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Charles Bickford

January 01, 1970

Charles Ambrose Bickford (January 1, 1891 – November 9, 1967)[1] was an American actor known for supporting roles.[2] He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Song of Bernadette (1943), The Farmer's Daughter (1947) and Johnny Belinda (1948). His other roles include Whirlpool (1950), A Star Is Born (1954) and The Big Country (1958).

Charles Bickford
Bickford as host of The Man Behind the Badge (circa 1955)
Born
Charles Ambrose Bickford

(1891-01-01)January 1, 1891
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 9, 1967(1967-11-09) (aged 76)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1911–1967
Spouse
Beatrice Ursula Allen
​
​
(m. 1916)​
Children2

Early life edit

Bickford was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the first minute of 1891.[3] His parents were Loretus and Mary Ellen Bickford.[4] The fifth of seven children, he was an intelligent but very independent and unruly child. He had a particularly strong relationship with his maternal grandfather, a sea captain, who was a powerful influence during his formative years. At the age of nine, he was tried and acquitted of the attempted murder of a trolley motorman, who had callously driven over and killed his beloved dog.[3]: 12–16  He attended Foster School and Everett High School.[4]

Always more interested in experiencing life than reading about it, Bickford was considered "the wild rogue" of the family, causing his parents frequent consternation. In his late teens, he drifted aimlessly around the United States for a time. Before breaking into acting, he worked as a lumberjack and investment promoter, and for a short time, ran a pest-extermination business. He was a stoker and fireman in the United States Navy when a friend dared him to get a job in burlesque. Bickford served as an engineer lieutenant in the United States Army during World War I. His first entry into acting was on the stage, eventually including Broadway. This venue provided him with an occasional living and served as the principal training ground for developing his acting and vocal talents.[citation needed]

Acting career edit

Bickford had intended to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to earn an engineering degree, but while wandering around the country, he became friends with the manager of a burlesque show, who convinced Bickford to take a role in the show. He debuted in Oakland, California in 1911.[3]: 50–53  Bickford enjoyed himself so much that he abandoned his plans to attend MIT.[3]: 60–61  He made his legitimate stage debut with the John Craig Stock Company at the Castle Square Theatre in Boston in 1912.[3]: 61–62  He eventually joined a road company and traveled throughout the United States for more than a decade, appearing in various productions. In 1925, while working in a Broadway play called Outside Looking In, co-star James Cagney (in his first Broadway role) and he received rave reviews.[3]: 142–145  He was offered a role in Herbert Brenon's 1926 film of Beau Geste, but anxious not to give up his newfound Broadway stardom, refused it, a decision he later came to regret. Following his appearance in the critically praised but unsuccessful Maxwell Anderson-Harold Hickerson drama about the Sacco and Vanzetti case Gods of the Lightning (Bickford was the Sacco character), he was contacted by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille and offered a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios to star in DeMille's first talking picture: Dynamite.[3]: 157  He soon began working with MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer on a number of projects.

 
Bickford and Raquel Torres in The Sea Bat (1930)

Bickford became a star after playing Greta Garbo's lover in Anna Christie (1930), but never developed into a leading man. Always independent minded, exceptionally strong-willed, and quick with his fists, Bickford frequently argued and nearly came to blows with Mayer and any number of other MGM authority figures during the course of this contract with the studio. During the production of Dynamite, he punched out his director following a string of heated arguments, primarily related to the interpretation of his character's role. Throughout his early career on both the stage and later films, Bickford rejected numerous scripts and made no secret of his disdain for much of the material he was offered. Not surprisingly, his association with MGM was short-lived, with Bickford asking for and quickly receiving a release from his contract. He soon found himself blacklisted at other studios, though, forcing him [3]: 274–277  to take the highly unusual step (for that era) of becoming an independent actor for several years. His career took another turn in 1935, when he was mauled by a lion and nearly killed while filming East of Java. While he recovered, he lost his contract with Twentieth Century-Fox and his leading-man status owing to extensive neck scarring suffered in the attack, coupled with his advancing age.[3]: 298–303  Soon, he made a very successful transition to character roles, which he felt offered much greater diversity and allowed him to showcase his talent to better effect. Much preferring the character roles that became his forte, Bickford appeared in many notable films, including The Farmer's Daughter, Johnny Belinda, A Star Is Born, and Not as a Stranger.[3]: 308 

