Charles Halton

Charles Halton (March 16, 1876 – April 16, 1959) was an American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.

Life and career

Early years Halton was born in Washington, District of Columbia, in 1876. He trained at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career In the early 1900s Halton toured Europe with Lillian Russell. after which he appeared in about 35 productions during the next 50 years. For the summer of 1911 he performed as a member of the summer stock cast at Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado. From the 1920s, Halton's thinning hair, rimless glasses, stern-looking face and officious manner were also familiar to generations of American moviegoers. Whether playing the neighborhood busybody, a stern government bureaucrat or weaselly attorney, Halton's characters tried to drive the "immoral influences" out of the neighborhood, foreclose on the orphanage, evict the poor widow and her children from their apartment, or any other number of dastardly deeds, all justified usually by "...I'm sorry but that's my job."

Halton and fellow cast members in Chicago Tribune image depicting the 1927 Chicago production of the play Chicago.

Among Halton's best-known roles were Dr. Glass, the hotel doctor in Room Service (1938), starring the Marx Brothers; Mr. Carter, the bank examiner in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946); the Polish theatre producer Dobosh in Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be (1942), and a county official from Idaho in Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941). In Enemy of Women (1944), the story of Joseph Goebbels, Halton played against type as a kindly radio performer of children's stories who is arrested by the Nazis.

Although his career slowed down in the 1950s, he also played roles in numerous television series. His 40-year film career ended with High School Confidential (1958), after which he retired.

Personal life and death Halton married the former Lelah Coyle on August 8, 1944, in Gardnerville, Nevada, after she was divorced from John J. Beckman. On April 16, 1959, he died of hepatitis at his home in Los Angeles. He was 83.

