Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
March 25, 1894
Place of Birth:
San Francisco, California, USA
Social Media
Will Wright
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
William Henry "Will" Wright (March 26, 1894, San Francisco, California - June 19, 1962, Los Angeles, California) was an American character actor. He was frequently cast in westerns and in curmudgeonly roles. Over the course of his career, Wright appeared in more than 200 film and television roles. He started his acting career in vaudeville and later moved to the stage, then on to movies, radio, and television.
Among the films in which Wright appeared are Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Major and the Minor (1943), So Proudly We Hail! (1943), Road to Utopia (1946), Mother Wore Tights (1947), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Little Women (1949), Walk Softly, Stranger (1950), Sunset in the West (1950), People Will Talk (1951), The Happy Time (1952), River of No Return (1954), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Jeanne Eagels (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). One of his most famous and memorable film roles was corrupt city official Dolph Pillsbury in the Academy Award-winning All the King's Men (1949).
Wright provided the voice of Friend Owl in Walt Disney's animated film Bambi (1942). He guest starred on several television series.
Will Wright died of cancer in 1962.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Fail Safe | Bit Part (uncredited) |
| 1962 | Cape Fear | Dr. Pearsall |
| 1961 | The Deadly Companions | Doctor Acton |
| 1961 | Twenty Plus Two | Newspaper morgue attendant |
| 1960 | Inherit the Wind | Bible Salesman (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Alias Jesse James | Titus Queasley |
| 1959 | The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock | Pentagon General |
| 1958 | Gunman's Walk | Judge |
| 1958 | Quantrill's Raiders | Judge Wood |
| 1958 | The Missouri Traveler | Sheriff Marvin Peavy |
| 1958 | Rock-a-Bye Baby | Fire Chief (uncredited) |
| 1957 | Johnny Tremain | Ephraim Lapham |
| 1957 | The Wayward Bus | Van Brunt |
| 1957 | The Iron Sheriff | Judge |
| 1957 | Jeanne Eagels | Marshal (uncredited) |
| 1956 | These Wilder Years | Old Cab Driver |
| 1955 | Not as a Stranger | Mr. Roberts (uncredited) |
| 1955 | The Man with the Golden Arm | |
| 1955 | Atomic Energy as a Force for Good | Tim Summers |
| 1955 | The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell | Admiral William S. Sims |
| 1955 | The Kentuckian | John Decker (uncredited) |
| 1955 | The Tall Men | Gus - Bartender (uncredited) |
| 1954 | River of No Return | Trader (uncredited) |
| 1954 | The Raid | Josiah Anderson |
| 1954 | Johnny Guitar | Ned - Bank Teller (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Niagara | Boatman |
| 1953 | The Last Posse | Todd Mitchell |
| 1953 | The Wild One | Art Kleiner |
| 1952 | Lydia Bailey | Consul (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Las Vegas Story | Mike Fogarty |
| 1952 | Holiday for Sinners | The Man with a Cigar |
| 1952 | O. Henry's Full House | Manager (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Paula | Raymond Bascom |
| 1952 | Lure of the Wilderness | Sheriff Brink |
| 1952 | O. Henry's Full House | Hotel Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Happy Time | Family Doctor |
| 1952 | Young Man with Ideas | Party Guest (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Never Trust a Gambler | Cap Douglas (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Vengeance Valley | Mr. Willoughby |
| 1951 | My Forbidden Past | Luther Toplady |
| 1951 | The Tall Target | Thomas Ogden (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Excuse My Dust | Race judge |
| 1951 | People Will Talk | Uncle John Higgins (uncredited) |
| 1950 | House by the River | Inspector Sarten |
| 1950 | Dallas | Judge Harper |
| 1950 | The Savage Horde | Judge Thomas Cole |
| 1950 | Sunset in the West | Sheriff Tad Osborne |
| 1950 | No Way Out | Dr. Cheney (uncredited) |
| 1950 | A Ticket to Tomahawk | Marshal Kit Dodge |
| 1950 | Walk Softly, Stranger | Jake, Poker Player (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Grape Nutty | Crow (Voice) |
| 1949 | The Price of Freedom | McTrees |
