Eddie Quillan | |
|---|---|
 Eddie Quillan in 1931. | |
| Born | Edward Quillan (1907-03-31)March 31, 1907 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 19, 1990(1990-07-19) (aged 83) |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1922–1987 |
Edward Quillan (March 31, 1907 – July 19, 1990)[1] was an American film actor and singer whose career began as a child on thevaudeville stages andsilent film and continued through the age of television in the 1980s.[2]
Born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, into a family of vaudeville performers, Quillan made his stage debut at the age of seven alongside his parents, Scottish-born Joseph Quillan and his wife Sarah, as well as his siblings in their act titled 'The Rising Generation'.[3] By the early 1920s he was called upon by film directorMack Sennett to perform a screen test for Mack Sennett Studios. Sennett signed Quillan to a contract in 1922.[citation needed]
Quillan's very first film appearance was in the 1922 comedy shortUp and at 'Em.[citation needed] His next performance was in the 1926 comedy shortThe Love Sundae opposite actressAlice Day. His next ten film appearances (all released in 1926) were all comedy shorts that were vehicles for Day. He would spend most of the remaining years of the 1920s in comedy shorts featuring actressesRuth Taylor andMadeline Hurlock. In 1928, Quillan starred in theVitaphone short filmA Little Bit of Everything, notable because it featured his siblings Marie, Joseph and John in starring roles. Marie Quillan would eventually embark on a film career of her own and appear opposite her brother once more, in the 1929 comedyNosy Neighbors.
Quillan's first feature-length film was the 1928 comedy-dramaShow Folks opposite actressLina Basquette, in which Quillan appropriately plays a vaudeville dancer. The film was a modest success and also featured actressCarole Lombard. Quillan's breakout role (and first dramatic film role) was in the 1929Cecil B. DeMille directed silent filmThe Godless Girl. The film paired Quillan once again with Basquette and starredMarie Prevost andNoah Beery, Sr. His subsequent exposure from the film landed him a contract withPathé studios.
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Quillan would remain a popular leading and secondary actor throughout thesound film era and would appear in such notable films as 1935'sMutiny on the Bounty withClark Gable,Charles Laughton, andFranchot Tone, 1939'sYoung Mr. Lincoln opposite Henry Fonda andAlice Brady, as Connie Rivers inJohn Ford's 1940 film adaptation of theJohn Steinbeck novelThe Grapes of Wrath oppositeHenry Fonda, in 1943'sAlaska Highway andIt Ain't Hay opposite the comedic duoAbbott and Costello.
Quillan's breezy screen personality was seen in "B" musicals, comedies, and even serials during the 1940s. In 1948Columbia Pictures producerJules White teamed Quillan with veteran movie comicWally Vernon for a series of comedy short subjects. White emphasized extreme physical comedy in these films, and Vernon and Quillan made a good team, enthusiastically engaging in pratfalling, kick-in-the-pants slapstick. The series ran through 1956.
Beginning in the late 1950s, Quillan began to make the transition to television and by the 1960s could be seen frequently appearing as a guest actor in such series asThe Andy Griffith Show,Petticoat Junction,Perry Mason, and approximately five appearances on the camp-horror comedy seriesThe Addams Family. He was a regular on the Anthony Franciosa sitcomValentine's Day from 1964 to 1965, and from 1968 through 1971 he appeared as Eddie Edson on the comedyJulia opposite actressDiahann Carroll.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, Quillan continued to appear in motion pictures, but in increasingly smaller roles and often in bit parts. One notable appearance of the era was his role of Sandy in the 1954Vincente Minnelli directed musicalBrigadoon, starringGene Kelly,Van Johnson andCyd Charisse. Quillan also appeared in the uncredited role of Mr. Cassidy in the 1969 Gene Kelly film adaptation ofHello, Dolly!, starringBarbra Streisand andWalter Matthau and featuringLouis Armstrong. Quillan appeared inMy Three Sons as Mr Hewlett (1961) and also appeared on the western television adventure seriesThe Rifleman as Angus Evans. He appeared twice in the fourth season: in “Mark's Rifle” (episode 150) and “Conflict” (episode 155).[4]
Quillan was cast as Hill Beachy, and as Job Darius, in two 1961 episodes ofDeath Valley Days[5]
In the 1970s, Quillan made guest appearances on such varied television series asBaretta,Chico and the Man,Gunsmoke,Here's Lucy, andMannix. After meeting and befriending actor and directorMichael Landon, he played numerous bit roles in the popular television seriesLittle House on the Prairie. Quillan also performed in the Landon-directed seriesHighway to Heaven andFather Murphy during the 1980s. Quillan made his last television appearance in a 1987 episode of the television crime-mystery seriesMatlock.
Quillan died ofcancer inNorth Hollywood, California in 1990 and was interred at theSan Fernando Mission Cemetery inMission Hills, Los Angeles, California.[6][7]
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