 
Gene Kelly, Charles Bickford, Veronica Lake, Joe E. Brown, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Wyman, Myrna Loy, George Murphy, and Margaret O'Brien in 1945

Finding great success playing an array of character roles in films and later in television, Bickford quickly became highly sought-after; his burly frame and craggy, intense features, coupled with a gruff, powerful voice lent themselves to a wide variety of roles. Most often, he played lovable father figures, stern businessmen, heavies, ship captains, or authority figures of some sort. During the 1940s, he was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He served as host of the 1950s television series The Man Behind the Badge.[citation needed]

On April 16, 1958, Bickford appeared with Roger Smith in "The Daniel Barrister Story" on Wagon Train.

Bickford continued to act in projects right up to his death. He guest-starred on The Islanders, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The Eleventh Hour. In his final years, Bickford played rancher John Grainger, owner of the Shiloh Ranch, on The Virginian. Bickford was well-liked by both fans and his fellow actors, including series lead James Drury. According to Drury, Bickford, who guest-starred earlier in the series in an unrelated role, wished he could have been on the series from the beginning.[5] According to Paul Green, author of A History of Television's The Virginian, 1962-1971, Bickford's vigorous portrayal of John Grainger helped restore the quality of the show after what some considered a chaotic fourth season.[citation needed]

Two of the actor's late-career, big-screen roles came in the Western The Big Country (1958), as a wealthy and ruthless rancher, with Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston; and in the drama Days of Wine and Roses (1962), as the forlorn father of an alcoholic, with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ran The Big Country four nights in a row in the White House when it was first released.[citation needed]

Personal life edit

Bickford married actress Beatrice Ursula Allen (stage name Beatrice Loring)[citation needed] in Manhattan in 1916.[6] The couple had two children, daughter Doris, known as “Bunny”, and son Rex.[citation needed]

Bickford was a practicing Catholic[7] and a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[8]

In 1965, Bickford published his autobiography Bulls, Balls, Bicycles, & Actors.[3]: 308 

Death and legacy edit

Bickford died in Los Angeles on November 9, 1967, at age 76, of pneumonia and a blood infection after being hospitalized for an extended period.[1]

Bickford received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. His motion-picture star is located at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard, and his television star is located at 1620 Vine Street.[9]

Filmography edit

As actor edit

As himself edit

  • Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 20 (1930, short)
  • Screen Snapshots (1932, documentary short)
  • Hollywood on Parade No. B-6 (1934, short)
  • The Dark Wave (1956, documentary short)
  • Now Is Tomorrow (1958, TV movie)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Charles Bickford". Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  2. ^ "Veteran Actor Bickford Dies in Hollywood". Madera Tribune. Vol. 76, no. 127. United Press International. November 10, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bickford, Charles (1965). Bulls Balls Bicycles & Actors. Paul S. Eriksson, Inc. p. 4.
  4. ^ a b Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. pp. 32–35. ISBN 978-1476628561. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Thomas, Nick (June 23, 2019). . The Beaver County Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  6. ^ "New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940": Charles Ambrose Bickford and Beatrice Ursula Allen, 20 January 1916, Manhattan, New York. New York City Municipal Archives via FamilySearch.
  7. ^ Morning News, January 10, 1948, Who Was Who in America (Vol. 2)
  8. ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33.
  9. ^ "Charles Bickford". Hollywood Walk of Fame. October 25, 2019.

Further reading edit

  • Alistair, Rupert (2018). "Charles Bickford". The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age (softcover) (First ed.). Great Britain: Independently published. pp. 36–39. ISBN 978-1-7200-3837-5.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Bickford.