| 1949 | Miss Grant Takes Richmond | Roscoe Johnson (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Lust for Gold | Parsons (uncredited) |
| 1949 | All the King's Men | Dolph Pillsbury |
| 1949 | Adam's Rib | Judge Marcasson |
| 1949 | Act of Violence | Pop |
| 1949 | Little Women | Mr. Grace (uncredited) |
| 1949 | They Live by Night | Mobley |
| 1949 | Big Jack | Will Farnsworth |
| 1949 | Brimstone | Martin Tredwell |
| 1949 | The Green Promise | Mr. Grenstedt |
| 1949 | Mrs. Mike | Dr. McIntosh |
| 1948 | Jingle, Jangle, Jingle | Pop Williams |
| 1948 | Green Grass of Wyoming | Jake Willis |
| 1948 | The Walls of Jericho | Dr. Patterson (uncredited) |
| 1948 | So This Is New York | Uncle Fergus (uncredited) |
| 1948 | Speaking of Animals: Home Sweet Home | Babirusa / Pig (voice) |
| 1948 | Disaster | Pop Hansford |
| 1948 | The Inside Story | J. J. Johnson |
| 1948 | Whispering Smith | Sheriff McSwiggin |
| 1948 | Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House | Eph Hackett (uncredited) |
| 1948 | An Act of Murder | Judge Jim Wilder |
| 1948 | Black Eagle | Sheriff Clancy |
| 1948 | Relentless | Sam - the Horse Dealer |
| 1948 | California's Golden Beginning | |
| 1947 | The Trouble with Women | Commissioner (uncredited) |
| 1947 | California | Chairman (uncredited) |
| 1947 | The Long Night | Mr. Tully - the Janitor (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Uncle Tom's Cabana | Uncle Tom (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Mother Wore Tights | Withers (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Danger Street | Police Chief Bullward |
| 1947 | Blaze of Noon | Mr. Thomas |
| 1947 | Keeper of the Bees | Dr. Grayson |
| 1947 | Cynthia | Gus Wood, Thatcher's Real Estate Rep |
| 1947 | Wild Harvest | Mike Alperson |
| 1947 | Along the Oregon Trail | Jim Bridger |
| 1946 | Johnny Comes Flying Home | Foreman (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Hot Cargo | Tim Chapman |
| 1946 | Who's Cookin Who? | Wolfie Wolf (voice) |
| 1946 | The Jolson Story | Sourpuss Movie Patron (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Prospecting for Petroleum | The Professor (voice) |
| 1946 | Big Town | Station Agent (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Reckless Driver | Wally Walrus (voice) |
| 1946 | Fair Weather Fiends | Wolfie Wolf (voice) |
| 1946 | The Madonna's Secret | The Riverman |
| 1946 | Without Reservations | Pullman Conductor (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Blue Dahlia | "Dad" Newell |
| 1946 | The Inner Circle | Henry Boggs |
| 1946 | Blue Skies | Dan - Stage Manager (uncredited) |
| 1946 | One Exciting Week | Otis Piper |
| 1946 | Rendezvous with Annie | Elmer Snodgrass |
| 1946 | The Hoodlum Saint | Allan 'Knucklehead' Smith - Times Editor (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Road to Utopia | Mr. Latimer (uncredited) |
| 1946 | They Made Me a Killer | Henry, the Blacksmith |
| 1946 | Down Missouri Way | Prof. Morris |
| 1946 | Apple Andy | Devil |
| 1945 | Salome, Where She Danced | Sheriff |
| 1945 | You Came Along | Col. Dale V. Armstrong (uncredited) |
| 1945 | State Fair | Hog Judge (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Fall Guy | Mr. Nedsen, Parkson's Attorney (uncredited) |
| 1945 | The Loose Nut | Construction Worker (voice) |
| 1945 | Bewitched | Mr. Herkheimer |
| 1945 | High Powered | Jeff Hines |
| 1945 | The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry | Mr. Nelson |
| 1945 | Scarlet Street | Globe Loan Office Manager (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Rhapsody in Blue | Rachmaninoff |
| 1945 | Grissly's Millions | John Frey |
| 1944 | You Can't Ration Love | Judge Cary - Justice of the Peace (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Navy Way | Baldy - Triangle A Ranch Hand (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Town Went Wild | Judge Harry Schrank (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Wilson | Hughes Campaign Orator in Maine (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Dangerous Passage | Postal Clerk (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Practically Yours | Sen. Cowling (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Take It Big | Rodeo Judge (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Here Comes Elmer | Horace Parrot |
| 1943 | The Good Fellows | Brother from Danville (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Cowboy in Manhattan | Higgins |
