Henry O'Neill

Actor

About

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Also Known As

Henry O'Neil

Birth Place

Orange, New Jersey, USA

Born

August 10, 1891

Died

May 18, 1961

Biography

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Supporting character actor Henry O'Neill made a career out of playing distinguished grey-haired gentlemen such as fathers, lawyers and business executives. He began his acting career when he quit college and became part of a traveling theater troupe. He had a short break from acting when he went off to fight in the First World War, but when he left the army in 1919, he quickly reestablis...

Filmography

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The Wings of Eagles (1957)

The Sun Shines Bright (1953)

Scandal Sheet (1952)

Scarlet Angel (1952)

Morgan Caldwell

The Family Secret (1951)

Photos & Videos

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Story Of Louis Pasteur, The (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Our Criminal Disregard For Germs

Story Of Louis Pasteur, The (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Savior Of The Sheep

Biography

Supporting character actor Henry O'Neill made a career out of playing distinguished grey-haired gentlemen such as fathers, lawyers and business executives. He began his acting career when he quit college and became part of a traveling theater troupe. He had a short break from acting when he went off to fight in the First World War, but when he left the army in 1919, he quickly reestablished himself on the stage. In 1930, he was in his first film role, appearing with Spencer Tracy in the short drama "The Strong Arm," and three years later he appeared in his first feature film, "I Loved a Woman." From there, he left his stage career behind and began to make regular appearances throughout the 1930s in films from Warner Bros., like the James Cagney crime comedy "Lady Killer," and the drama "The Man with Two Faces," in which he played a police inspector. In the 1940s, he made a move to MGM studios and appeared in films such as "Billy the Kid," playing a newspaper editor, and the 1942 adaptation of John Steinbeck's story "Tortilla Flat," playing a priest. By the end of the 1950s, he began to slow his film appearances due to his deteriorating health. He made his last appearance playing Captain Spear, alongside John Wayne, in 1957's John Ford-directed "The Wings of Eagles." In total, the prolific actor appeared in almost 180 roles.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Wings of Eagles (1957)

The Sun Shines Bright (1953)

Scandal Sheet (1952)

Scarlet Angel (1952)

Morgan Caldwell

The Family Secret (1951)

The People Against O'Hara (1951)

The Flying Missile (1951)

Convicted (1950)

The Second Woman (1950)

The Milkman (1950)

No Man of Her Own (1950)

Alias Nick Beal (1949)

Holiday Affair (1949)

You're My Everything (1949)

Strange Bargain (1949)

The Reckless Moment (1949)

The Return of October (1948)

President Hotchkiss

Leather Gloves (1948)

Little Mister Jim (1947)

The Beginning or the End (1947)

General Thomas F. Farrell

The Green Years (1946)

The Hoodlum Saint (1946)

Lewis J. Malbery

Three Wise Fools (1946)

The Virginian (1946)

Bad Bascomb (1946)

Governor Winton

Between Two Women (1945)

Keep Your Powder Dry (1945)

Major General Lee Rand

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

Admiral Hammond

Dangerous Partners (1945)

This Man's Navy (1945)

Lieut. Commander Roger Graystone

Nothing But Trouble (1945)

Mr. [Basil] Hawkley

The Heavenly Body (1944)

Professor Stowe

Rationing (1944)

Senator Edward A. White

A Guy Named Joe (1944)

Barbary Coast Gent (1944)

Colonel Watrous

Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)

John Dyckman Brown II

Lost Angel (1944)

Professor [Josh] Pringle

Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943)

Warden Kenneson

Best Foot Forward (1943)

Major [Roger W.] Reeber

Girl Crazy (1943)

Mr. [Danny] Churchill, Sr.

Air Raid Wardens (1943)

Stand by for Action (1943)

Comdr. Stone, M.C.

