Clem Bevans
(1879 - 1963)Clem Bevans was so adept at playing the cantankerous, but lovable, "old coot" that he made it an art. He was born October 16, 1879 in Cozaddale, Ohio and began his career on stage, in burlesque and vaudeville. He was quite successful in films. Seems his hair was always white and he was always thin, weather-beaten and wiry. Among his numerous films were: "Way Down East" (1935) his film debut, as Doc Wiggin; "The Phantom Rider" (1936) as Mr. Hudson; "Come and Get It" (1936) as Gunnar Gallagher; "Marry the Girl" (1937) as W.W. McIntosh; "Big City" (1937) as Grandpa Sloane; "Of Human Hearts" (1938) as Elder Massey; "Young Fugitives" (1938) as Benjie Collins; "Tom Sawyer, Detective" (1938) as Sheriff Slocum; "Dodge City" (1939) uncredited, as Charlie the Barber; "Oklahoma Kid" (1939) uncredited as, Postman; "Yankee Doodle Goes to Town" (1939) as Curdleface; "Zenobia" (1939) as Sheriff; "Ambush" (1939) as Pop Stebbins; "Undercover Doctor" (1939) as Sam Whitmore; "Hell's Kitchen" (1939) as Mr. Quill; "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (1940) as Ben Mattingly; "20 Mule Team" (1940) as Chuckawalla; "Young Tom Edison" (1940) as Mr. Waddell; "Untamed" (1940) as Smokey Moseby; "She Couldn't Say No" (1940) as Eli Potter; "Sergeant York" (1941) as Zeke; "The Parson of Panamint" (1941) as Crabapple Jones; "The Saboteur" (1942) as Neilson; "Captains of the Clouds" (1942) with James Cagney, as Morrison; "This Gun for Hire" (1942) as Scissor Grinder; "The Forest Rangers" (1942) as Terry McCabe; "Lucky Jordan" (1942) as Gas Station Attendant; "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" (1942) as Postman; "Happy Go Lucky" (1943) as Mr. Smith; "The Woman of the Town" (1943) as Buffalo Burns; "The Human Comedy" (1943) as Henderson (Apricots); "Night Club Girl" (1944) as Mayer; "Captain Eddie" (1945) as Jabez; "Gallant Bess" (1946) as Smitty; "The Yearling" (1946) as Pa Forrester; "Mourning Becomes Electra" (1947) as Ira Mackel; "Relentless" (1948) as Dad; "Moonrise" (1948) as Jake; "The Paleface" (1948) with Bob Hope, as Hank Billings; "A Portrait of Jennie" (1948) as Captain Cobb; "Big Jack" (1949) as Saltlick Joe; "Streets of Laredo" (1949) as Pop Lint; "Tell It to the Judge" (1949) as Roogle; "Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey" (1950) as Mr. Edwards; "Harvey" (1950) with James Stewart, as Herman Schimmelplusser; "Gold Raiders" (1950) as Doc Mason; "Man in the Saddle" (1951) as Pay Lankershim; "Hangman's Knot" (1952) as Plunkett; "The Stranger Wore a Gun" (1953) as Jim Martin; "The Boy from Oklahoma" (1954) as Pop Pruty, Justice of the Peace; "The Kentuckian" (1955) as Pilot; "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" (1956) with Fess Parker, as Cap'n Cobb and Girl with an Itch" (1957) as Gramps, his last film. On TV he guested on many series including: "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin"; "Gunsmoke"; "Bonanza"; "Maverick"; "Wagon Train"; "Perry Mason" and "Twilight Zone." He was married twice. His first wife gave him a daughter Edith. His second wife was Lillian Luppe and they had three more children: Clemene, Luppe and Clark. He died on August 11, 1963 in Woodland Hills, California at age 83.
From Great Character Actors, Page 1.
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