law'' (1939) as English Eddie * '' The Under-Pup'' (1939) as Mr. Franklin Cooper * '' Reno'' (1939) as John R. Banton * '' I Take This Woman'' (1940) as Bill Rodgers * '' The Case of the Black Parrot'' (1941) as Max Armand * '' Maisie Was a Lady'' (1941) as 'Cap' Rawlston * '' Shadows on the Stairs'' (1941) as Joseph Reynolds * '' Passage from Hong Kong'' (1941) as Capt. Duncan MacNeil-Fraser * '' Captains of the Clouds'' (1942) as Group Captain * '' The Strange Case of Doctor Rx'' (1942) as John Crispin * '' Pacific Rendezvous'' (1942) as Cmdr. Charles Brennan * '' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) as Sir James Patridge * '' The Hard Way'' (1943) as John 'Jack' Shagrue * '' The Gorilla Man'' (1943) as Dr. Dorn * '' Adventure in Iraq'' (1943) as Sheik Ahmid Bel Nor * '' The Scarlet Claw'' (1944) as Lord Penrose * '' Maisie Goes to Reno'' (1944) as Roger Pelham * '' Marriage Is a Private Affair'' (1944) as Mr. Selworth * '' This Man's Navy'' (1945) as Sir Anthony Tivall * '' The Man in Half Moon Street'' (1945) as Dr. Henry Latimer * '' The House of Fear'' (1945) as Simon Merrivale * '' The Woman in Green'' (1945) as Fenwick * '' Club Havana'' (1945) as Rogers * '' Night in Paradise'' (1946) as Cleomenes * '' Night and Day'' (1946) as Bart McClelland * '' Wife Wanted'' (1946) as Jeffrey Caldwell * ''
The Verdict ''The Verdict'' is a 1982 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by David Mamet, adapted from Barry Reed's 1980 novel of the same name. The film stars Paul Newman as a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer in Boston who acc ...
'' (1946) as Clive Russell * '' Humoresque'' (1946) as Victor Wright * '' Dishonored Lady'' (1947) as Victor Kranish * '' Ivy'' (1947) as Dr. Berwick (uncredited) * '' Secret Beyond the Door'' (1947) as Rick Barrett * '' The Black Arrow'' (1948) as Sir John Sedley * '' The Babe Ruth Story'' (1948) as Dr. Menzies * '' You Gotta Stay Happy'' (1948) as Dr. Blucher * '' Madame Bovary'' (1949) as Marquis D'Andervilliers * '' The Iroquois Trail'' (1950) as Col. Eric Thorne * '' Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950) as Sir Giles * '' Hi-Jacked'' (1950) as Hagen * '' Hit Parade of 1951'' (1950) as Two-to-One Thompson * '' The Second Face'' (1950) as Todd Williams * '' Tales of Robin Hood'' (1951) as Sir Gui de Clairmont * '' Hollywood Story'' (1951) as Roland Paul * '' The Highwayman'' (1951) (uncredited) * '' The Desert Fox'' (1951) as Lt. Col. Caesar von Hofacker (uncredited) * '' The Son of Dr. Jekyll'' (1951) as Insp. Stoddard * '' Bride of the Gorilla'' (1951) as Klaas Van Gelder * ''All That I Have'' (1951) as Dr. James Brady * '' The Strange Door'' (1951) as Edmond de Maletroit * '' Lady in the Iron Mask'' (1952) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Golden Hawk'' (1952) as Jeremy Smithers * '' Plymouth Adventure'' (1952) as Governor John Carver (uncredited) * '' The Mississippi Gambler'' (1953) as Edmond Dureau * '' The Bandits of Corsica'' (1953) as Dianza * '' House of Wax'' (1953) as Sidney Wallace * '' Port Sinister'' (1953) as John Kolvac * '' The Desert Rats'' (1953) as Colonel (uncredited) * '' Flame of Calcutta'' (1953) as Lord Robert Clive * '' All American'' (1953) as Professor Carl Banning * '' Casanova's Big Night'' (1954) as Signor Alberto Di Gambetta * '' The Iron Glove'' (1954) as Cavenly, advisor to Prince James * '' Magnificent Obsession'' (1954) as Dr. Giraud * '' The Law vs. Billy the Kid'' (1954) as John H. Tunstall * '' The Raid'' (1954) as Col. Tucker * '' Khyber Patrol'' (1954) as Brig. Gen. Melville * '' Charade'' (1954) as Col. Heisler * '' The Prodigal'' (1955) as Tobiah * '' The Purple Mask'' (1955) as Duc de Latour * '' The Scarlet Coat'' (1955) as Sir Henry Clinton * '' The King's Thief'' (1955) as Sir Edward Scott * '' Diane'' (1956) as Lord Bonnivet * '' Women Without Men'' (1956) as Insp. D.N. Hedges (uncredited) * '' Blonde Bait'' (1956) as Insp. D.N. Hedges * '' Francis in the Haunted House'' (1956) as Neil Frazer * '' The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (1957) as Cooper * '' She Devil'' (1957) as Sugar Daddy * '' God Is My Partner'' (1957) as Dr. James Brady * ''
In the Money ''In the Money'' is a 1958 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958, by Monogram Pictures, Allied Artists Pictures and is the 48th and final film in the series. It ...
'' (1958) as Inspector Herbert Saunders * '' The Beat Generation'' (1959) as Will Belmont - Stan's Father (uncredited) * '' The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake'' (1959) as Kenneth Drake


Television

* '' Jungle Jim'' (1955–1956) as Commissioner Morrison in 8 episodes * '' Lassie'' (1956) as Dr. Elwood Mason * ''
The Adventures of Jim Bowie ''The Adventures of Jim Bowie'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1956 in television, 1956 to 1958 in television, 1958. Its setting was the 1830s-era Louisiana T ...
'' (1956) as John Andrews * '' Highway Patrol (American TV series)''(1957) portrayed a vehicle thief * ''
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit, Michigan, Detroit's WXYT (AM), WXYZ and is an example of a Northern (genre), Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title ...
'' (1957) as Sir Philip Northrup * '' Perry Mason'' (1957-1959) as Edgar Ferrell/ Horace Selkirk * '' Adventures of Superman'' (1958) as Delbert Carter * ''
Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western television series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the seco ...
'' (1958) as Banker Racklin * '' Northwest Passage'' (1958) as Colonel George Clayton * '' Walt Disney Presents'' (1960) as Governor Rutledge (uncredited) * '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1960) as Windrom


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cavanagh, Paul 1888 births 1964 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Bromley Actors from the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge British military personnel of World War I English expatriates in Canada English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from County Durham Male actors from Kent Military personnel from Tyne and Wear People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne People from Chislehurst People from Felling Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers