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Grant Mitchell (actor)
Encyclopedia
Grant Mitchell was an American
stage actor on Broadway
and character actor
in many Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared on Broadway from 1902 to 1939 and appeared in more than 125 films between 1930 and 1948.
, the only son of American Civil War
general John G. Mitchell
. Like his father, he became an attorney, graduating from the Harvard Law School
. However by his mid-to-late 20s, he tired of his legal practice and turned a long term dream into a reality by becoming an actor on Broadway. He played lead roles in plays such as It Pays to Advertise, The Whole Town's Talking, The Champion, and The Baby Cyclone.
Grant Mitchell was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon
fraternity (Phi chapter).
In film he initially made an appearance in 1916 and one or two other silents amidst his extensive theatre work but Mitchell's screen career really took off with the advent of sound. Most of his appearances were in B films of the 1930s and 1940s, but he made many notable appearances in high profile films such as A Midsummer Night's Dream
(1935), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), and Arsenic and Old Lace
(1944).
He died a bachelor on May 1, 1957.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage actor on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
in many Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared on Broadway from 1902 to 1939 and appeared in more than 125 films between 1930 and 1948.
Biography
Mitchell was born John Grant Mitchell, Jr. in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, the only son of American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general John G. Mitchell
John G. Mitchell (general)
John Grant Mitchell was an Ohio lawyer and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was active in several important campaigns and battles in the Western Theater, including the Chickamauga, Atlanta, and Franklin-Nashville and Carolinas campaigns...
. Like his father, he became an attorney, graduating from the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. However by his mid-to-late 20s, he tired of his legal practice and turned a long term dream into a reality by becoming an actor on Broadway. He played lead roles in plays such as It Pays to Advertise, The Whole Town's Talking, The Champion, and The Baby Cyclone.
Grant Mitchell was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
fraternity (Phi chapter).
In film he initially made an appearance in 1916 and one or two other silents amidst his extensive theatre work but Mitchell's screen career really took off with the advent of sound. Most of his appearances were in B films of the 1930s and 1940s, but he made many notable appearances in high profile films such as A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, produced by Henry Blanke and Hal Wallis, and adapted by Charles Kenyon and Mary C. McCall Jr...
(1935), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...
(1939), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), and Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (film)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 film directed by Frank Capra based on Joseph Kesselring's play of the same name. The script adaptation was by twins Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. Capra actually filmed the movie in 1941, but it was not released until 1944, after the original stage version...
(1944).
He died a bachelor on May 1, 1957.
Partial filmography
- The Star WitnessThe Star WitnessThe Star Witness is a feature film directed by William A. Wellman. It is a crime drama about a family that witness a crime and now have the gang members after them to prevent them from being witnesses....
(1931) - Big City BluesBig City Blues (1932 film)Big City Blues is a 1932 Warner Bros. drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The story is based on the play by Ward Morehouse and the film stars Joan Blondell.-Plot:...
(1932) - A Successful CalamityA Successful CalamityA Successful Calamity is a 1932 American comedy film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring George Arliss and Mary Astor. It is based on a play by Clare Kummer.- Plot :...
(1932) - No Man of Her OwnNo Man of Her Own (1932 film)No Man of Her Own is a 1932 light comedy film starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard as a married couple in their only film together, several years before their own legendary marriage in real life...
(1932) - Central AirportCentral Airport (film)Central Airport is a 1933 film starring Richard Barthelmess and Sally Eilers. John Wayne had an unbilled part, as a co-pilot, and this film features his first on-screen death.-Cast:* Richard Barthelmess as James 'Jim' Blaine...
(1933) - Lilly TurnerLilly TurnerLilly Turner is a 1933 melodrama about a woman who marries a bigamist, then a drunk, and falls in love with another man, all while working at a carnival...
(1933) - Dancing LadyDancing LadyDancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
(1933) - Heroes for SaleHeroes for SaleHeroes for Sale is a Depression-era film directed by William Wellman, starring Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, and Loretta Young, and released by Warner Bros. A veteran of World War I, Thomas Holmes, struggles to make his way in civilian life in almost every way imaginable...
(1933) - Our BettersOur BettersOur Betters is a 1933 American satirical comedy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Jane Murfin and Harry Wagstaff Gribble is based on the 1923 play of the same title by W. Somerset Maugham.-Plot:...
(1933) - Dinner at EightDinner at Eight (film)Dinner at Eight is a Pre-Code 1933 comedy of manners/drama produced by MGM Studios. The film was adapted to the screen by Frances Marion and Herman J. Mankiewicz from the play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, with additional dialogue supplied by Donald Ogden Stewart. Produced by David O...
(1933) - Wild Boys of the RoadWild Boys of the Road (1933 film)Wild Boys of the Road is a black-and-white, Depression-era American film telling the story of several teens forced into becoming hobos. The film was directed by William Wellman from a screenplay by Earl Baldwin based on the story "Desperate Youth" by Daniel Ahern...
(1933) - We're Rich AgainWe're Rich AgainWe're Rich Again is a 1934 comedy film starring Edna May Oliver, Billie Burke and Marian Nixon. A formerly wealthy family tries to stave off bankruptcy until one of them can marry a rich man...
(1934) - Twenty Million SweetheartsTwenty Million SweetheartsTwenty Million Sweethearts is a 1934 American musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright. The film stars Pat O'Brien, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers.The film was remade in 1949, starring Doris Day and Jack Carson as My Dream Is Yours.-Plot:...
(1934) - The Case of the Howling DogThe Case of the Howling DogThe Case of the Howling Dog is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Alan Crosland. The film stars Warren William and Mary Astor. This was the first in a series of films in which William played Perry Mason.-Plot:...
(1934) - 365 Nights in Hollywood365 Nights in Hollywood365 Nights in Hollywood is a 1934 American drama film starring Alice Faye and James Dunn. The film was directed by George Marshall.-Cast:* James Dunn as James 'Jimmy' Dale* Alice Faye as Alice Perkins* Frank Mitchell as Percy* Jack Durant as Clarence...
(1934) - One More SpringOne More SpringOne More Spring is a 1935 film about three people living together in the maintenance shed at Central Park as an alternative to living on the streets. The film was written by Edwin J...
(1935) - Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935Gold Diggers of 1935 is a Warner Bros. musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley and starring Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Adolphe Menjou, Winifred Shaw, Alice Brady, Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh...
(1935) - A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, produced by Henry Blanke and Hal Wallis, and adapted by Charles Kenyon and Mary C. McCall Jr...
(1935) - The Ex-Mrs. BradfordThe Ex-Mrs. BradfordThe Ex-Mrs. Bradford is a mystery film starring William Powell and Jean Arthur as a divorced couple who investigate a murder at a racetrack. This was the last film directed by Stephen Roberts before his untimely death from a heart attack.-Plot:...
(1936) - The Devil is a SissyThe Devil is a SissyThe Devil is a Sissy is a 1936 American MGM comedy drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and Rowland Brown. The film stars Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney.The film premiered on September 18, 1936.-Cast:...
(1936) - The Life of Emile ZolaThe Life of Emile ZolaThe Life of Emile Zola is a 1937 American biographical film about French author Émile Zola. Set in the mid through late 19th century, it depicts his friendship with noted painter Paul Cézanne, and his rise to fame through his prolific writing, with particular focus on his involvement in the Dreyfus...
(1937) - First LadyFirst Lady (film)First Lady is a 1937 film about behind-the-scenes political maneuverings in Washington, D.C.. It stars Kay Francis and Verree Teasdale as bitter rivals in their pursuit of the title of First Lady. It is based on the play of the same name by George S...
(1937) - 6,000 Enemies6,000 Enemies6,000 Enemies is a 1939 American drama film starring Walter Pidgeon as a successful District Attorney who is framed on charge of bribery. Although innocent, he is sent to prison where he fights to clear his name.- Cast :* Walter Pidgeon as Steve Donegan...
(1939) - Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (1939 film)Hell's Kitchen is a 1939 Warner Bros. film starring Ronald Reagan and The Dead End Kids.-Plot:Buck Caesar is a paroled convict who makes a contribution to a reform school on the advice of his nephew, Jim Donahue , a lawyer...
(1939)
- Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonMr. Smith Goes to WashingtonMr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...
(1939) - The Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of Wrath (film)The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 drama film directed by John Ford. It was based on John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson and the executive producer was Darryl F...
