Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American actor. While some film historians complain that a number of his performances were annoying or overbaked, he was for the most part applauded for his zesty contributions to a number of comedy classics. Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), Broadway Bill (1934) and It Happened One Night (1934), as well as the Carole Lombard/Fredric March screwball farce Nothing Sacred (1937) as news reporter March's hot-headed editor boss are sure-fire examples.
Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American actor. While some film historians complain that a number of his performances were annoying or overbaked, he was for the most part applauded for his zesty contributions to a number of comedy classics. Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), Broadway Bill (1934) and It Happened One Night (1934), as well as the Carole Lombard/Fredric March screwball farce Nothing Sacred (1937) as news reporter March's hot-headed editor boss are sure-fire examples.
The son of the head of the Western Union relay office, he attended St. Xavier College and the University of Dublin in Ireland before making his New York debut in 1910 in an outdoor presentation of "As You Like It". For the next year or so he was a member of E.H. Sothern's touring company and played supporting roles in a number of Shakespearean shows on the road. After a few silent pictures left him unimpressed with film-making, he turned to the Broadway stage in the 1920s and scored quite well. Somewhat short and tubby, it was not difficult for the jowly, mustachioed actor to seize laughs and he found his share in such outings as "The Talking Parrot" (1923), "Applesauce" (1925), "The Springboard" (1927), "The Happy Husband" (1928), "Stepping Out" (1929), "Your Uncle Dudley" (1930), "Anatol" (1931), "Six Characters in Search of an Author" (1931), "The Good Fairy" (1932) and "The Late Christopher Bean" (1932).
With his talents as a stage farceur firmly established, it was time to make a second attempt at a film career and Hollywood (specifically, Columbia) wisely opened their doors to him. Interestingly, his debut in a full-length talking picture came at age 45 in the form of a drama, Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932), where he was third-billed as a rather benign senator. For the next seven years Connolly, often playing older than he really was, could be found everywhere giving good fluster to the greatest and glossiest of stars -- Janet Gaynor, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Paul Muni, Spencer Tracy, and Ginger Rogers, among hordes of others.
His hobbies were collecting old books and theatre programmes. Connolly was married to actress Nedda Harrigan from 1923 to his death. They had one daughter, Ann (1924–2006). Connolly suffered a fatal stroke on May 28, 1940, and was buried in New St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0175369
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q726919
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Filmography (Movies)
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:19/04/1975
The Great Victor Herbert
Character:Victor Herbert
Release Date:29/12/1939
Fifth Avenue Girl
Character:Mr. Borden
Release Date:22/09/1939
Those High Grey Walls
Character:Dr. MacAuley
Release Date:21/09/1939
Coast Guard
Character:Tobias Bliss
Release Date:04/08/1939
Good Girls Go to Paris
Character:Olaf Brand
Release Date:20/06/1939
Bridal Suite
Character:Dr. Theodore Grauer
Release Date:26/05/1939
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Character:The 'King'
Release Date:10/02/1939
Breakdowns of 1938
Character:Carter Hibbard (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:31/12/1938
The Girl Downstairs
Character:Mr. Brown
Release Date:23/12/1938
Too Hot to Handle
Character:Gabby MacArthur
Release Date:16/09/1938
Four's a Crowd
Character:John P. Dillingwell
Release Date:04/08/1938
Start Cheering
Character:Sam Lewis
Release Date:03/03/1938
Penitentiary
Character:Dist. Atty. Thomas Mathews
Release Date:05/02/1938
First Lady
Character:Carter Hibbard
Release Date:04/12/1937
Nothing Sacred
Character:Oliver Stone
Release Date:25/11/1937
The Good Earth
Character:Uncle
Release Date:02/06/1937
The League of Frightened Men
Character:Nero Wolfe
Release Date:25/05/1937
Let's Get Married
Character:Joe Quinn
Release Date:14/04/1937
Nancy Steele Is Missing!
Character:Michael Steele
Release Date:12/03/1937
Libeled Lady
Character:James B. Allenbury
Release Date:09/10/1936
The King Steps Out
Character:Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria
Release Date:27/05/1936
The Music Goes 'Round
Character:Hector Courtney
Release Date:27/02/1936
Soak the Rich
Character:Humphrey Craig
Release Date:17/01/1936
White Lies
Character:John Mitchell
Release Date:27/12/1935
So Red the Rose
Character:Malcolm Bedford
Release Date:20/12/1935
One Way Ticket
Character:Captain Bourne
Release Date:25/11/1935
She Couldn't Take It
Character:Daniel Van Dyke
Release Date:08/10/1935
Father Brown, Detective
Character:Father Brown
Release Date:14/12/1934
Broadway Bill
Character:J.L. Higgins
Release Date:30/11/1934
The Captain Hates the Sea
Character:Captain Helquist
Release Date:02/11/1934
Lady by Choice
Character:Judge Daly
Release Date:15/10/1934
Servants' Entrance
Character:Viktor Nilsson
Release Date:25/09/1934
Whom the Gods Destroy
Character:John Forrester aka Eric Jann aka Peter Korotoff
Release Date:12/07/1934
Twentieth Century
Character:Oliver Webb
Release Date:11/05/1934
Once to Every Woman
Character:Dr. Selby
Release Date:24/03/1934
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1
Character:
Release Date:02/03/1934
It Happened One Night
Character:Alexander Andrews
Release Date:22/02/1934
Eight Girls in a Boat
Character:Storm
Release Date:05/01/1934
East of Fifth Avenue
Character:John Lawton
Release Date:28/11/1933
Master of Men
Character:Sam Parker
Release Date:28/11/1933
Man's Castle
Character:Ira
Release Date:20/11/1933
Lady for a Day
Character:Count Romero
Release Date:13/09/1933
Paddy the Next Best Thing
Character:Major Adair
Release Date:01/09/1933
The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Character:Jones
Release Date:25/12/1932
No More Orchids
Character:Bill Holt
Release Date:25/11/1932
Man Against Woman
Character:Mossie Ennis
Release Date:15/11/1932
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Character:Senator Wylie
Release Date:15/10/1932
A Soldier's Oath
Character:Raoul de Reyntiens
Release Date:19/12/1915
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