George Eldredge
Encyclopedia
George Eldredge was an American
character actor
. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's. He was the older brother of character actor John Dornin Eldredge.
. His father, Rev. George Granville Eldredge (1870- ?? ), was a Presbyterian minister in San Francisco. His mother was Julia Dornin Eldredge (1867–1959), the daughter of George D. Dornin, a California legislator and noted Daguerrotypist, and Sarah Baldwin Dornin. In 1922, he married Phyllis Harms, and they had two children, George Granville Eldredge (1924–1998) and Helene Eldredge (1931-).
He was a photographer for the Berkeley, California Police Department, and prior to embarking on a film career, auditioned for and performed with the San Francisco Opera Company for two seasons in various supporting roles as a baritone.
), doctors (Riders to the Stars
), and innumerable police officers. However Eldredge sometimes was cast against type, as in his role as the traitorous Dr. Tobor in the ‘B’ Movie
, Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere
.
Arguably his best known film role came in the 1945 cult exploitation film
Mom and Dad
where Eldredge portrayed Dan Blake, the father of a teenage girl who accidentally becomes pregnant because her parents withhold knowledge about sex from her. Although the mores of the time prevented most advertising for this film, it still became the number two moneymaker for 1945. In 2005 it received a National Film Preservation award
from the Library of Congress.
Throughout the 1950s Eldredge also had a prolific television career, appearing on such programs as Peter Gunn
, The Adventures of Superman
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, and Perry Mason
. He had a recurring role as Dr. Spaulding in all three Spin and Marty
series, featured on Disney's Mickey Mouse Club
and was seen repeatedly on Bat Masterson
.
Although he worked steadily for several decades George Eldredge never became a major star. Many of his roles were small and his name was often unlisted in the credits of the films he played in. His final role was an uncredited part in the 1963 film Johnny Cool.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's. He was the older brother of character actor John Dornin Eldredge.
Early life
Eldredge was born George Edwin Eldredge in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. His father, Rev. George Granville Eldredge (1870- ?? ), was a Presbyterian minister in San Francisco. His mother was Julia Dornin Eldredge (1867–1959), the daughter of George D. Dornin, a California legislator and noted Daguerrotypist, and Sarah Baldwin Dornin. In 1922, he married Phyllis Harms, and they had two children, George Granville Eldredge (1924–1998) and Helene Eldredge (1931-).
He was a photographer for the Berkeley, California Police Department, and prior to embarking on a film career, auditioned for and performed with the San Francisco Opera Company for two seasons in various supporting roles as a baritone.
Film career
Between 1936 and 1963 Eldredge appeared in 182 films beginning with his role as an English spy in Till We Meet Again. He was typically cast as authority figures such as army generals (The RookieThe Rookie (1959 film)
The Rookie is a 1959 American comedy film directed by George O'Hanlon. It was the first film starring the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall.-Plot:...
), doctors (Riders to the Stars
Riders to the Stars
Riders to the Stars is an American science fiction film that was released in 1954 by Ivan Tors Productions and directed by Richard Carlson. It stars William Lundigan, Martha Hyer, Herbert Marshall, and Richard Carlson.- Plot :...
), and innumerable police officers. However Eldredge sometimes was cast against type, as in his role as the traitorous Dr. Tobor in the ‘B’ Movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
, Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial released by Columbia Pictures in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton...
.
Arguably his best known film role came in the 1945 cult exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad is a feature-length 1945 film directed by William Beaudine, and largely produced by the exploitation filmmaker and presenter Kroger Babb. Mom and Dad is considered the most successful film within its genre of "sex hygiene" films...
where Eldredge portrayed Dan Blake, the father of a teenage girl who accidentally becomes pregnant because her parents withhold knowledge about sex from her. Although the mores of the time prevented most advertising for this film, it still became the number two moneymaker for 1945. In 2005 it received a National Film Preservation award
National Film Preservation Board
The United States National Film Preservation Board is the board selecting films for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988...
from the Library of Congress.
Throughout the 1950s Eldredge also had a prolific television career, appearing on such programs as Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
, The Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
, and Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial...
. He had a recurring role as Dr. Spaulding in all three Spin and Marty
Spin and Marty
Spin and Marty was a popular series of television shorts that aired as part of ABC's Mickey Mouse Club show of the mid-1950s produced by Walt Disney. There were three serials in all, set at the Triple R Ranch, a boys' western-style summer camp. The first series of 25 eleven-minute episodes,...
series, featured on Disney's Mickey Mouse Club
Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that began in 1955, produced by Walt Disney Productions and televised by the ABC, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers. The Mickey Mouse Club was created by Walt Disney...
and was seen repeatedly on Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson (TV series)
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
.
Although he worked steadily for several decades George Eldredge never became a major star. Many of his roles were small and his name was often unlisted in the credits of the films he played in. His final role was an uncredited part in the 1963 film Johnny Cool.