January 01, 1970
charles, bickford, charles, ambrose, bickford, january, 1891, november, 1967, american, actor, known, supporting, roles, nominated, three, times, academy, award, best, supporting, actor, song, bernadette, 1943, farmer, daughter, 1947, johnny, belinda, 1948, ot. Charles Ambrose Bickford January 1 1891 November 9 1967 1 was an American actor known for supporting roles 2 He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Song of Bernadette 1943 The Farmer s Daughter 1947 and Johnny Belinda 1948 His other roles include Whirlpool 1950 A Star Is Born 1954 and The Big Country 1958 Charles BickfordBickford as host of The Man Behind the Badge circa 1955 BornCharles Ambrose Bickford 1891 01 01 January 1 1891Cambridge Massachusetts U S DiedNovember 9 1967 1967 11 09 aged 76 Los Angeles California U S OccupationActorYears active1911 1967SpouseBeatrice Ursula Allen m 1916 wbr Children2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Acting career 3 Personal life 4 Death and legacy 5 Filmography 5 1 As actor 5 2 As himself 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksEarly life editBickford was born in Cambridge Massachusetts during the first minute of 1891 3 His parents were Loretus and Mary Ellen Bickford 4 The fifth of seven children he was an intelligent but very independent and unruly child He had a particularly strong relationship with his maternal grandfather a sea captain who was a powerful influence during his formative years At the age of nine he was tried and acquitted of the attempted murder of a trolley motorman who had callously driven over and killed his beloved dog 3 12 16 He attended Foster School and Everett High School 4 Always more interested in experiencing life than reading about it Bickford was considered the wild rogue of the family causing his parents frequent consternation In his late teens he drifted aimlessly around the United States for a time Before breaking into acting he worked as a lumberjack and investment promoter and for a short time ran a pest extermination business He was a stoker and fireman in the United States Navy when a friend dared him to get a job in burlesque Bickford served as an engineer lieutenant in the United States Army during World War I His first entry into acting was on the stage eventually including Broadway This venue provided him with an occasional living and served as the principal training ground for developing his acting and vocal talents citation needed Acting career editBickford had intended to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT to earn an engineering degree but while wandering around the country he became friends with the manager of a burlesque show who convinced Bickford to take a role in the show He debuted in Oakland California in 1911 3 50 53 Bickford enjoyed himself so much that he abandoned his plans to attend MIT 3 60 61 He made his legitimate stage debut with the John Craig Stock Company at the Castle Square Theatre in Boston in 1912 3 61 62 He eventually joined a road company and traveled throughout the United States for more than a decade appearing in various productions In 1925 while working in a Broadway play called Outside Looking In co star James Cagney in his first Broadway role and he received rave reviews 3 142 145 He was offered a role in Herbert Brenon s 1926 film of Beau Geste but anxious not to give up his newfound Broadway stardom refused it a decision he later came to regret Following his appearance in the critically praised but unsuccessful Maxwell Anderson Harold Hickerson drama about the Sacco and Vanzetti case Gods of the Lightning Bickford was the Sacco character he was contacted by filmmaker Cecil B DeMille and offered a contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM studios to star in DeMille s first talking picture Dynamite 3 157 He soon began working with MGM studio chief Louis B Mayer on a number of projects nbsp Bickford and Raquel Torres in The Sea Bat 1930 Bickford became a star after playing Greta Garbo s lover in Anna Christie 1930 but never developed into a leading man Always independent minded exceptionally strong willed and quick with his fists Bickford frequently argued and nearly came to blows with Mayer and any number of other MGM authority figures during the course of this contract with the studio During the production of Dynamite he punched out his director following a string of heated arguments primarily related to the interpretation of his character s role Throughout his early career on both the stage and later films Bickford rejected numerous scripts and made no secret of his disdain for much of the material he was offered