| 1943 | So Proudly We Hail | Colonel Clark (Uncredited) |
| 1943 | The Meanest Man in the World | Pawn Shop Owner (uncredited) |
| 1943 | In Old Oklahoma | Doctor |
| 1943 | Sleepy Lagoon | Cyrus Coates |
| 1942 | Saboteur | J.C. Lormans - Company Official (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattan | Old Concertgoer (Laughton sequence) (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Postman Didn't Ring | Mr. Slade |
| 1942 | Tennessee Johnson | Alderman (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Major and the Minor | Ticket Agent #1 (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Wildcat | John 'Paw' Smithers |
| 1942 | A Letter From Bataan | Mr. Limpert |
| 1942 | Bambi | Friend Owl (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Shut My Big Mouth | Jim Long |
| 1942 | USS VD: Ship of Shame | Commandant (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Mob Town | Pawnbroker (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Shadow of the Thin Man | Maguire - Nervous Ticket Seller (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Nothing But the Truth | Mr. Bart Prichard (uncredited) |
| 1941 | The Tell-Tale Heart | Second Deputy Sheriff (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Cracked Nuts | Sylvanus Boogle |
| 1941 | The Richest Man in Town | Frederick Johnson |
| 1941 | Maisie Was a Lady | Judge Thatcher (Uncredited) |
| 1941 | Honky Tonk | Townsman at Meeting House |
| 1941 | Blossoms in the Dust | Senator |
| 1940 | Blondie Plays Cupid | Mr. Tucker |
| 1940 | You, the People | Mr. Roberts |
| 1935 | It's A Small World | Courtroom spectator (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Pure Feud | Lem (uncredited) |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Sam Petrie |
| 1961 | Mister Ed | Mr. Thompson |
| 1960 | The Andy Griffith Show | Ben Weaver |
| 1960 | The Tall Man | |
| 1960 | Outlaws | |
| 1960 | Thriller | Constable Tom Walker |
| 1960 | Pete and Gladys | |
| 1959 | Rawhide | Grandfather |
| 1959 | Dennis the Menace | Merrivale |
| 1959 | Riverboat | J.C. Sickel |
| 1959 | Mr. Lucky | The Leadville Kid |
| 1958 | Bronco | |
| 1958 | Lawman | |
| 1958 | Bat Masterson | Billy Willow |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip | Luther Hanks |
| 1958 | The Donna Reed Show | Oliver |
| 1957 | Maverick | |
| 1957 | Trackdown | |
| 1957 | Perry Mason | James Vardon |
| 1957 | Leave It to Beaver | Pete at Firehouse #7 |
| 1957 | The Real McCoys | |
| 1957 | Sugarfoot | Charlie Cade |
| 1957 | Official Detective | |
| 1957 | Perry Mason | Adam Thompson |
| 1957 | Maverick | General Hoyt Bosco |
| 1957 | Maverick | Jabe Hallock |
| 1957 | Maverick | General Eakins |
| 1957 | Sugarfoot | John Chamberlain |
| 1957 | Sugarfoot | Job Turner |
| 1957 | Perry Mason | Chuck Clark |
| 1957 | Maverick | Sheriff Chester Bentley |
| 1957 | Trackdown | Zack |
| 1956 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | King - Newspaper Editor |
| 1956 | Hey, Jeannie! | McClish |
| 1955 | The Millionaire | Grandpa Costello |
| 1955 | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Judge O'Neill |
| 1954 | December Bride | |
| 1954 | Lassie | Caleb Brown |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | |
| 1953 | You Are There | |
| 1953 | Letter to Loretta | Father Gourdian |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | Jake Marley |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | McCrain |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | Grandpaw |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | George's Father |
| 1952 | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Mr. Jackson |
| 1952 | Four Star Playhouse | Willie |
| 1952 | Four Star Playhouse | Scupper |
| 1952 | The Ford Television Theatre | Mr. Crane |
| 1951 | I Love Lucy | Mr. Walters |
| 1951 | Dragnet | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucy | Sheriff |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Pop |
| 1951 | The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | |
| 1951 | The Living Christ | Herod The Great |
| 1951 | The Living Christ | Annas |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Father |
| 1950 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | Judge Kramer |
| 1949 | The Lone Ranger | Uncle Ed |