Hobart Cavanaugh

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950) was an American character actor in films and on stage. He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked in vaudeville, teaming with Walter Catlett at some point. He appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including the original 1919 musical Irene and the long-running 1948 musical As the Girls Go. He made his film debut in San Francisco Nights (1928). Over the next few years he established himself as a supporting actor, and although many of his roles were small and received no film credit, he played more substantial roles in films such as I Cover the Waterfront (1933) and Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933). By the mid-1930s, he was appearing in more prestigious productions, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), Wife vs. Secretary (1936) and A Letter to Three Wives (1949). He continued playing small, often comical roles until the end of his life, mostly as downtrodden or henpecked little men. His last performance was in Stella (1950); he knew he did not have long to live and collapsed twice on set, but was determined to see it through. By the end of his life, he had appeared in more than 180 films. He died following an operation at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was survived by his wife Florence and a daughter.

Known For

A Letter to Three Wives

Captain Blood

Housewife

Shooting High

The Mayor of Hell

The Remarkable Andrew

The Magnificent Dope

Acting

1933

Picture Snatcher

as

James Peters - Drunken Reporter (uncredited)

1940

Santa Fe Trail

as

Barber Doyle

1948

My Girl Tisa

as

Sigmund

1946

Black Angel

as

Jake

1939

The Covered Trailer

as

E. L. Beamish

1940

Home Movies

as

Party Guest Wearing Bowtie (uncredited)

1933

I Cover the Waterfront

as

One Punch McCoy

1937

Night Key

as

Petty Louie

1944

Kismet

as

Moolah

1939

Rose of Washington Square

as

Whitey Boone

1949

A Letter to Three Wives

as

Mr. Manleigh

1936

Three Smart Girls

as

Wilbur Lamb

1936

Wife vs. Secretary

as

Joe Farnsworth

1935

Captain Blood

as

Dr. Bronson

1934

Fashions of 1934

as

Inventor on Ship (uncredited)

1943

The Human Comedy

as

Drunk at Bar (uncredited)

1943

The Kansan

as

Josh Hudkins

1933

Private Detective 62

as

Harcourt S. Burns

1935

A Midsummer Night's Dream

as

Philostrate

1934

Jimmy the Gent

as

Fake Worthingham

1935

Wings in the Dark

as

Mac

1943

Gildersleeve on Broadway

as

Homer

1934

The Key

as

Homer, Tennant's Aide

1942

Whistling in Dixie

as

Mr. Panky

1935

Don't Bet on Blondes

as

Philbert O. Slemp

1934

Harold Teen

as

Pop

1941

Our Wife

as

Shipboard Passenger (uncredited)

1937

The Great O'Malley

as

Reporter Pinky Holden

1934

Merry Wives of Reno

as

Derwent

1942

Jackass Mail

as

Gospel Jones

1947

Driftwood

as

Judge Beckett

1934

Dark Hazard

as

George Mayhew

1936

Sing Me a Love Song

as

Mr. Barton (uncredited)

1936

Colleen

as

Noggin

1946

Margie

as

Mr. Angus MacDuff

1934

Wonder Bar

as

Drunk (uncredited)

1934

Now I'll Tell

as

Freddie Stanton

1943

Pilot #5

as

Boat Owner

1943

A Scream in the Dark

as

Leo Stark

1934

I Am a Thief

as

Daudet

1942

A Tragedy at Midnight

as

Charles Miller

1936

Cain and Mabel

as

Milo

1934

Easy to Love

as

Hotel desk clerk

1933

Broadway Thru a Keyhole

as

Peanuts Dinwiddie

1934

Housewife

as

George Wilson

1935

Page Miss Glory

as

Joe Bonner

1933

From Headquarters

as

Muggs Manton

1933

Mary Stevens, M.D.

as

Alf Simmons

1936

Here Comes Carter

as

Mel Winter

1935

I Live for Love

as

Townsend

1936

Stage Struck

as

Wayne

1934

A Lost Lady

as

Robert

1935

Dr. Socrates

as

Stevens

1933

Goodbye Again

as

Mr. Clayton

1948

Up in Central Park

as

Mayor Oakley

1945

I'll Remember April

as

Joe Billings

1946

The Spider Woman Strikes Back

as

Bill Stapleton

1933

Havana Widows

as

Mr. Otis, Invincible Insurance

1947

Easy Come, Easy Go

as

Higgins

1943

The Man from Down Under

as

Boots

1934

A Very Honorable Guy

as

Benny

1934

Madame du Barry

as

Professor de la Vauguyon

1934

I've Got Your Number

as

Happy Dooley

1933

Convention City

as

Wendell Orchard

1939

Reno

as

Abe Compass

1934

I Sell Anything

as

Stooge

1935

We're in the Money

as

Max

1934

Kansas City Princess

as

Alderman Sam Warren

1933

State Fair

as

Professor Fred Coin (Uncredited)

1940

Shooting High

as

Clem Perkle

1936

The Lady Consents

as

Mr. Yardley

1944

Louisiana Hayride

as

Malcolm Cartwright

1940

Love, Honor and Oh-Baby!

