George Mathews (actor)
George Mathews (October 10, 1911 – November 7, 1984) was an American actor whose film career stretched from an uncredited appearance in Stage Door Canteen in 1943 to Going Home in 1971.[citation needed]
George Mathews | |
|---|---|
Cast portrait of George Mathews in the 1937 Broadway production of Processional | |
| Born | October 10, 1911 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 1984 (aged 73) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1933–1972 |
| Height | 6' 1.5" |
| Spouse | Mary Haynsworth |
Biography edit
Mathews was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] His stage career began in the early 1930s, when he failed to get a job with the U.S. Postal Service. He joined the Federal Theatre Project and landed the role of Dynamite Jim in the 1937 Broadway revival of the play Processional.[2]
Mathews was often cast as heavies or hardened military types. He appeared in both the stage (1942–43) and film version (1944) of The Eve of St. Mark, as Sergeant Ruby. He also portrayed a comedic thug in Pat and Mike (1952).
He appeared on Broadway in the Garson Kanin-directed musical comedy Do Re Mi (1960–62), as "Fatso O'Rear". He later appeared on Broadway play, Catch Me If You Can in 1965.
In 1962, he appeared in Have Gun – Will Travel, Season 6, Episode 6. That same year, he played ex-fighter, “Champ”, in the Season 7 Episode 28 of Gunsmoke, “The Dealer”.[3] He demonstrated his comedic talent in the short-lived television comedy series Glynis (1963), playing ex-cop Chick Rogers, who assists a mystery writer and amateur sleuth, played by Glynis Johns, in solving "whodunnits".
Perhaps his most memorable role was as the bully "Harvey" in 'The Bensonhurst Bomber' episode of The Honeymooners. He retired from the screen in 1972.
Personal life and death edit
Mathews died from heart disease in Caesars Head, South Carolina, aged 73, in 1984.[4] He was married to stage actress Mary (Haynsworth) Mathews from 1951 until his death in 1984.[5]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Stage Door Canteen | Marine Sergeant with Ray Bolger | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Up in Arms | Blackie | |
| 1944 | The Eve of St. Mark | Sgt. Ruby | |
| 1944 | Wing and a Prayer | Dooley | |
| 1944 | Wilson | Army Sergeant | Uncredited |
| 1945 | The Corn Is Green | Trap Driver | Uncredited |
| 1945 | The Great John L. | John Flood | |
| 1952 | Pat and Mike | Spec Cauley | |
| 1952 | Sally and Saint Anne | Father Kennedy | |
| 1952 | Yankee Buccaneer | Chief Petty Officer Link | |
| 1953 | Last of the Comanches | Romany O'Rattigan | |
| 1953 | City Beneath the Sea | Capt. Meade aka Ralph Sorensen | |
| 1953 | Act of Love | Henderson | |
| 1954 | The Great Diamond Robbery | Duke Fargoh | |
| 1955 | The Man with the Golden Arm | Williams | |
| 1956 | The Proud Ones | Dillon | |
| 1956 | The Last Wagon | Sheriff Bull Harper | |
| 1957 | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | John Shanssey | |
| 1958 | The Buccaneer | Pyke | |
| 1960 | Heller in Pink Tights | Sam Pierce | |
| 1962 | The Hole | Construction Worker | (winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film) |
| 1971 | Going Home | Malloy | (final film role) |
Selected Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Death Valley Days | Season 2, Episode 14, "Husband Pro-Tem" | |
| 1956 | The Phil Silvers Show | Beast | Season 1, Episode 28 "Bilko and the Beast" |
| 1956 | The Honeymooners | Harvey | Episode "The Bensonhurst Bomber" |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Sam Dunleavy / Mac McGurk | Season 1 Episode 15: "The Big Switch" as Sam Dunleavy Season 2 Episode 6: "Toby" as Mac McGurk |
| 1959 | The Rifleman | Abel MacDonald | Season 1, Episode 31, "The Angry Man" |
| 1960 | Have Gun - Will Travel | Clerk | Season 3, Episode 21 "The Night the Town Died" |
| 1953 | The Lone Ranger | Bill Adams | Episode "The Devil's Bog" |
| 1961 | Wanted Dead or Alive | Krebs | Season 3, Episode 20 "The Long Search" |
| 1962 | Gunsmoke | Champ | Season 7 Episode 28 “The Dealer” |
References edit
- ^ "George Mathews, actor who played gangsters". The Courier News. New Jersey, Bridgewater. Associated Press. November 13, 1984. p. 23. Retrieved February 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Processional". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Have Gun - Will Travel - Episodes (1957–1963)".
- ^ "George Mathews, 73, Actor On Broadway And In Movies", The New York Times, November 13, 1984.
- ^ Obituary of Mary H. Matthews, The Greenville News, May 7, 2011 (reprinted at legacy.com).
External links edit
- George Mathews at IMDb
- George Mathews at the Internet Broadway Database