thomas_mitchell.jpg THOMAS MITCHELL
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Date of birth
11 July 1892
Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Date of death
17 December 1962
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. (cancer)
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Spouse
Rachel Hartzell (1938 - ?)
Ann Stuart Breswer (? - ?)
Trivia
Portrayed Lt. Columbo (a part previously played by Bert Freed in an episode of The Chevy Mystery Show and later made famous by Peter Falk) on stage early in 1962.
When he claimed the 1953 Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for "Hazel Flagg" (a musical version of the film Nothing Sacred (1937)) Mitchell became the first performer to claim the Triple Crown of acting awards: Tony, Emmy (as TV's Best Actor of 1953), and Oscar (for Stagecoach (1939)).
He was cremated and his ashes are stored at the crematorium in California
Personal quotes
"A man looks bigger in the bathtub than he does in the ocean."
Salary
Stagecoach (1939) $12,000
Mini Biography
One of the great American character actors whose credits read like a list of the greatest films of the 20th century, including: "Lost Horizon", "Stagecoach", "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame", "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington", "Gone With The Wind", "It's A Wonderful Life", and "High Noon." His portrayals are so diverse and convincing that most people don't even realize that one actor could have played them all. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1940 for his role as the drunken Doc Boone in John Ford's "Stagecoach."
IMDb mini-biography by groucho773
Biography
from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
During his screen tenure, this remarkable actor essayed a series of memorable roles that, collectively, comprise a body of work rivaled by few other supporting players. Mitchell's list of credits reads like a roster of Hollywood's most famous movies. He nearly alwayslooked the same-fleshy and rumpled, with unruly hair and burning eyes-but his performances varied greatly in range, though they were consistent in their intensity. He worked as a reporter, and eventually wrote some plays before settling on the other side of the footlights. He first attracted serious critical attention as the cocky embezzler in Lost Horizon (1937), and then ap peared in a dazzling array of films during 1939: Only Angels Have Wings, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gone With the Wind (as Scarlett O'Hara's father), The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Stagecoach for which he won an Oscar playing a drunken, fatalistic doctor. Contemporary moviegoers might know him more immediately for his portrayal of James Stewart's ne'er-do-well Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life (1946). He was playing Daniel Webster in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) when a runaway horse cart sidelined him, and forced the producers to reshoot all his footage with Edward Arnold.
Copyright © 1994 Leonard Maltin, used by arrangement with Signet, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.
Filmography
Actor
1. "Hour of Stars"
- The Miracle on 34th Street (????) TV Episode .... Kris Kringle
2. Pocketful of Miracles (1961) .... Judge Henry G. Blake
3. By Love Possessed (1961) .... Noah Tuttle
4. "Hallmark Hall of Fame"
... aka Hallmark Television Playhouse
- The Joke and the Valley (1961) TV Episode .... Truman Winters
5. "Adventures in Paradise"
- A Penny a Day (1961) TV Episode .... Hubert Willis
- Once Around the Circuit (1960) TV Episode
6. "Zane Grey Theater"
... aka Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (USA: complete title)
... aka The Westerners (USA: rerun title)
- A Warm Day in Heaven (1961) TV Episode .... Nick Finn
- Man Alone (1959) TV Episode .... Cason Thomas
- A Handful of Ashes (1958) TV Episode .... Ben Cary
7. "Stagecoach West"
- Image of a Man (1961) TV Episode .... Ethan Blount
8. "The Islanders"
- Deadly Tomorrow (1960) TV Episode .... Tom Todd
9. "The Untouchables"
- The Underworld Bank (1960) TV Episode .... Milo Sullivan
10. Too Young to Love (1960) .... Judge Bentley
11. "Glencannon" (1959) TV Series .... Capt. Colin Glencannon (1959)
12. "Goodyear Theatre"
... aka Award Theatre (USA: syndication title)
... aka Golden Years of Television (USA: cable TV title)
- Lady Bug (1959) TV Episode .... Sarge