Whistling in Brooklyn (1943)

Inspector Holcomb

The Human Comedy (1943)

Tortilla Flat (1942)

Father [Juan] Ramon

Johnny Eager (1942)

Born to Sing (1942)

White Cargo (1942)

Reverend Roberts

This Time for Keeps (1942)

The Bugle Sounds (1942)

Lieutenant Colonel Seton

Blossoms in the Dust (1941)

Billy the Kid (1941)

Honky Tonk (1941)

The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941)

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

Major Jason I. Sculley

Men of Boys Town (1941)

Whistling in the Dark (1941)

The Get-Away (1941)

Down in San Diego (1941)

Colonal Halliday

Brother Rat and a Baby (1940)

The Fighting 69th (1940)

Santa Fe Trail (1940)

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

'Til We Meet Again (1940)

Knute Rockne--All American (1940)

A Child Is Born (1940)

Money and the Woman (1940)

Castle on the Hudson (1940)

District Attorney

Calling Philo Vance (1940)

They Drive by Night (1940)

District Attorney

The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939)

Four Wives (1939)

Dr. Clinton Forrest Sr.

Dodge City (1939)

Invisible Stripes (1939)

Parole officer Masters

Wings of the Navy (1939)

Prologue speaker

Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)

Attorney Kellogg

Everybody's Hobby (1939)

City in Terror (1939)

Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939)

[Senator] Baldwin

Lucky Night (1939)

Gold Is Where You Find It (1938)

General Bogardus

Brother Rat (1938)

Yellow Jack (1938)

The Amazing Doctor Clitterhouse (1938)

Racket Busters (1938)

White Banners (1938)

The Chaser (1938)

Girls on Probation (1938)

The Great Garrick (1937)

Sir Joshua Reynolds

First Lady (1937)

Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (1937)

The Great O'Malley (1937)

Attorney for the defense

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Colonel Picquart

Submarine D-1 (1937)

Green Light (1937)

The Go Getter (1937)

Commander Tisdale

Wells Fargo (1937)

Draegerman Courage (1937)

Dr. Thomas Haslett

The Singing Marine (1937)

Captain Skinner

Marked Woman (1937)

[District Attorney Arthur] Sheldon

Anthony Adverse (1936)

The Golden Arrow (1936)

The Golden Arrow (1936)

Bullets or Ballots (1936)

Wardrobe Bryant

Freshman Love (1936)

President Simpkins

The Walking Dead (1936)

The White Angel (1936)

The Big Noise (1936)

Charlie Caldwell

The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)

Road Gang (1936)

Boulder Dam (1936)

Rainbow on the River (1936)

The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935)

Sweet Music (1935)

Bordertown (1935)

Oil for the Lamps of China (1935)

Black Fury (1935)

[John W.] Hendricks

Stranded (1935)

Dr. Socrates (1935)

While the Patient Slept (1935)

We're in the Money (1935)

Stephen Dinsmore

Personal Maid's Secret (1935)

Bright Lights (1935)

Living on Velvet (1935)

Special Agent (1935)

District Attorney

The Great Hotel Murder (1935)

Mr. [Claude] Harvey

Alias Mary Dow (1935)

The Florentine Dagger (1935)

Massacre (1934)

Wonder Bar (1934)

Gentlemen Are Born (1934)

The Man with Two Faces (1934)

Madame Du Barry (1934)

Duc de Choiseul

Upper World (1934)

Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934)

Fog over Frisco (1934)

Journal of a Crime (1934)

Murder in the Clouds (1934)

[John] Brownell

I've Got Your Number (1934)

[John P.] Schuyler

Flirtation Walk (1934)

Fashions of 1934 (1934)

Big Hearted Herbert (1934)

The Big Shakedown (1934)

Side Streets (1934)

George [Richards]

Now I'll Tell (1934)

Midnight Alibi (1934)

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934)

Fernand De Marnay

The Secret Bride (1934)

The Personality Kid (1934)

Midnight (1934)

Edgar V. Ingersoll

I Loved a Woman (1933)

The House on 56th Street (1933)

The World Changes (1933)

Orin Nordholm, Sr.

Lady Killer (1933)

From Headquarters (1933)

Inspector Donnelly

The Kennel Murder Case (1933)

Cast (Short)

Main Street Today (1944)

Dark Shadows (1944)

Service with the Colors (1940)

The Making of a Great Motion Picture (1936)

A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio (1935)

Life Events

Photo Collections

Jezebel - Scene Stills

Here are several scene stills from Warner Bros' Jezebel (1938), starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda.

Videos

Story Of Louis Pasteur, The (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Our Criminal Disregard For Germs The last of three vignettes introducing the title character (Paul Muni) finds rulers Napoleon III and Eugenie (Walter Kingsford, Iphigenie Castiglioni) more open-minded than Charbonnet (Fritz Leiber), as the wife (Josephine Hutchinson) and assistant (Henry O'Neill) keep faith, in The Story Of Louis Pasteur, 1936.

