Walter Woolf King (2 November 1899 – 24 October 1984) was an American film, television and stage actor and singer.
Walter Woolf King | |
|---|---|
| File:Walter Woolf King as Rodolfo Lassparri in A Night at the Opera.jpg Walter Woolf King as Rodolfo Lassparri in A Night at the Opera. | |
| Born | Walter Woolf King November 2, 1899 |
| Died | October 24, 1984 (aged 84) |
| Years active | 1930-1977 |
| Spouse | Ernestyne Bachrach (193?-1980) (her death) |
| Children | Barbara Jean Meier Walter Woolf King Jr.[1] |
Born in San Francisco, California in 1899, King started singing for a living at a young age and performed mostly in churches. He made his Broadway debut in 1919, and became a well-known baritone in operettas and musical comedies. King billed himself as Walter Woolf and Walter King early in his career, eventually settling on a combination of all three names, Walter Woolf King, in the mid-1930s.
In 1936, King was host of the Flying Red Horse Tavern on CBS radio.[2]
King began his film career in musicals but quickly moved into supporting roles. He is probably best remembered today for his villainous roles in two films starring the Marx Brothers: A Night at the Opera (1935) and Go West (1940). He also appeared with Laurel & Hardy in Swiss Miss (1938). King made several appearances on radio and later became an actors agent. During the 1950s and 1960s, he was seen in several often uncredited bit parts and smaller roles in television and films. His final appearance was in the 1977 TV movie One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story.
King died in Beverly Hills, California in 1984.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Golden Dawn | Tom Allen | |
| 1933 | Girl Without a Room | Arthur Copeland | |
| 1934 | Embarrassing Moments | Paul | |
| 1935 | Lottery Lover | Prince Midanoff | |
| 1935 | One More Spring | Morris Rosenberg | |
| 1935 | Ginger | Daniel Parker | |
| 1935 | Spring Tonic | José | |
| 1935 | A Night at the Opera | Rudolfo Lassparri | |
| 1937 | Call It a Day | Paul Francis | |
| 1938 | Walking Down Broadway | Jeff Hoffman | |
| 1938 | Swiss Miss | Victor Albert | |
| 1939 | Society Smugglers | Roy Allen Massey | |
| 1939 | Big Town Czar | Paul Burgess | |
| 1939 | The House of Fear | Carleton | |
| 1939 | Balalaika | Capt. Michael Sibirsky | |
| 1940 | Go West | Beecher | |
| 1941 | Melody for Three | Antoine Pirelle | |
| 1942 | Today I Hang | Jim O'Brien | |
| 1942 | A Yank in Libya | Mike Malone | |
| 1942 | Smart Alecks | Dr. Ormsby | |
| 1942 | Between Us Girls | King - an actor | |
| 1943 | Yanks Ahoy | Capt. Gillis | |
| 1952 | Stars and Stripes Forever | President's Aide | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Taxi | Business Man | |
| 1953 | Tonight We Sing | Gritti | |
| 1953 | Call Me Madam | Secretary of State | Uncredited |
| 1953 | City That Never Sleeps | Hotel Manager | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Affair with a Stranger | Harry Casino | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Francis in the Navy | Jensen | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Bottom of the Bottle | Grant | |
| 1956 | The Ten Commandments | Herald | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Three Brave Men | Admiral Mason | Uncredited |
| 1957 | An Affair to Remember | Doctor in Hospital | Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Joker Is Wild | Mr. Page | Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Helen Morgan Story | Florenz Ziegfeld | |
| 1958 | Kathy O' | Donald C. Faber | |
| 1958 | Hong Kong Confidential | CIA Chief | Uncredited |
| 1961 | The Outsider | Civilian | Uncredited |
| 1963 | The Householder | Professor | |
| 1963 | The Raiders | Col. DeKoenig | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Where Love Has Gone | Bank Board Member | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Della | Sam Jordon | |
| 1967 | Rosie! | Judge | |
| 1970 | Airport | Cindy's Father | Uncredited |
References
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/29/obituaries/walter-woolf-king-is-dead-leading-actor-and-singer.html
- ^ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 234.
External links
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