13. "Laramie"
- Dark Verdict (1959) TV Episode
14. "Playhouse 90"
- Natchez (1958) TV Episode .... Mr. Carson
15. "Shirley Temple's Storybook"
... aka The Shirley Temple Show (new title)
- The Nightingale (1958) TV Episode .... Emperor
16. "Kraft Television Theatre"
... aka Kraft Mystery Theatre (new title)
... aka Kraft Theatre (new title)
- The Velvet Trap (1958) TV Episode
17. Handle with Care (1958) .... Mayor Dick Williston
18. "Telephone Time"
- The Gadfly (1957) TV Episode
- Grandpa Changes the World (1956) TV Episode .... Andrew Hamilton
19. "The Ford Television Theatre"
... aka Ford Theatre (USA: short title)
- Miller's Millions (1957) TV Episode .... Henry Miller
- Remembrance Day (1956) TV Episode .... Silas Burton
- Try Me for Size (1956) TV Episode .... Elmo
- P.J. and the Lady (1955) TV Episode .... P.J. Reilly
- Shadow of Truth (1954) TV Episode .... Ralph Woodbury
(1 more)
20. "The O. Henry Playhouse" .... 'O. Henry' (William Sidney Porter)/Host (1957)
- Two Renegades (1957) TV Episode
- Man About Town (1957) TV Episode
- A Madison Square Arabian Knight (????) TV Episode
- Blackjack Bargainer (????) TV Episode
- The Emancipation of Billy (????) TV Episode
21. While the City Sleeps (1956) .... John Day Griffith (Sentinel managing editor)
22. "Lux Video Theatre"
... aka Summer Video Theatre (USA: summer title)
- It Started with Eve (1956) TV Episode .... Johnny
- The Inside Story (1955) TV Episode .... Host
- An Act of Murder (1955) TV Episode .... Judge Cook
- The Country Lawyer (1952) TV Episode
- The Promotion (1952) TV Episode
(2 more)
23. "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars"
... aka Herald Playhouse (USA: syndication title)
... aka Schlitz Playhouse (USA: new title)
... aka The Playhouse (USA: syndication title)
- Web of Circumstance (1956) TV Episode .... Carl Smith
- The Last Out (1955) TV Episode .... Sam Hawkins
24. "Henry Fonda Presents the Star and the Story"
... aka The Henry Fonda Show (USA)
- They (1956) TV Episode
- The Man Who Was Dead (1955) TV Episode
- The Unforgivable (1955) TV Episode .... Victor Parry
25. "Celebrity Playhouse"
- They Flee by Night (1956) TV Episode
26. "General Electric Theater"
... aka G.E. Theatre (USA)
- The Ballad of Mender McClure (1956) TV Episode
- Too Old for the Girl (1954) TV Episode
27. "The 20th Century-Fox Hour"
... aka Fox Hour of Stars (USA: new title) (USA: rerun title)
- The Miracle on 34th Street (1955) TV Episode .... Kris Kringle
28. The Miracle on 34th Street (1955) (TV) .... Kris Kringle
... aka Meet Mr. Kringle (USA)
29. "The Alcoa Hour"
- Undertow (1955) TV Episode .... Cap'n Jarvis
30. "Screen Directors Playhouse"
- The Final Tribute (1955) TV Episode .... Dr. Joseph Walton
31. "Climax!"
... aka Climax Mystery Theater (USA)
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1955) TV Episode .... The King
32. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1955) (TV) .... The King
33. "Damon Runyon Theater"
- It Comes Up Money (1955) TV Episode
34. "The United States Steel Hour"
... aka The U.S. Steel Hour (USA: alternative title)
- Freighter (1955) TV Episode .... Scotty
- The Rise and Fall of Silas Lapham (1954) TV Episode .... Silas Lapham
35. "Mayor of the Town" (1954) TV Series .... Mayor Russell (1954)
36. Destry (1954) .... Reginald T. 'Rags' Barnaby
37. "Fireside Theatre"
- Afraid to Live (1954) TV Episode
38. Secret of the Incas (1954) .... Ed Morgan
39. "Suspense"
- A Time of Innocence (1952) TV Episode
- North of Shanghai (1952) TV Episode
40. "The Gulf Playhouse"
- Mr. Nothing (1952) TV Episode
41. "Studio One"
... aka Studio One Summer Theatre (summer title)
... aka Studio One in Hollywood (new title)
... aka Summer Theatre (summer title)
... aka Westinghouse Studio One
... aka Westinghouse Summer Theatre (summer title)
- The Square Peg (1952) TV Episode
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1952) TV Episode
- The Story of Meg Mallory (1952) TV Episode
- The Legend of Jenny Lind (1951) TV Episode
42. High Noon (1952) .... Mayor Jonas Henderson
43. "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse"
- The Fascinating Stranger (1952) TV Episode
- The Skin of Our Teeth (1951) TV Episode
44. "Lights Out"
- The Eyes from San Francisco (1952) TV Episode
45. "Tales of Tomorrow"
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: The Escape: Part 2 (1952) TV Episode .... Captain Nemo