Selected filmography

The Adventurer (1917) – Austin God's Man (1917) Behind the Mask (1917) – Larrabee The Climbers (1919) – Jordan The Tower of Jewels (1920) – Jimmy the Rat Laughter (1930) – Winslow – Gibson's Secretary (uncredited) Honor Among Lovers (1931) – Wilkes Storm at Daybreak (1933) – Villager (uncredited) His Double Life (1933) – Newsman on Phone (uncredited) Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) – Sound Effects Man (uncredited) Come and Get It (1936) – Mr. Hewitt More Than a Secretary (1936) – Mr. Crosby Sing Me a Love Song (1936) – Mr. Willard (uncredited) Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936) – Dr. Bell Black Legion (1937) – Osgood Stolen Holiday (1937) – Le Grande Penrod and Sam (1937) – Mr. Rodney H. Bitts Ready, Willing and Able (1937) – Brockman Woman Chases Man (1937) – Mr. Judd Pick a Star (1937) – Mr. Klawheimer The Road Back (1937) – Uncle Rudolph Talent Scout (1937) – M.B. Carter Dead End (1937) – Whitey (uncredited) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) – Passport Officer (uncredited) Partners in Crime (1937) – Silas Wagon Trouble at Midnight (1937) – Everett Benson Blossoms on Broadway (1937) – Dr. Gilgallon Penitentiary (1938) – Leonard Nettleford (uncredited) Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) – Turner (uncredited) Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938) – Mr. Bitts Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938) – Monsieur de la Coste – Store President (uncredited) Stolen Heaven (1938) – Friedrich Polesie The Saint in New York (1938) – Vincent Nather I'll Give a Million (1938) – Mayor Penrod's Double Trouble (1938) – Mr. Bitts I Am the Law (1938) – George Leander Room Service (1938) – Dr. Glass The Mad Miss Manton (1938) – Popsy – the Lawyer (uncredited) A Man to Remember (1938) – Atty. Clyde Perkins (uncredited) The Girl Downstairs (1938) – Karovian Ambassador (uncredited) Federal Man-Hunt (1938) – Damon Lauber Jesse James (1939) – Heywood Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939) – Newspaper Publicity Man (uncredited) I'm from Missouri (1939) – Henry Couch They Made Her a Spy (1939) – Beldon Sudden Money (1939) – Mr. Wixby Dodge City (1939) – Surrett's Lawyer Juarez (1939) – Mr. Roberts (scenes deleted) Ex-Champ (1939) – Trilby They Asked for It (1939) – Dr. Tyler Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) – Hawthorne (uncredited) News Is Made at Night (1939) – Lt. Gov. Elmer Hinge Indianapolis Speedway (1939) – Mayor Lady of the Tropics (1939) – Manager of Rubber Company (uncredited) Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) – Redley Golden Boy (1939) – Newspaperman (scenes deleted) Dust Be My Destiny (1939) – Pawnshop Owner (uncredited) No Place to Go (1939) – Mr. Bradford Reno (1939) – Augustus Welch The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) – Printer (uncredited) Swanee River (1939) – Pond (uncredited) The Shop Around the Corner (1940) – Detective Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) – Sensenbrenner The Ghost Comes Home (1940) – Mr. Stark – Steamship Official (uncredited) Virginia City (1940) – Ralston – Virginia City Banker (uncredited) Dr. Cyclops (1940) – Dr. Bulfinch The Man with Nine Lives (1940) – Doctor in Front Row in Final Scene (uncredited) The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940) – Dr. Streeter 20 Mule Team (1940) – Henry Adams Lillian Russell (1940) – Dr' Dobbins Gangs of Chicago (1940) – Bromo They Drive By Night (1940) – Farnsworth, a loan shark (uncredited) Lucky Partners (1940) – Chamber of Commerce Official (uncredited) I Love You Again (1940) – Mr. Leonard Harkspur Sr. (uncredited) Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) – Albert Meng Foreign Correspondent (1940) – Bradley Young People (1940) – Moderator The Westerner (1940) – Mort Borrow Calling All Husbands (1940) – Hadley Weaver Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940) – Alec Severn Little Nellie Kelly (1940) – Second Judge (uncredited) Behind the News (1940) – Neil Saunders Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) – Harry Deever, an Idaho county official Blonde Inspiration (1941) – Mr. Packer (uncredited) Meet the Chump (1941) – Dr. Stephanowsky The Great Mr. Nobody (1941) – Mr. Bixby (uncredited) Tobacco Road (1941) – Mayor Footlight Fever (1941) – Mr. E.J. Fingernogle (uncredited) Mr. District Attorney (1941) – Hazelton – Barrett's Aide The Lady from Cheyenne (1941) – Judge (uncredited) Million Dollar Baby (1941) – Parkinson A Very Young Lady (1941) – Oliver Brixton Dance Hall (1941) – Mr. Frederick Newmeyer Three Sons o' Guns (1941) – Haddock Lady Scarface (1941) – Mr. Pinchback (uncredited) I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island (1941) – Commandant Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime (1941) – Rufus Smith The Smiling Ghost (1941) – Great Uncle Ames Bentley One Foot in Heaven (1941) – Haskins (uncredited) Three Girls About Town (1941) – Doc – Coroner (uncredited) Unholy Partners (1941) – Phil Kaper – Attorney Look Who's Laughing (1941) – Cudahy H. M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) – Walter Kaufman The Body Disappears (1941) – Professor Moggs Captains of the Clouds (1942) – Supintendent Nolan The Lady Is Willing (1942) – Dr. Jones (uncredited) To Be or Not to Be (1942) – Producer Dobosh The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942) – Cotton, Publisher of Continental Magazine (uncredited) Juke Box Jenny (1942) – Judge Saboteur (1942) – Second Sheriff (uncredited) The Spoilers (1942) – Jonathan Stuve Whispering Ghosts (1942) – Attorney Mark Gruber In Old California (1942) – Mr. Hayes They All Kissed the Bride (1942) – Doctor (scenes deleted) Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942) – Mayor Dan Crane There's One Born Every Minute (1942) – Trumbull Priorities on Parade (1942) – 2nd Examiner Henry Aldrich, Editor (1942) – Elias Noonan Across the Pacific (1942) – A.V. Smith My Sister Eileen (1942) – Mr. Hawkins – Newspaper Editor (uncredited) You Can't Escape Forever (1942) – Charley Gates (uncredited) That Other Woman (1942) – AV Smith Lady Bodyguard (1943) – T. L. Baxter Jitterbugs (1943) – Samuel L. Cass (uncredited) My Kingdom for a Cook (1943) – Oliver Bradbury (uncredited) Flesh and Fantasy (1943) – Mask Shop Proprietor (uncredited) Government Girl (1943) – Wilkins – Hotel Clerk (uncredited) Whispering Footsteps (1943) – Harry Hammond Up in Arms (1944) – Dr. Roger B. Freyheisen Rationing (1944) – Ezra Weeks It Happened Tomorrow (1944) – Doctor (uncredited) Address Unknown (1944) – Censorial Pipsqueak Wilson (1944) – Colonel House Shadows in the Night (1944) – Doc Stacey (uncredited) Enemy of Women (1944) – Uncle Hugo, Radio Performer The Town Went Wild (1944) – Mr. Tweedle A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) – Mr. Barker (uncredited) Rhapsody in Blue (1945) – Mr. Kast Midnight Manhunt (1945) – Henry Miggs Mama Loves Papa (1945) – Appleby She Went to the Races (1945) – Dr. Collyer The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) – R.T. Tatum (uncredited) The Fighting Guardsman (1946) – Hyperion Picot (uncredited) Because of Him (1946) – Mr. Dunlap Three Little Girls in Blue (1946) – Lawyer Hoskins (uncredited) Sister Kenny (1946) – Mr. Smith (uncredited) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) – Prew It's a Wonderful Life (1946) – Mr. Carter, bank examiner (uncredited) Singin' in the Corn (1946) – Obediah Davis The Ghost Goes Wild (1947) – T. O'Connor Scott The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (1947) – Mr. Mittwick – High School Principal (uncredited) If You Knew Susie (1948) – Pringle (uncredited) Summer Holiday (1948) – Mr. Lipska (uncredited) My Dear Secretary (1948) – Mr. Kilbride (uncredited) 3 Godfathers (1948) – Tolliver Latham Hideout (1949) – Gabriel Wotter The Daring Caballero (1949) – Ed J. Hodges The Sickle or the Cross (1949) – Dr. Short The Traveling Saleswoman (1950) – Banker Clumhill (uncredited) The Nevadan (1950) – Red Sand Bank Manager (uncredited) When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) – Mr. Fettles (uncredited) Stella (1950) – Mr. Beeker (uncredited) Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle (1950) – Merkle – the Shyster Gasoline Alley (1951) – Pettit Here Comes the Groom (1951) – Cusick (uncredited) Three for Bedroom "C" (1952) – Well-Wisher at Station (uncredited) Carrie (1952) – Factory Foreman I Love Melvin (1953) – Mr. Prouty, Druggist (uncredited) A Slight Case of Larceny (1953) – Willard Maibrunn – Magna Gold Oil Co. The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) – Dean (Grainbelt U.) (uncredited) The Moonlighter (1953) – Clemmons Usqubaugh – Undertaker A Star is Born (1954) – Paymaster #1 (uncredited) Friendly Persuasion (1956) – Brother Cope – Elder (uncredited) High School Confidential (1958) – W.O. Robinson, High School Principal (uncredited) (final film role)