Joseph Bridger Cawthorn(March 29, 1868 – January 21, 1949) was an American stage and film comic actor.
Joseph Cawthorn | |
|---|---|
 Cawthorn in 1914 | |
| Born | Joseph Bridger Cawthorn March 29, 1868 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 21, 1949(aged 80) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1872–1942 |
| Spouse | |
Biography
editBorn on March 29, 1868, in New York City[1]to aminstrel-showfamily, Cawthorn started out in show business as a child, debuting at Robinson's Music Hall in New York in 1872.[2]He appeared in minstrel shows andvaudevilleas a "Dutch" comic, employing a thick German dialect.[3]He later worked in Britishmusic hallsand American touring companies.
Cawthorn made hisBroadwaydebut in 1895,[4]1897[3]or 1898,[5]and embarked on a long career lasting over two decades. His first success was playing Boris inVictor Herbert's 1898 operettaThe Fortune Teller.Other notable Broadway roles included the title character inMother Goose(1903) and inventor Dr. Pill in the fantasy musicalLittle Nemo(1908). In the latter, he was called upon to ad lib to buy time during one performance while a problem backstage was dealt with. As "the scene called for him to describe imaginary animals he had hunted", he invented the "whiffenpoof"on the spot.[3]Yalestudents in the audience appropriated it for the name of theirglee club.[3]
When his Broadway stardom waned, Cawthorn moved to Hollywood in 1927 and started a second prolific career, appearing in over 50 films, the last in 1942. He played Gremio in the first sound adaptation ofThe Taming of the Shrewin 1929, starringMary PickfordandDouglas Fairbanks;Schultz inGold Diggers of 1935;andFlorenz Ziegfeld's father inThe Great Ziegfeld(1936).
He wasQueenie Vassar's third husband; they were married from 1902 to his death.[6]
Cawthorn died on January 21, 1949, at age 80, inBeverly Hills,California.[5]He is buried in Hollywood Forever cemetery.[1]
Complete filmography
edit- The Secret Studio(1927) - Pa Merton
- Two Girls Wanted(1927) - Philip Hancock
- Very Confidential(1927) - Donald Allen
- Silk Legs(1927) - Ezra Fulton
- Hold Em' Yale(1928) - Professor George Bradbury
- Speakeasy(1929) - Yokel
- Street Girl(1929) - Keppel - Cafe Owner
- The Taming of the Shrew(1929) - Gremio
- Jazz Heaven(1929) - Herman Kemple
- Dance Hall(1929) - Bremmer
- Dixiana(1930) - Cornelius Van Horn - Carl's Father
- The Princess and the Plumber(1930) - Merkl
- Kiki(1931) - Alfred Rapp
- A Tailor Made Man(1931) - Huber
- The Runaround(1931) - Lou
- Peach O'Reno(1931) - Joe Bruno
- White Zombie(1932) - Dr. Bruner
- Love Me Tonight(1932) - Dr. Armand de Fontinac
- They Call It Sin(1932) - Mr. Hollister
- Men Are Such Fools(1932) - Werner
- Whistling in the Dark(1933) - Otto Barfuss
- Grand Slam(1933) - Alex Alexandrovitch (uncredited)
- Blondie Johnson(1933) - Jewelry Store Manager
- Made on Broadway(1933) - Maxie Schultz
- Best of Enemies(1933) - Gus Schneider
- Broken Dreams(1933) - Pop
- Cold Turkey(1933 short)
- The Cat and the Fiddle(1934) - Rudy
- Lazy River(1934) - Mr. Julius Ambrose
- Glamour(1934) - Ibsen
- Twenty Million Sweethearts(1934) - Herbert Brokman
- The Last Gentleman(1934) - Dr. Wilson
- Housewife(1934) - Krueger
- The Human Side(1934) - Fritz Speigal
- Young and Beautiful(1934) - Herman Cline
- Music in the Air(1934) - Hans Uppman
- Sweet Adeline(1934) - Oscar Schmidt
- Maybe It's Love(1935) - Adolph Sr.
- Sweet Music(1935) - Sidney Selzer
- Naughty Marietta(1935) - Herr Schuman
- Gold Diggers of 1935(1935) - Schultz
- Smart Girl(1935) - Karl Krausemeyer
- Bright Lights(1935) - Oscar Schlemmer
- Page Miss Glory(1935) - Mr.Freischutz
- Harmony Lane(1935) - Professor Henry Kleber
- Freshman Love(1936) - Wilson, Sr.
- The Great Ziegfeld(1936) - Dr. Ziegfeld
- Brides Are Like That(1936) - Fred Schultz
- One Rainy Afternoon(1936) - Monsieur Pelerin
- Hot Money(1936) - Max Dourfuss
- Crime Over London(1936) - Mr. Sherwood / Reilly
- Lillian Russell(1940) - Leopold Damrosch
- Scatterbrain(1940) - Nicholas Raptis
- So Ends Our Night(1941) - Leopold Potzloch
- The Postman Didn't Ring(1942) - Silas Harwood
References
edit- ^abEllenberger, Allan R. (May 1, 2001).Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory.McFarland. p. 118.ISBN978-0-7864-5019-0.RetrievedJuly 16,2022.
- ^Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (October 16, 2006).Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America.Psychology Press. p. 208.ISBN9780415938532.RetrievedJune 18,2021.
- ^abcdHischak, Thomas S. (2008).The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television.Oxford University Press. p. 138.ISBN978-0-19-533533-0.RetrievedJune 15,2011.
- ^"Joseph Cawthorn Biography".starpulse.com.RetrievedJune 15,2011.
- ^abJoseph Cawthornat theInternet Broadway Database
- ^"Queenie Vassar to Wed Cawthorn"New York Times(June 1, 1902).
External links
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