James Flavin
Encyclopedia
James William Flavin, Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose career lasted nearly half a century.
, a fact that may have enriched his later working relationship with director John Ford
, also a Portland native.
He attended the United States Military Academy
at West Point but, contrary to some sources, did not graduate. Instead he dropped out and returned to Portland and drove a taxi. Then as now, summer stock
companies flocked to Maine each year, and in 1929 Flavin was asked to fill in for an actor. He did well with the part and the company manager offered him $150 per week to accompany the troupe back to New York. Flavin accepted and by the spring of 1930 was living in a rooming house at 108 W. 87th Street in Manhattan. Flavin didn't manage to crack Broadway at this time; his Broadway debut would not occur for another 39 years, in the 1971 revival of The Front Page
, in which he played Murphy and briefly took over the lead role of Walter Burns from star Robert Ryan
.
Flavin worked his way across the country in stock productions and tours, arriving in Los Angeles around 1932. He quickly made the transition to movies, landing the lead role in his very first film, a Universal serial, The Airmail Mystery
(1932). He also landed his leading lady, marrying the serial's female star Lucile Browne
that same year. However, the serial marked virtually the last time that Flavin would play the lead in a film. Thereafter, he was restricted almost exclusively to supporting characters, many of them without so much as a name. He specialized in uniformed cops and hard-bitten detectives, but played chauffeurs, cabbies, and even a 16th-century palace guard with aplomb. Flavin appeared in nearly 400 films between 1932 and 1971. He appeared in almost 100 television episodes before his final appearance, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
in Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976).
Flavin died of a heart ailment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles, California
on April 23, 1976. His widow Lucile died 17 days later. They were survived by their son, William James Flavin, subsequently a professor at the United States Army War College. James and Lucile Browne Flavin were buried at Holy Cross Cemetery
in Culver City, California
.
Life and career
Flavin was the son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English extraction and a mother, Katherine, whose father was an Anglo - Irish immigrant. Thus Flavin, well-known in Hollywood as an "Irish" type, was only one-quarter Irish. Flavin was born and raised in Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, a fact that may have enriched his later working relationship with director John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
, also a Portland native.
He attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point but, contrary to some sources, did not graduate. Instead he dropped out and returned to Portland and drove a taxi. Then as now, summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
companies flocked to Maine each year, and in 1929 Flavin was asked to fill in for an actor. He did well with the part and the company manager offered him $150 per week to accompany the troupe back to New York. Flavin accepted and by the spring of 1930 was living in a rooming house at 108 W. 87th Street in Manhattan. Flavin didn't manage to crack Broadway at this time; his Broadway debut would not occur for another 39 years, in the 1971 revival of The Front Page
The Front Page
The Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
, in which he played Murphy and briefly took over the lead role of Walter Burns from star Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
.
Flavin worked his way across the country in stock productions and tours, arriving in Los Angeles around 1932. He quickly made the transition to movies, landing the lead role in his very first film, a Universal serial, The Airmail Mystery
The Airmail Mystery
The Airmail Mystery is a Universal movie serial. It is considered to be lost.-Cast:* James Flavin - Bob Lee* Lucile Browne - Mary Ross* Wheeler Oakman - Judson Ward* Frank Hagney - Moran* Sidney Bracey - Driscoll...
(1932). He also landed his leading lady, marrying the serial's female star Lucile Browne
Lucile Browne
Lucile Browne was an American film actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1935 films Texas Terror and Rainbow Valley....
that same year. However, the serial marked virtually the last time that Flavin would play the lead in a film. Thereafter, he was restricted almost exclusively to supporting characters, many of them without so much as a name. He specialized in uniformed cops and hard-bitten detectives, but played chauffeurs, cabbies, and even a 16th-century palace guard with aplomb. Flavin appeared in nearly 400 films between 1932 and 1971. He appeared in almost 100 television episodes before his final appearance, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976).
Flavin died of a heart ailment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on April 23, 1976. His widow Lucile died 17 days later. They were survived by their son, William James Flavin, subsequently a professor at the United States Army War College. James and Lucile Browne Flavin were buried at Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to:*Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA*Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma, California, USA*Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA*Holy Cross Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, USA...
in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.