Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
July 28, 1894
Place of Birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Social Media
Charles C. Wilson
Biography
Charles Cahill Wilson (July 29, 1894 – January 7, 1948) was an American screen and stage actor. He appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the late 1920s to late 1940s. Born in New York City in 1894, the white-haired, burly actor was often typecast as an earnest police officer, newspaper editor or principal. He appeared in over 250 films between 1928 and 1948, mostly playing small supporting roles with a few sentences. Charles Wilson began his acting career at the theatre, including roles in six Broadway plays between 1918 and 1931. In 1928, he directed the Hollywood comedy Lucky Boy (1928), where he also made his film debut. According to the Internet Movie Database, Lucky Boy was Wilson's only film as a director.
His most notable role was probably Clark Gable's "wonderfully aggravated" newspaper boss in Frank Capra's comedy It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards in 1935. He was also cast in small roles in other Capra movies such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Shortly before his death, Wilson appeared as the boss of the Three Stooges in the two-reel comedy Crime on Their Hands (1948).
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Commotion on the Ocean | J.L. Cameron - Managing Editor (archive footage) |
| 1948 | Crime on Their Hands | J.L. Cameron |
| 1948 | Blazing Across the Pecos | Mayor Ace Brockway |
| 1948 | Big Town Scandal | Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited) |
| 1947 | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty | Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Meet Mr. Mischief | Harry's Boss |
| 1947 | Key Witness | Warden (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Gas House Kids | Inspector Shannon |
| 1946 | Crime of the Century | Police Lieutenant |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | Charlie (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Larceny in Her Heart | Chief Gentry (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1946 | Blonde for a Day | Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1946 | Passkey to Danger | Police Sergeant |
| 1946 | Road to Utopia | Official Policeman (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Week-End at the Waldorf | Hi Johns |
| 1945 | Scarlet Street | Watchman (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Two O'Clock Courage | Brant - City Editor (uncredited) |
| 1945 | A Gun in His Hand | Chief of Police (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Crime by Night | District Attorney Hyatt |
| 1944 | The Missing Juror | Mac Ellis (Uncredited) |
| 1944 | Hey, Rookie | Sam Jonas |
| 1943 | Silver Spurs | Mr. Hawkins |
| 1943 | Batman | Captain Arnold |
| 1942 | Lady Gangster | Detective |
| 1942 | This Gun for Hire | Police Captain |
| 1942 | Escape from Crime | C.L. Reardon - Managing Editor (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1942 | The Man Who Returned to Life | Inspector Mensil |
| 1942 | Dr. Broadway | District Attorney McNamara |
| 1942 | Gentleman Jim | Gurney (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Blondie Goes to College | Police Sergeant |
| 1942 | The Secret Code | Desk Sgt. Cullen |
| 1942 | Rings on Her Fingers | |
| 1941 | The Face Behind the Mask | Chief O'Brien |
| 1941 | The Officer and the Lady | Police Captain Hart |
| 1941 | Federal Fugitives | Bruce Lane |
| 1941 | Broadway Limited | Detective (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1941 | Dressed to Kill | Newspaper Editor |
| 1941 | Meet John Doe | Charlie Dawson |
| 1941 | Out of the Fog | |
| 1940 | He Married His Wife | Warden |
| 1940 | Gangs of Chicago | |
| 1940 | Charter Pilot | Owen |
| 1940 | Sandy Is a Lady | Sergeant |
| 1940 | City for Conquest | Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Tin Pan Alley | Desk Sergeant (uncredited) |
| 1940 | They Drive by Night | Mike Williams (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Knute Rockne All American | Gambler (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Lady with Red Hair | George Martin (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Millionaires in Prison | R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Girl in 313 | Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police |
| 1940 | Public Deb No. 1 | Sergeant |
| 1939 | The Return of Doctor X | Det. Kincaid |
| 1939 | The Cowboy Quarterback | Coach Hap Farrell |
| 1939 | Here I Am a Stranger | Managing Editor |
| 1939 | Rose of Washington Square | Mike Cavanaugh |
| 1939 | Smashing the Money Ring | Capt. Kilrane |
| 1939 | The House of Fear | Police Chief |
| 1939 | The Roaring Twenties | Policeman (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Fighting Thoroughbreds | Spencer Bogart |
| 1939 | Hotel for Women | Albert |
| 1939 | Invisible Stripes | Arresting Officer (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Tenth Avenue Kid | Commissioner |
| 1938 | When Were You Born | Inspector Jim C. Gregg |
| 1938 | Hold That Co-ed | Coach Burke |
| 1938 | The Spider's Web | Chase |
| 1938 | Sally, Irene and Mary | Covered Wagon Cafe Manager |
| 1938 | The Night Hawk | Lonigan |
| 1938 | Little Miss Thoroughbred | Becker |
| 1938 | Prison Farm | Reardon |
| 1938 | Gateway | Inspector |
| 1938 | State Police | Captain Halstead |
| 1938 | Angels with Dirty Faces | |
| 1937 | Broadway Melody of 1938 | Horse Auctioneer (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Murder Goes to College | Police Inspector Simpson |
| 1937 | Partners in Crime | Inspector Simpson |
| 1937 | They Wanted to Marry | Clark |
| 1937 | The Case of the Stuttering Bishop | Hamilton Burger |
| 1937 | Midnight Court | Police Chief |
| 1937 | The Great O'Malley | Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Life Begins in College | Tom Burke |
| 1937 | One Mile from Heaven | Fletcher |
| 1937 | Roaring Timber | Sam Garvin |
| 1937 | Woman in Distress | Editor Herbert Claxton |
| 1937 | The Adventurous Blonde | Mortimer Gray |
| 1937 | You Only Live Once | Police Inspector (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Night Key | Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Daughter of Shanghai | Schwartz (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Satan Met a Lady | Detective Pollock |
| 1936 | Earthworm Tractors | H.J. Russell |
| 1936 | Show Boat | |
| 1936 | I'd Give My Life | Warden |
| 1936 | Grand Jury | City Editor |
| 1936 | Big Brown Eyes | Prosecuting Attorney (Uncredited) |
| 1936 | 36 Hours to Kill | F.B.I. Chief |
| 1936 | The Gentleman from Louisiana | Diamond Jim Brady |
| 1936 | Strike Me Pink | Hardie |
| 1936 | The Country Doctor | George the Boat Captain (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Magnificent Brute | Murphy |
| 1936 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | County Hospital Guard (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Murder with Pictures | Assistant Editor (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Legion of Terror | Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1936 | Down the Stretch | Tex Reardon |
| 1936 | The Mine with the Iron Door | Pitkins |
| 1936 | Mind Your Own Business | Detective |
| 1936 | Panic on the Air | Chief Inspector Fitzgerald |
| 1935 | The Glass Key | District Attorney Edward J. Farr |
| 1935 | The Perfect Clue | District Attorney |
| 1935 | Smart Girl | Morgan (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Four Hours to Kill! | Taft |
| 1935 | The Case of the Lucky Legs | Police Officer Ricker |
| 1935 | Show Them No Mercy! | Clifford |
| 1935 | Air Hawks | Newspaper editor |
| 1935 | Car 99 | Trooper Captain Ryan |
| 1935 | The Gilded Lily | Managing Editor |
| 1935 | Hitch Hike Lady | Mike - a Racketeer |
| 1935 | We're Only Human | Editor of The Daily Star |
| 1935 | After the Dance | Chief of Police |
| 1935 | Music Is Magic | Decker - Theatre Manager (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Baby Face Harrington | City Editor (uncredited) |
| 1935 | The Nitwits | Police Captain Jennings |
| 1935 | Murder in the Fleet | Commander Brown (Uncredited) |
| 1935 | Mary Burns, Fugitive | G-Man at dancehall |
| 1935 | Waterfront Lady | Jim McFee aka Mac |
| 1935 | The Great Hotel Murder | Anthony Wilson |
| 1935 | The Public Menace | First Detective |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | Joe Gordon |
| 1934 | Name the Woman | Joel Walker |
| 1934 | The Dragon Murder Case | Det. Hennessey |
| 1934 | The Circus Clown | Sheldon |
| 1934 | The St. Louis Kid | Mr. Harris |
| 1934 | Port of Lost Dreams | Warden |
| 1934 | The Hell Cat | Graham |
| 1934 | Fog Over Frisco | Detective Sergeant O'Hagen |
| 1934 | Affairs of a Gentleman | Inspector Quillan |
| 1934 | Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen | Chief of Police |
| 1934 | Here Is My Heart | Captain Dodge (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Men of the Night | Benson |
| 1934 | Murder in the Clouds | Lackey |
| 1934 | The Human Side | Furniture Buyer (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Cross Country Cruise | Detective (Uncredited) |
| 1934 | The 9th Guest | Burke (Uncredited) |
| 1934 | Embarrassing Moments | Attorney |
| 1934 | I Believed in You | Magistrate |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Deputy (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Elmer, the Great | Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson) |
| 1933 | The Mayor of Hell | Wilson (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Hard to Handle | Jailer (uncredited) |
| 1933 | College Coach | Charles Hauser |
| 1933 | Mary Stevens, M.D. | Walter Rising |
| 1933 | Havana Widows | Mr. Timberg |
| 1933 | Disgraced! | Thompson, Assistant District Attorney |
| 1933 | No Marriage Ties | Red Moran, City Desk Editor |
| 1933 | Private Detective 62 | Club Bartender (Uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Kennel Murder Case | Detective Hennessy (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Female | Private Detective Falihee (Uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Trans-Atlantic Mystery | Detective Doyle (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Campus Mystery | Detective Reardon |
| 1931 | Stolen Heaven | Detective |
| 1931 | Hot News Margie | Newspaper Editor (uncredited) |
| 1931 | My Sin | Guest in Pool Party |
| 1930 | Getting a Ticket | Motorcycle Cop |
| 1930 | Insurance | Doctor (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Broadway Scandals | Jack |
| 1929 | Acquitted | Nelson |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|