Not surprisingly his association with MGM was short lived with Bickford asking for and quickly receiving a release from his contract He soon found himself blacklisted at other studios though forcing him 3 274 277 to take the highly unusual step for that era of becoming an independent actor for several years His career took another turn in 1935 when he was mauled by a lion and nearly killed while filming East of Java While he recovered he lost his contract with Twentieth Century Fox and his leading man status owing to extensive neck scarring suffered in the attack coupled with his advancing age 3 298 303 Soon he made a very successful transition to character roles which he felt offered much greater diversity and allowed him to showcase his talent to better effect Much preferring the character roles that became his forte Bickford appeared in many notable films including The Farmer s Daughter Johnny Belinda A Star Is Born and Not as a Stranger 3 308 nbsp Gene Kelly Charles Bickford Veronica Lake Joe E Brown Eleanor Roosevelt Jane Wyman Myrna Loy George Murphy and Margaret O Brien in 1945 Finding great success playing an array of character roles in films and later in television Bickford quickly became highly sought after his burly frame and craggy intense features coupled with a gruff powerful voice lent themselves to a wide variety of roles Most often he played lovable father figures stern businessmen heavies ship captains or authority figures of some sort During the 1940s he was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor He served as host of the 1950s television series The Man Behind the Badge citation needed On April 16 1958 Bickford appeared with Roger Smith in The Daniel Barrister Story on Wagon Train Bickford continued to act in projects right up to his death He guest starred on The Islanders The Barbara Stanwyck Show and The Eleventh Hour In his final years Bickford played rancher John Grainger owner of the Shiloh Ranch on The Virginian Bickford was well liked by both fans and his fellow actors including series lead James Drury According to Drury Bickford who guest starred earlier in the series in an unrelated role wished he could have been on the series from the beginning 5 According to Paul Green author of A History of Television s The Virginian 1962 1971 Bickford s vigorous portrayal of John Grainger helped restore the quality of the show after what some considered a chaotic fourth season citation needed Two of the actor s late career big screen roles came in the Western The Big Country 1958 as a wealthy and ruthless rancher with Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston and in the drama Days of Wine and Roses 1962 as the forlorn father of an alcoholic with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick President Dwight D Eisenhower ran The Big Country four nights in a row in the White House when it was first released citation needed Personal life editBickford married actress Beatrice Ursula Allen stage name Beatrice Loring citation needed in Manhattan in 1916 6 The couple had two children daughter Doris known as Bunny and son Rex citation needed Bickford was a practicing Catholic 7 and a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson s campaign during the 1952 presidential election 8 In 1965 Bickford published his autobiography Bulls Balls Bicycles amp Actors 3 308 Death and legacy editBickford died in Los Angeles on November 9 1967 at age 76 of pneumonia and a blood infection after being hospitalized for an extended period 1 Bickford received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 His motion picture star is located at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard and his television star is located at 1620 Vine Street 9 Filmography editAs actor edit South Sea Rose 1929 Capt Briggs Dynamite 1929 Hagon Derk Hell s Heroes 1929 Bob Sangster Anna Christie 1930 Matt Burke The Sea Bat 1930 John Dennis aka Reverend Sims River s End 1930 John Keith Sgt John Conniston Passion Flower 1930 Dan Wallace East of Borneo 1931 Dr Allan Randolph The Squaw Man 1931 Cash Hawkins The Pagan Lady 1931 Dingo Mike Men in Her Life 1931 Flashy Madden Panama Flo 1932 Dan McTeague Scandal for Sale 1932 Jerry Strong Thunder Below 1932 Walt The Last Man 1932 Bannister Vanity Street 1932 Brian Murphy No Other Woman 1933 Jim Stanley Song of the Eagle 1933 Joe Nails Anderson This Day and Age 1933 Louis Garrett White Woman 1933 Ballister Red Wagon 1933 Joe Prince Little Miss Marker 1934 Big Steve Halloway A Wicked Woman 1934 Naylor A Notorious Gentleman 1935 Kirk Arlen Under Pressure 1935 Nipper Moran The Farmer Takes a Wife 1935 Jotham