Purnell Pratt (October 20, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. He was born in Bethel, Illinois and died 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. ...

. Pratt spent more than a year in France in the U. S. military during World War I. He attended the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

with plans to perform in opera. However, lacking funds and unable to obtain a hearing, he joined the chorus of a George M. Cohan production. He worked in Cohan's troupes for a decade.

Partial filmography

* ''The Great Diamond Robbery'' (1914) - Maria's Brother * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1917) - John Bland * '' The Lady Who Lied'' (1925) - Ahmed * ''The Flame Fighter'' (1925) - Mike Turney * ''Phantom Police'' (1926) - Tracy Downs * '' Midnight Lovers'' (1926) - Wibley * ''

Alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...

'' (1929) - Police Sgt. Pete Manning * '' Thru Different Eyes'' (1929) - Dist. Atty. Marston * '' On with the Show!'' (1929) - Sam Bloom * '' Fast Life'' (1929) - Berton Hall * '' Is Everybody Happy?'' (1929) - Stage Manager * ''

The Trespasser Trespasser is, in the law of tort, property law and criminal law, a person who commits the crime of trespassing on a property. Trespasser or ''variant'' may refer to: * Trespasser (video game), ''Trespasser'' (video game), a 1998 computer game ma ...

'' (1929) - Hector Ferguson * '' Painted Faces'' (1929) - Foreman of Jury * '' The Locked Door'' (1929) - Police Officer (uncredited) * '' Puttin' On the Ritz'' (1930) - George Barnes * '' The Furies'' (1930) - District Attorney * '' Road to Paradise'' (1930) - Police Inspector Updike * '' Common Clay'' (1930) - Richard Fullerton * '' Lawful Larceny'' (1930) - Judge Perry * '' Sinners' Holiday'' (1930) - Detective Sikes (uncredited) * '' The Silver Horde'' (1930) - Wayne Wayland * '' The Gorilla'' (1930) - The Stranger * '' Paid'' (1930) - Edward Gilder * ''

Dance, Fools, Dance ''Dance, Fools, Dance'' is a 1931 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rou ...

'' (1931) - Parker * '' The Prodigal'' (1931) - Rodman Farraday * ''

Beyond Victory ''Beyond Victory'' is a 1931 American pre-Code war film starring William Boyd (actor), Bill Boyd, James Gleason, Lew Cody, and ZaSu Pitts. While John S. Robertson, John Robertson received directing credit, Edward H. Griffith supposedly took exte ...

'' (1931) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Bachelor Apartment'' (1931) - Herb Carraway * '' The Public Enemy'' (1931) - Officer Powers (uncredited) * '' Up for Murder'' (1931) - William Winter * '' The Public Defender'' (1931) - John Kirk * '' Traveling Husbands'' (1931) - J. C. Wilson * ''

The Gay Diplomat ''The Gay Diplomat'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film. Directed by Richard Boleslawski for RKO Radio Pictures, it starred Ivan Lebedeff, Genevieve Tobin and Betty Compson. Plot Captain Orloff is a Russian military officer who is sent to Buchare ...

'' (1931) - Colonel George Gorin * '' Five Star Final'' (1931) - French * '' The Spider'' (1931) - Inspector Riley * '' The Secret Witness'' (1931) - Capt. McGowan * '' Ladies of the Big House'' (1931) - John Hartman * '' Emma'' (1932) - Haskins * '' Scarface'' (1932) - Publisher Garston * '' Grand Hotel'' (1932) - Zinnowitz * '' The Roadhouse Murder'' (1932) - Inspector William Agnew * '' The Famous Ferguson Case'' (1932) - George M. Ferguson * '' Skyscraper Souls'' (1932) - Harrington Brewster (uncredited) * '' Hat Check Girl'' (1932) - Collins (uncredited) * '' False Faces'' (1932) - Jefferson Howe * '' The Red-Haired Alibi'' (1932) - Police Inspector Regan * '' The Unwritten Law'' (1932) - Stephen McBain * '' Rasputin and the Empress'' (1932) - Officer Quieting Grand Duke Igor (uncredited) * '' The Billion Dollar Scandal'' (1933) - Committee Chairman * '' Pick-Up'' (1933) - Prosecuting Attorney * '' I Cover the Waterfront'' (1933) - John Phelps * '' A Shriek in the Night'' (1933) - Police Insp. Russell * '' Headline Shooter'' (1933) - Eddie Edmunds - City Editor (uncredited) * '' Midshipman Jack'' (1933) - Captain Rogers * ''

Love, Honor, and Oh Baby! ''Love, Honor, and Oh Baby!'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film, starring Slim Summerville, ZaSu Pitts, and George Barbier. A group of stars rounds out the rest of the cast that includes Donald Meek, Lucille Gleason and Varree Teasdal ...