(1940) - It All Came TrueIt All Came TrueIt All Came True is a 1940 comedy film. It stars Humphrey Bogart as a gangster who hides from the police in a boarding house. Costar Ann Sheridan introduced the hit song "Angel in Disguise".-Cast:*Ann Sheridan as Sarah Jane Ryan...
(1940) - Edison, the ManEdison, the ManEdison, the Man was a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was played by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for their work on this film...
(1940) - Tobacco RoadTobacco Road (film)Tobacco Road is a 1941 film directed by John Ford starring Charley Grapewin, Marjorie Rambeau, Gene Tierney, William Tracy and Dana Andrews. It was based on the novel of the same name by Erskine Caldwell, but the plot was rewritten for the film.-Cast:...
(1941) - Footsteps in the DarkFootsteps in the Dark (film)Footsteps in the Dark is a light-hearted 1941 mystery film starring Errol Flynn as an amateur detective investigating a murder. It was based on the play Blondie White.-Cast:*Errol Flynn as Francis Monroe Warren II*Brenda Marshall as Rita Warren...
(1941) - The Great LieThe Great LieThe Great Lie is a 1941 American drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Bette Davis, George Brent, and Mary Astor. The screenplay by Lenore J...
(1941) - Nothing But the TruthNothing But the Truth (1941 film)Nothing But the Truth is a comedy film starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, their third movie together in three years. The movie was directed by Elliott Nugent....
(1941) - Skylark (1941)
- The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
- Larceny, Inc.Larceny, Inc.Larceny, Inc. is an American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942 by Warner Brothers, the film is a cross between the comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, it stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn, and Edward Brophy.The film is based...
(1942) - The Gay SistersThe Gay SistersThe Gay Sisters is a 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Gig Young and Nancy Coleman. The Warner Bros. motion picture was based on a novel by Stephen Longstreet....
(1942) - My Sister EileenMy Sister Eileen (1942 film)My Sister Eileen is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Alexander Hall. The screenplay by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov is based on their 1940 play of the same title, which was inspired by a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney originally published in The New...
(1942) - The Amazing Mrs. HollidayThe Amazing Mrs. HollidayThe Amazing Mrs. Holliday is a 1943 film starring Deanna Durbin as a missionary who goes to great lengths, even posing as "Mrs. Holliday", in order to get some Chinese war orphans into the United States. Director Jean Renoir was replaced by Bruce Manning partway through production...
(1943) - DixieDixie (film)Dixie is a 1943 Technicolor biographical film of American songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett, starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. The movie is a musical directed by A. Edward Sutherland.The movie was only a moderate success and received mixed reviews...
(1943) - Arsenic and Old LaceArsenic and Old Lace (film)Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 film directed by Frank Capra based on Joseph Kesselring's play of the same name. The script adaptation was by twins Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. Capra actually filmed the movie in 1941, but it was not released until 1944, after the original stage version...
(1944) - Step LivelyStep Lively (1944 film)Step Lively is a 1944 musical film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Frank Sinatra. Step Lively was based on the play Room Service, by Allen Boretz and John Murray.-Cast:* Frank Sinatra - Glenn Russell* George Murphy - Gordon Miller...
(1944) - Crime, Inc.Crime, Inc. (1945 film)Crime, Inc. is a 1945 black-and-white American crime thriller film directed by Lew Landers.-Plot summary:The film, based on a story by former crime reporter Martin Mooney, is about a newspaper journalist who faces prison time because he refuses to name his sources...
(1945) - A Medal for BennyA Medal for BennyA Medal for Benny is a 1945 American film directed by Irving Pichel. The story was conceived by writer Jack Wagner, who enlisted his longtime friend John Steinbeck to help him put it into script form. The film was released by Paramount Pictures.-Cast:...
(1945) - Conflict (1945)
- Guest WifeGuest WifeGuest Wife is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Sam Wood, written by Bruce Manning and John Klorer, and starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and Dick Foran....
(1945) - It Happened on 5th AvenueIt Happened on 5th AvenueIt Happened on Fifth Avenue is a 1947 motion picture comedy, with an Academy Award nomination for original story.-Production:It marked the debut of Allied Artists Pictures, the higher-budget division of Monogram Pictures, formerly a low-budget film studio...
(1947)