Edward.Everett Horton
(1886 - 1970)No list of great character actors would be complete without the inclusion of certain "masters" of the supporting role, chief among them Edward Everett Horton. Pictured here in his earlier years, he was a master of the stodgy, droll, persnickety, fuss-budget type character with his tall but slight physique, slicked back hair, expressive eyes, puckery lips and cracklingly smooth voice. He could express himself with a raised eyebrow, a cocked head or his pursed lips and he made a high art of the double-take. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 18, 1886, the son of a New York Times proofreader, and grew up there. After high school he attended both Oberlin College in Ohio and Columbia University but did not graduate. It was at Columbia where he first tried acting and made his professional debut with the drama club. After touring the East and Midwest with various stock companies, he left for Los Angeles where he joined stock companies there and also managed the Majestic Theatre with his brother and manager, George. He made his movie debut in silent films in 1922 in "A Front Page Story" as Rodney Marvin. His career spanned over 60 years and although quite wrinkled in latter years, his talents never diminished. He never married. Among his over 100 film credits were: "The Ruggles of Red Gap" (1923) a silent, as Ruggles; "Helen's Babies" (1924) a silent, as Uncle Harry; "Beggar on Horseback" (1925) a silent, as Neil McRae; "Taxi! Taxi! (1927) a silent, as Peter Whitby; "Holiday" (1930) as Nick Potter; "Lonely Wives" (1931) as Dickie Smith/Felix, the Great Zero; "The Front Page" (1931) as Roy V. Bensinger; "The Great Junction Hotel" (1931) as the Groom; "-But the Flesh Is Weak" (1932) as Sir George Kelvin; "Trouble in Paradise" (1932) as Francois Filiba; "It's a Boy" (1933) as Dudley Leake; "A Bedtime Story" (1933) as Victor; "Alice in Wonderland" (1933) with Charlotte Henry, as The Mad Hatter; "Design for Living" (1933) as Max Plunkett; "All the King's Horses" (1934) as Peppi; "Soldiers of the King" (1934) as Sebastian Marvello; "The Merry Widow" (1934) as Ambassador Popoff; "The Gay Divorcee" (1934) as Egbert Fitzgerald; "The Private Secretary" (1935) as Rev. Robert Spalding; "Top Hat" (1935) with Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, as Horace Hardwick; "In Caliente" (1935) as Harold Brandon; "Man in the Mirror" (1936) as Jeremy Dilke; "Nobody's Fool" (1936) as Will Wright; "Hearts Divided" (1936) as Sen. John Hathaway; one of his best roles in "The Lost Horizon" (1937) as Alexander P. Lovett; "The King and the Chorus Girl" (1937) as Count Humbert Evel Bruger; "Oh Doctor" (1937) as Edward J. Billop; "The Great Garrick" (1937) as Tubby; "College Swing" (1938) as Hubert Dash; "Holiday" (1938) as Prof. Nick Potter; "The Gang's All Here" (1939) as Treadwell; "That's Right - You're Wrong" (1939) as Tom Village; "You're the One" (1941) as Death Valley Joe Frink; "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941) as Nobel Sage; "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941) as Messenger 7013, another of his top roles; "Sunny" (1941) as Henry Bates; "The Magnificent Dope" (1942) as Horace Hunter; "I Married an Angel" (1942) as Peter; "Springtime in the Rockies" (1942) as McTavish; "Forever and a Day" (1943) as Sir Anthony Trimble-Pomfret; "The Gang's All Here" (1943) as Peyton Potter; "Her Primitive Man" (1944) as Orrin; "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944) with Cary Grant, as Mr. Witherspoon; "Summer Storm" (1944) as Count 'Piggy' Volsky; "Steppin' in Society" (1945) as Judge Avery Webster; "Lady on a Train"(1945) as Mr. Haskell; "Cinderella Jones" (1946) as Keating; "The Ghost Goes Wild" (1947) as Eric; "Down to Earth" (1947) as Messenger 7013; "Her Husband's Affairs" (1947) as J.B. Cruikshank; "The Story of Mankind" (1957) as Sir Walter Raleigh; "No Time for Sergeants" (1958) uncredited, as Air Force Officer; "Pocketful of Miracles" (1961) as Butler; "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1961) as Mr. Dinckler; "Sex and the Single Girl" (1964) as The Chief; "The Perils of Pauline" (1967) as Caspar Coleman; "2000 Years Later" (1969) as Evermore and "Cold Turkey" (1971) as Hiram C. Grayson, another good role and his final film. He also created some extremely memorable roles on television including as a regular on the series: "Holiday Hotel" (1950) a variety show, as the Hotel Manager; "The Bullwinkle Show" (1961-62) as the Narrator of Fractured Fairy Tales and his best role on "F-Troop" (1965-67) as the sarcastic Indian medicine man of the Hekawi tribe 'Roaring Chicken.' He also guest starred on numerous TV series including: "Hollywood Screen Test"; "I Love Lucy"; "December Bride"; "Dennis the Menace"; "Camp Runamuck"; "Burke's Law"; "Batman"; "It Takes a Thief" and "Love, American Style." He died of cancer on September 29, 1970 in Encino, California at the age of 84.
From Great Character Actors, Page 5.
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