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Walter Pidgeon | |
|---|---|
 Pidgeon onPerry Mason (1963) | |
| Born | Walter Davis Pidgeon (1897-09-23)September 23, 1897 Saint John,New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | September 25, 1984(1984-09-25) (aged 87) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | University of New Brunswick Boston Conservatory of Music |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1925–1977 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1[1] |
| President of theScreen Actors Guild | |
| In office 1952–1957 | |
| Preceded by | Ronald Reagan |
| Succeeded by | Leon Ames |
Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A majorleading man during theGolden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise,"[2] Pidgeon earned twoAcademy Award nominations forBest Actor, for his roles inMrs. Miniver (1942) andMadame Curie (1943).[3]
Pidgeon also starred in many other notable films, such asHow Green Was My Valley (1941),The Bad and the Beautiful (1952),Forbidden Planet (1956),Executive Suite (1954),Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961),Advise & Consent (1962),Funny Girl (1968), andHarry in Your Pocket (1973).
Aside from his acting career, Pidgeon served as the 10th President of theScreen Actors Guild, between 1952 and 1957. He received the Guild'sLife Achievement Award in 1975, and a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, for his contributions to the motion picture industry.
Pidgeon was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of Hannah (née Sanborn), a housewife, and Caleb Burpee Pidgeon, a haberdasher.[4]
Pidgeon received his formal education in local schools and theUniversity of New Brunswick, where he studied law and drama. His university education was interrupted byWorld War I, when he volunteered with the 65th Battery, as a lieutenant in theRoyal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. He never saw action, however, as some sources indicate he was severely injured in an accident when he was crushed between two gun carriages and spent seventeen months in a military hospital.[1] His Officer Attestation states he was born in 1895 but further medical records state 1896. His medical records suggest his active service was ended by a hernia.[5]
Following the war, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked as a bank runner, at the same time studying voice at theBoston Conservatory.[6]
While he was performing in amateur theatricals in Boston, Pidgeon was hired byElsie Janis, a producer, actress and singer looking for a male singer for her revue. Pidgeon moved to New York City in 1923, where he was interviewed byE.E. Clive, a British producer working on Broadway. Pidgeon made his first featured Broadway debut in Janis' 1925 revuePuzzles of 1925.[1] Clive was producingYou Never Can Tell, and he cast Pidgeon in a supporting role despite Pidgeon's lack of theatrical experience.
Pidgeon's success created a rift between Janis and him, leading to Pidgeon's dismissal and his move to Hollywood.[1] His first role was insilent filmMannequin (1925). Discouraged with the quality of the roles he was getting, Pidgeon returned to New York in 1928 to resume his theater career.[1] With the advent of sound films, Pidgeon starred in musicalsBride of the Regiment (1930),Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930),Viennese Nights (1930) andKiss Me Again (1931). In 1935, he appeared onstage on Broadway inSomething Gay,Night of January 16th, andThere's Wisdom in Women.
Pidgeon returned to film in 1937 as a dramatic actor inSaratoga (1937), then acted inThe Girl of the Golden West (1938) andDark Command (1940).[1]
In 1941, Pidgeon starred in theAcademy Award-winning Best PictureHow Green Was My Valley (1941). He starred withGreer Garson inBlossoms in the Dust (1941),Mrs. Miniver (1942) (for which he was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actor) and its sequel,The Miniver Story (1950). He was also nominated forMadame Curie (1943), again with Garson. His partnership with her continued throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s withMrs. Parkington (1944),Julia Misbehaves (1948),That Forsyte Woman (1949), and finallyScandal at Scourie (1953). He also starred as Chip Collyer in the comedyWeek-End at the Waldorf (1945) and later as Colonel Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar, who was given the difficult task of repatriating Russians in post-World War II Vienna inThe Red Danube (1949).
Although he continued to make films, includingThe Bad and the Beautiful (1952),Executive Suite (1954) andForbidden Planet (1956), by the mid-1950s Pidgeon returned to work on Broadway after a 20-year absence. He was featured inTake Me Along withJackie Gleason and received aTony Award nomination for the musical play. He continued making films, playing Admiral Harriman Nelson in 1961'sVoyage to the Bottom of the Sea, James Haggin inWalt Disney'sBig Red (1962), and the Senate Majority Leader inOtto Preminger'sAdvise & Consent. His role asFlorenz Ziegfeld inFunny Girl (1968) was well received. Later, he played Casey,James Coburn's sidekick, inHarry in Your Pocket (1973).
Pidgeon guest-starred in the episode "King of the Valley" (November 26, 1959) onDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. Pidgeon played Dave King, a prosperous rancher who quarrels with his banker over a $10,000 loan.
His other television credits includedRawhide ("The Reunion", 1962).Breaking Point,The F.B.I.,Marcus Welby, M.D., andGibbsville. In 1963 he guest-starred as corporate attorney Sherman Hatfield in the fourth of four special episodes ofPerry Mason whileRaymond Burr was recovering from surgery. In 1965, he played the king inRodgers and Hammerstein's CBS television production ofCinderella, starringLesley Ann Warren. Pidgeon retired from acting in 1977.
ARepublican, Pidgeon joined celebrity Republicans in 1944 at a rally in theLos Angeles Coliseum arranged byDavid O. Selznick to support theDewey−Bricker ticket and GovernorEarl Warren of California, who was Dewey's running mate in 1948. The gathering drew 93,000, withCecil B. DeMille as the master of ceremonies and short speeches byHedda Hopper andWalt Disney.[7]
In 1919, Pidgeon wed Edna Muriel Pickles, who died during the birth of their daughter, Edna (1921–1978).[8] In 1931, Pidgeon married his secretary, Ruth Walker, to whom he remained married until his death.[9]
Pidgeonbecame a United States citizen on December 24, 1943.[10]
Pidgeon died on September 25, 1984, two days after his 87th birthday, in Santa Monica, California, following a series of strokes.[11]
Walter Pidgeon has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6414 Hollywood Boulevard in California.
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Lux Radio Theatre | Mrs. Parkington[12] |
| 1946 | Lux Radio Theatre | Together Again[13] |
| 1952 | Screen Guild Theatre | "Heaven Can Wait"[14] |
| 1953 | Lux Radio Theatre | The People Against O'Hara[15] |
...using the money he earned, he entered the Boston Conservatory of Music.
pidgeon.
Walter Pidgeon, the courtly actor who distinguished his 47-year career with portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise, died yesterday at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 87 years old and had suffered a series of strokes. ...
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