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: The Chase: Part 1 (1952) TV Episode .... Captain Nemo
- The Crystal Egg (1951) TV Episode .... Professor Frederick Vanech
46. "Robert Montgomery Presents"
... aka Lucky Strike Theater
... aka Montgomery's Summer Stock
... aka The Robert Montgomery Summer Theater
- The Farmer's Hotel (1952) TV Episode
47. "Armstrong Circle Theatre"
- The Long View (1951) TV Episode
48. "Celanese Theatre"
- Ah, Wilderness! (1951) TV Episode
49. Journey Into Light (1951) .... Gandy
... aka Skid Road
50. The Big Wheel (1949) .... Arthur 'Red' Stanley
51. Alias Nick Beal (1949) .... Joseph Foster
... aka The Contact Man (UK)
52. Silver River (1948) .... John Plato Beck
53. The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) .... Gill MacBean
54. High Barbaree (1947) .... Capt. Thad Vail
55. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) .... Uncle Billy
... aka Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (USA: complete title)
56. The Dark Mirror (1946) .... Lt. Stevenson
57. Three Wise Fools (1946) .... Terence Alaysius O'Davern
58. Adventure (1945) .... Mudgin
59. Within These Walls (1945) .... Michael Howland
60. Captain Eddie (1945) .... Ike Howard
61. The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) .... Willie Tulloch
62. Wilson (1944) .... Joseph Tumulty
63. Buffalo Bill (1944) .... Ned Buntline
64. The Sullivans (1944) .... Mr. Sullivan
... aka The Fighting Sullivans
65. Dark Waters (1944) .... Mr. Sydney
66. Flesh and Fantasy (1943) .... Septimus Podgers
... aka Six Destinies
67. Bataan (1943) .... Corp. Jake Feingold
68. The Outlaw (1943) .... Pat Garrett
69. Immortal Sergeant (1943) .... Sgt. Kelly
70. The Black Swan (1942) .... Tom Blue
71. Tales of Manhattan (1942) .... John Halloway
72. This Above All (1942) .... Monty
73. Moontide (1942) .... Tiny
74. Song of the Islands (1942) .... Dennis O'Brien
75. Joan of Paris (1942) .... Father Antoine
76. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) (uncredited) .... Daniel Webster in some long shots
... aka A Certain Mr. Scratch (USA: alternative title)
... aka All That Money Can Buy (USA: bible belt title)
... aka Daniel and the Devil (USA: reissue title)
... aka Here Is a Man (USA: preview title)
77. Out of the Fog (1941) .... Jonah Goodwin
78. Flight from Destiny (1941) .... Prof. Henry Todhunter
79. The Long Voyage Home (1940) .... Aloysius 'Drisk' Driscoll
80. Angels Over Broadway (1940) .... Eugene 'Gene' Gibbons
81. Our Town (1940) .... Dr. Frank F. Gibbs
82. Three Cheers for the Irish (1940) .... Peter M. 'Pop' Casey
83. Swiss Family Robinson (1940) .... William Robinson
84. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) .... Clopin
85. Gone with the Wind (1939) .... Gerald O'Hara
86. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) .... Diz Moore
... aka Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (USA: complete title)
87. Only Angels Have Wings (1939) .... Kid Dabb
88. Stagecoach (1939) .... Doc Boone
89. Trade Winds (1938) .... Commissioner Blackton
90. Love, Honor and Behave (1938) .... Dan Painter
91. The Hurricane (1937) .... Dr. Kersaint
92. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) .... George Cooper
93. I Promise to Pay (1937) .... District Attorney Curtis
94. Lost Horizon (1937) .... Henry Barnard
... aka Lost Horizon of Shangri-La (USA: TV title)
95. When You're in Love (1937) .... Hank Miller
... aka For You Alone (UK)
96. Man of the People (1937) .... William J. Grady
97. Theodora Goes Wild (1936) .... Jed Waterbury
98. Adventure in Manhattan (1936) .... Phil Bane
... aka Manhattan Madness (UK)
99. Craig's Wife (1936) .... Fergus Passmore
100. Six Cylinder Love (1923) .... Bertram Rogers
Writer
1. Casanova Brown (1944) (play The Little Accident)
2. Little Accident (1939) (play The Little Accident)
3. Life Begins with Love (1937)
4. All of Me (1934)
5. Papa sans le savoir (1931) (play The Little Accident)
... aka A Father Without Knowing It (International: English title)
... aka Father Unawares (International: English title)
6. Little Accident (1930) (play The Little Accident)
Himself
1. "Here's Hollywood"
- Episode dated 26 July 1961 (1961) TV Episode .... Himself
2. "Omnibus"
- Nobody's Fool (1954) TV Episode .... Shark Wicks
Archive Footage
1. Escape from It's a Wonderful Life (1996) (TV) .... Uncle Billy
2. John Ford (1990) (TV) (uncredited) .... Doc Boone [in 'Stagecoach']
3. Hollywood My Home Town (1965) .... Himself