'' (1933) - Marchall Durant * '' The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi'' (1933) - Doctor * '' The Chief'' (1933) - Al Morgan * '' Son of a Sailor'' (1933) - Captain Briggs (uncredited) * '' The Mystery Squadron'' (1933) - Lafe Johnson * '' The Show-Off'' (1934) - John Preston (uncredited) * ''

Lazy River "(Up A) Lazy River" is a popular tune and song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The melody is by Arodin, arranged and with words modified by Carmichael. It is considered a jazz standard and pop standard, and has ...

'' (1934) - Mr. Lodge - Attorney (uncredited) * '' School for Girls'' (1934) - Inspector Jameson * '' Men in White'' (1934) - Mr. Spencer (uncredited) * '' The Witching Hour'' (1934) - District Attorney Robinson * '' The Hell Cat'' (1934) - Butler * '' Midnight Alibi'' (1934) - Wilson * '' Name the Woman'' (1934) - Forbes * '' Crimson Romance'' (1934) - Franklyn Pierce * '' A Wicked Woman'' (1934) - Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited) * '' The Band Plays On'' (1934) - Judge Bone (uncredited) * ''

The Secret Bride ''The Secret Bride'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William. Based on the play ''Concealment'' by Leonard Ide, the film is about the attorney general of an unnamed state and t ...

'' (1934) - District Attorney (uncredited) * ''

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) - Board Director (uncredited) * '' The Winning Ticket'' (1935) - Mr. Powers * '' Rendezvous at Midnight'' (1935) - The Mayor - Hamilton * '' Death Flies East'' (1935) - Dr. Landers * ''

Behind the Green Lights ''Behind the Green Lights'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Norman Foster, Judith Allen and Sidney Blackmer.Goble p.685 Partial cast * Norman Foster as Detective Lt. Dave Britten * Judith Allen as Mary K ...

'' (1935) - Detective Lt. Jim Kennedy * '' The Casino Murder Case'' (1935) - District Attorney John Markham * '' Black Fury'' (1935) - Henry B. Jenkins * '' Ladies Crave Excitement'' (1935) - Amos Starke * '' Diamond Jim'' (1935) - Physician * '' Red Salute'' (1935) - Gen. Van Allen * '' Waterfront Lady'' (1935) - Dist. Atty. Shaw * '' It's in the Air'' (1935) - Horace McNab * '' 1,000 Dollars a Minute'' (1935) - Charlie * '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) - Mayor (uncredited) * '' Frisco Waterfront'' (1935) - Dr. Stevens * '' Magnificent Obsession'' (1935) - Hastings (uncredited) * '' Dancing Feet'' (1936) - Silas P. Jones * '' The Return of Sophie Lang'' (1936) - Thomas Chadwick * ''

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

'' (1936) - Mr. Steinman * '' Straight from the Shoulder'' (1936) - James McBride * '' Lady Be Careful'' (1936) - Father * '' Wives Never Know'' (1936) - Higgins * '' Murder with Pictures'' (1936) - Editor * '' Wedding Present'' (1936) - Howard Van Dorn * '' The Plainsman'' (1936) - Capt. Wood * '' Let's Make a Million'' (1936) - Gilbert * '' Join the Marines'' (1937) - Col. J. B. Denbrough * '' Murder Goes to College'' (1937) - President Arthur L. McShean * '' King of Gamblers'' (1937) - Strohm * '' Night of Mystery'' (1937) - John F. X. Markham * '' Forlorn River'' (1937) - David Ward (uncredited) * '' High, Wide, and Handsome'' (1937) - Col. Blake * '' Under Suspicion'' (1937) - Frank Rogers * '' Rosalie'' (1937) - Ship Captain (uncredited) * '' Come On, Rangers'' (1938) - Senator Harvey * '' My Wife's Relatives'' (1939) - Mr. Ellis * '' Second Fiddle'' (1939) - Abbott, the Editor (scenes deleted) * '' Colorado Sunset'' (1939) - Mr. Hall * ''

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

'' (1940) - Attorney General * '' Pot o' Gold'' (1941) - Thompson (uncredited) * '' Blossoms in the Dust'' (1941) - Texas Senator (uncredited) * '' Ringside Maisie'' (1941) - Dr. Taylor * '' Life Begins for Andy Hardy'' (1941) - Dr. Storfen (uncredited) * '' Doctors Don't Tell'' (1941) - (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Purnell 1885 births 1941 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Illinois People from Clay County, Illinois 20th-century American male actors