as

Gimpy Darnell

1934

The Firebird

as

Emile, Brandt's Valet

1934

The St. Louis Kid

as

Richardson

1939

A Child Is Born

as

Mr. Herbert West

1938

Cowboy from Brooklyn

as

Mr. "Pops" Jordan

1936

Mysterious Crossing

as

Ned J. Stebbins

1936

Love Letters of a Star

as

Chester Blodgett

1933

My Woman

as

Mr. Miller

1939

Career

as

Jim Bronson

1934

Moulin Rouge

as

Drunk

1937

Reported Missing

as

'Ab' Steele

1931

The Wall Street Mystery

as

Martin Hill

1946

Faithful in My Fashion

as

Mr. Wilson

1939

Zenobia

as

Mr. Dover

1939

That's Right – You're Wrong

as

Dwight Cook

1939

Tell No Tales

as

Charlie Daggett

1933

Too Much Harmony

as

Piano Tuner

1928

San Francisco Nights

as

Tommie

1945

Roughly Speaking

as

The Teacher (uncredited)

1935

Broadway Gondolier

as

Music Critic Gilmore

1934

Hi, Nellie!

as

Fullerton

1939

Naughty But Nice

as

Clark's Piano Tuner (uncredited)

1940

Hired Wife

as

William

1946

Cinderella Jones

as

George

1935

While the Patient Slept

as

Eustace Federie

1939

Idiot's Delight

as

Frueheim

1942

Land of the Open Range

as

Pinky Gardner

1939

Never Say Die

as

Druggist

1939

Daughters Courageous

as

Tourist (uncredited)

1939

The House of Fear

as

Minor Role

1939

Chicken Wagon Family

as

Henri Fippany

1939

Four Wives

as

Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)

1941

Thieves Fall Out

as

David Tipton

1941

Horror Island

as

Professor Jasper Quinley

1933

No Marriage Ties

as

Smith

1943

Sweet Rosie O'Grady

as

Clark

1935

Bordertown

as

Harry

1936

The Golden Arrow

as

DeWolfe

1942

Lady in a Jam

as

Reporter (uncredited)

1934

A Modern Hero

as

Henry Mueller

1943

Taxi, Mister

as

Police Fingerprint Man

1937

Carnival Queen

as

Profesor Silva

1940

Charter Pilot

as

Horace Sturgeon

1940

Street of Memories

as

Mr. Foster

1933

The Devil's Mate

as

Parkhurst

1936

Two Against the World

as

Tippy Mantus

1940

An Angel from Texas

as

Mr. Robelink

1948

Best Man Wins

as

Amos

1936

Love Begins at Twenty

as

Jacob 'Jake' Buckley

1946

The Hoodlum Saint

as

Antique Clock Dealer (uncredited)

1950

Stella

as

Tim Gross

1944

San Diego I Love You

as

Mr. McGregor (uncredited)

1943

What a Woman

as

Mailman (uncredited)

1934

Mandalay

as

Purser (uncredited)

1942

Her Cardboard Lover

as

Arresting Plainclothesman (uncredited)

1929

Sympathy

as

William Maxwell

1941

Down in San Diego

as

Telegraph Clerk (uncredited)

1940

You Can't Fool Your Wife

as

Potts

1930

The Poor Fish

as

Harry

1933

Headline Shooter

as

Happy

1945

Don Juan Quilligan

as

Mr. Rostigaff

1933

The Mayor of Hell

as

Mr. Gorman

1939

How to Sub-Let

as

Mr. Mustavas

1939

I Stole a Million

as

Jenkins's Assistant

1935

A Dream Comes True

as

Himself (uncredited)

1942

The Remarkable Andrew

as

Teller / Witness

1946

Little Iodine

as

Mr. Tremble

1975

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

as

Self (archive footage)

1942

My Favorite Spy

as

Jules

1943

Dangerous Blondes

as

Pop

1933

Bureau of Missing Persons

as

Mr. Harris (uncredited)

1940

Public Deb No. 1

as

Mr. Schlitz

1937

Girl Overboard

as

Joseph L. 'Joe' Gray

1948

The Inside Story

as

Mr. Mason

1947

Doctor Jim

as

Mayor

1940

Stage to Chino

as

J. Horatio Boggs

1939

See Your Doctor

as

Brother-in-Law

1941

Reaching for the Sun

as

Front Office Man

1937

The Mighty Treve

as

Mr. Davis

1944

Guest in the House

as

Mr. Blossom

1939

The Adventures of Jane Arden

as

"Killer"

1940

The Great Plane Robbery

as

Homer Pringle

1940

The Ghost Comes Home

as

Ambrose Bundy

1942

The Magnificent Dope

as

Albert Gowdy

1942

Stand by for Action

as

Carpenter's Mate 'Chips'

1941

I Wanted Wings

as

Mickey

1941

Railroadin'

as

George

1946

Night and Day

as

Man in Hospital Hall (uncredited)

1937

Love in a Bungalow

as

Mr. Kester

Production

Crew

Directing