Story Of Louis Pasteur, The (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Savior Of The Sheep Ca. 1870, officials Radisse (Raymond Brown) and Martel (Donald Woods) visit Arbois, site of the current Pasteur museum, where Paul Muni (title character), with daughter (Anita Louise) and aide Roux (Henry O'Neill), is treating anthrax, in Warner Bros.' The Story Of Louis Pasteur, 1936.

Jezebel (1938) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Scandalized Banker Preston (Henry Fonda) meets Aunt Belle (Fay Bainter) guardian General Bogardus (Henry O'Neill), en route to confront his rebellious fianceè Julie (Bette Davis), the Olympus ball that evening, in William Wyler's Jezebel, 1938.

People Against O'Hara, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) We Plead Not Guilty First court appearance for Spencer Tracy as recovering-alcoholic and ex-prosecutor Curtayne, defending accused killer and family friend Johnny (James Arness), John Hodiak the prosecutor, Henry O’Neill the judge, then a jail visit, angered because Johnny isn’t telling him everything, in The People Against O’Hara, 1951.

Johnny Eager (1942) -- (Movie Clip) High And Handsome Opening scene, Robert Taylor (title character), evidently a cabbie, drops in on his parole officer Verne (Henry O'Neill), his aide Miss Mines (Leona Maricle) not interested, but visiting students (Diana Lewis, Lana Turner) are, in Mervyn LeRoy's Johny Eager, 1943.

Johnny Eager (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Things Like Crime Racketeer Robert Taylor (title character) with second-cousins Matilda (Robin Raymond) and Peg (Connie Gilchrist), who are alibis for his parole officer Verne (Henry O'Neill), who drops in unannounced with students Judy (Diana Lewis) and Lisbeth (Lana Turner), early in Johnny Eager, 1943.

Convicted (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Murder Was Not Your Intent Glenn Ford as Joe who accidentally killed a big-shot’s son in a bar fight, gets sentenced as his lame employer-hired lawyer (Roland Winters) gets chewed out by the compassionate D-A Knowland (Broderick Crawford), Griff Barnett his sad father, Dorothy Malone, 13 years Crawford’s junior, as his daughter, Millard Mitchell the other convict on the train, in Convicted, 1950.

Hoodlum Saint, The (1946) -- (Movie Clip) Everything Is Sweetness And Love Crashing a Baltimore society wedding in 1919, out-of-work WWI vet reporter Terry (William Powell) has charmed Kay (Esther Williams), whom he learns is the niece of the publisher (Charles Trowbridge) and friend of the financier Malbery (Henry O’Neill) he hoped to meet, in The Hoodlum Saint, 1946.

Lucky Night (1939) -- (Movie Clip) They Don't Take My Breath Away Heiress Cora (Myrna Loy) and dad (Henry O’Neill) have just dismissed her beau Joe, having concluded she doesn’t love him one bit, thereby inclined to discuss her future and options, early in MGM’s Lucky Night, co-starring Robert Taylor.

Lucky Night (1939) -- (Movie Clip) I Had A Nickel This Morning Myrna Loy as heiress Cora has decided to strike out on her own, and meets probably-hapless Bill (Robert Taylor) at the employment office, then again in the park, early in MGM’s Lucky Night, 1939.

Wings Of The Navy -- (1939) -- (Movie Clip) We Dedicate This Monument Henry O’Neill is a Navy higher-up dedicating a monument to the apparently just-deceased admiral father of serving officers Cass (George Brent) and Jerry (John Payne), with acknowledgements and impressive aerial footage at the top, opening Warner Bros.’ Wings Of The Navy, 1939.

Invisible Stripes (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Sort Of A Stool Pigeon? Ex-con Taylor (George Raft) has lost two jobs due to prejudice against parolees, when he meets another bad egg (William Davidson), a decent parole officer (Henry O’Neill), then prison buddy Chuck (Humphrey Bogart) and gal (Lee Patrick), attending another Warner Bros.’ feature, in Invisible Stripes, 1940.

Jezebel - (Re-issue Trailer) Bette Davis received her second Academy Award portraying a fiery Southern belle in Jezebel (1938).

Bibliography

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