Walter Woolf King
Walter Woolf King | |
|---|---|
.jpg) King in Today I Hang (1942) | |
| Born | Walter Woolf King November 2, 1899 |
| Died | October 24, 1984 (aged 84) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1918–1977 |
| Spouse(s) | Ernestyne Bachrach (m. 193?; div. 19??) |
| Children | Barbara Jean Meier Walter Woolf King Jr.[1] |
Walter Woolf King (November 2, 1899 – October 24, 1984) was an American film, television and stage actor and singer.
Born in San Francisco, California in 1899, King started singing for a living at a young age and performed mostly in churches. He made his Broadway debut in 1919, and became a well-known baritone in operettas and musical comedies. King billed himself as Walter Woolf and Walter King early in his career, eventually settling on a combination of all three names in the mid-1930s.
In 1936, King was host of the Flying Red Horse Tavern on CBS radio.[2]
King began his film career in musicals but quickly moved into supporting roles. He is probably best remembered today for his villainous roles in two films starring the Marx Brothers: A Night at the Opera (1935) and Go West (1940). He also appeared with Laurel & Hardy in Swiss Miss (1938). King made several appearances on radio and later became an actors' agent. During the 1950s and 1960s, he was seen in several often uncredited bit parts and smaller roles in television and films.
One credited TV role was as “Major Clinton” in the 1958 S1E38 offering, “The Monty Britton Story” on Wagon Train.
In the first episode of The Munsters he is credited for his role as George Washington. His final appearance was in the 1977 TV movie One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story.
King died in Beverly Hills, California in 1984.
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Golden Dawn | Tom Allen | |
| 1933 | Girl Without a Room | Arthur Copeland | |
| 1934 | Embarrassing Moments | Paul | |
| 1935 | Lottery Lover | Prince Midanoff | |
| One More Spring | Morris Rosenberg | ||
| Ginger | Daniel Parker | ||
| Spring Tonic | José | ||
| A Night at the Opera | Rudolfo Lassparri | ||
| 1937 | Call It a Day | Paul Francis | |
| 1938 | Walking Down Broadway | Jeff Hoffman | |
| Swiss Miss | Victor Albert | ||
| 1939 | Society Smugglers | Roy Allen Massey | |
| Big Town Czar | Paul Burgess | ||
| The House of Fear | Carleton | ||
| Balalaika | Captain Michael Sibirsky | ||
| 1940 | Go West | John Beecher | |
| 1941 | Melody for Three | Antoine Pirelle | |
| 1942 | Today I Hang | Jim O'Brien | |
| A Yank in Libya | Mike Malone | ||
| Smart Alecks | Dr. Ormsby | ||
| Between Us Girls | King - an actor | ||
| 1943 | Yanks Ahoy | Captain Gillis | |
| 1952 | Stars and Stripes Forever | President's Aide | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Taxi | Business Man | |
| Tonight We Sing | Gritti | ||
| Call Me Madam | Secretary of State | Uncredited | |
| City That Never Sleeps | Hotel Manager | Uncredited | |
| Affair with a Stranger | Harry Casino | Uncredited | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Doctor Pritchard | Season 1 Episode 8: "Our Cook's a Treasure" |
| Francis in the Navy | Jensen | Uncredited | |
| 1956 | The Bottom of the Bottle | Grant | |
| The Ten Commandments | Herald | Uncredited | |
| Three Brave Men | Admiral Mason | Uncredited | |
| 1957 | An Affair to Remember | Doctor in Hospital | Uncredited |
| The Joker Is Wild | Mr. Page | Uncredited | |
| The Helen Morgan Story | Florenz Ziegfeld | ||
| 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Mob Boss | Season 3 Episode 14: "The Percentage" |
| Kathy O' | Donald C. Faber | ||
| Hong Kong Confidential | CIA Chief | Uncredited | |
| 1961 | The Outsider | Civilian | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Senator Hayes | Season 1 Episode 29: "The Dark Pool" |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Executive | Season 2 Episode 2: "A Nice Touch" | |
| The Householder | Professor | ||
| The Raiders | Colonel DeKoenig | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Judge | Season 2 Episode 31: "Isabel" |
| Where Love Has Gone | Bank Board Member | Uncredited | |
| Della | Sam Jordon | ||
| 1967 | Rosie! | Judge | |
| 1970 | Airport | Cindy's Father | Uncredited |
References[edit]
- ^ "Walter Woolf King is Dead;Leading Actor and Singer". The New York Times. October 29, 1984.
- ^ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 234.
External links[edit]
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| National | |
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- 1899 births
- 1984 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Male actors from San Francisco
- Singers from San Francisco
- American baritones
- 20th-century American male singers
- American screen actor stubs
- American theatre actor, 19th-century birth stubs