Klore East of Java 1935 Red McGovern aka Harvey Bowers Rose of the Rancho 1936 Joe Kincaid Pride of the Marines 1936 Steve Riley The Plainsman 1936 John Lattimer High Wide and Handsome 1937 Red Scanlon Thunder Trail 1937 Lee Tate Night Club Scandal 1937 Det Capt McKinley Daughter of Shanghai 1937 Otto Hartman Gangs of New York 1938 Rocky Thorpe John Franklyn Valley of the Giants 1938 Howard Fallon The Storm 1938 Bob Sparks Roberts Stand Up and Fight 1939 Arnold Romance of the Redwoods 1939 Steve Blake Street of Missing Men 1939 Cash Darwin Our Leading Citizen 1939 Shep Muir Mutiny in the Big House 1939 Father Joe Collins One Hour to Live 1939 Insp Sid Brady Of Mice and Men 1939 Slim Thou Shalt Not Kill 1939 Rev Chris Saunders Girl from God s Country 1940 Bill Bogler South to Karanga 1940 Jeff Worthing Queen of the Yukon 1940 Ace Rincon Riders of Death Valley 1941 Serial Wolf Reade Burma Convoy 1941 Cliff Weldon Reap the Wild Wind 1942 Master of the Tyfib Tarzan s New York Adventure 1942 Buck Rand Mr Lucky 1943 Hard Swede The Song of Bernadette 1943 Father Peyramale Wing and a Prayer 1944 Capt Waddell Captain Eddie 1945 William Rickenbacker Fallen Angel 1945 Mark Judd Duel in the Sun 1946 Sam Pierce The Farmer s Daughter 1947 Joseph Clancy The Woman on the Beach 1947 Tod Butler Brute Force 1947 Gallagher The Babe Ruth Story 1948 Brother Matthias Four Faces West 1948 Pat Garrett Johnny Belinda 1948 Black MacDonald Command Decision 1948 Elmer Brockhurst Roseanna McCoy 1949 Devil Anse Hatfield Whirlpool 1950 Lt James Colton Guilty of Treason 1950 Joszef Cardinal Mindszenty Riding High 1950 J L Higgins Branded 1950 Richard Lavery Jim Thorpe All American 1951 Glenn S Pop Warner The Raging Tide 1951 Hamil Linder Elopement 1951 Tom Reagan The Last Posse 1953 Sampson Drune A Star Is Born 1954 Oliver Niles Prince of Players 1955 Dave Prescott Not as a Stranger 1955 Dr Dave Runkleman The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell 1955 Gen Jimmy Guthrie You Can t Run Away from It 1956 A A Andrews Mister Cory 1957 Jeremiah Des Plains Biloxi Caldwell The Big Country 1958 Maj Henry Terrill Woman on the Run 1959 TV movie Winterset 1959 TV movie Judge Gaunt The 33rd 1959 TV movie The Unforgiven 1960 Zeb Rawlins The Gambler the Nun and the Radio 1960 TV movie The Farmer s Daughter 1962 TV movie Clancy Days of Wine and Roses 1962 Ellis Arnesen Della 1964 Hugh Stafford A Big Hand for the Little Lady 1966 Benson Tropp The Virginian 1966 1967 Grainger As himself edit Screen Snapshots Series 9 No 20 1930 short Screen Snapshots 1932 documentary short Hollywood on Parade No B 6 1934 short The Dark Wave 1956 documentary short Now Is Tomorrow 1958 TV movie See also editList of actors with Academy Award nominationsReferences edit a b Charles Bickford Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk Retrieved July 29 2020 Veteran Actor Bickford Dies in Hollywood Madera Tribune Vol 76 no 127 United Press International November 10 1967 p 1 Retrieved July 29 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k Bickford Charles 1965 Bulls Balls Bicycles amp Actors Paul S Eriksson Inc p 4 a b Aaker Everett 2017 Television Western Players 1960 1975 A Biographical Dictionary McFarland pp 32 35 ISBN 978 1476628561 Retrieved September 16 2018 Thomas Nick June 23 2019 Tinseltown Talk James Drury remembers The Virginian co stars The Beaver County Times Archived from the original on July 27 2020 Retrieved April 29 2020 New York City Marriage Records 1829 1940 Charles Ambrose Bickford and Beatrice Ursula Allen 20 January 1916 Manhattan New York New York City Municipal Archives via FamilySearch Morning News January 10 1948 Who Was Who in America Vol 2 Motion Picture and Television Magazine November 1952 page 33 Charles Bickford Hollywood Walk of Fame October 25 2019 Further reading editAlistair Rupert 2018 Charles Bickford The Name Below the Title 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood s Golden Age softcover First ed Great Britain Independently published pp 36 39 ISBN 978 1 7200 3837 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Bickford nbsp Biography portal nbsp United States portal nbsp California portal nbsp Los Angeles portal nbsp Film portal nbsp Television portal Works by or about Charles Bickford at Internet Archive Charles Bickford at IMDb nbsp Charles Bickford at AllMovie nbsp Charles Bickford at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Charles Bickford at Virtual History Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles Bickford amp oldid 1213437447, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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