Clyde Cook

Clyde Wilfred Cook (16 December 1891 – 13 August 1984) was an Australian-American actor, comedian and vaudevillian who went on to perform in Hollywood and whose career spanned the silent film era, talkies and television.

Career in Australia

He was born to John and Annie Cook at Hamilton, near Port Macquarie, Australia. Cook moved with his family to Sydney when he was 6. He was already a skilled acrobat and dancer before he first appeared on stage in 1901 and within a few years he had developed a successful reputation as an all-around comic entertainer. In 1906, J. C. Williamson placed Cook under contract and he worked with the company until about 1911, when he departed for the United Kingdom, determined to try his luck in the London music hall scene. After some difficulty he succeeded and subsequently also worked at the Folies Bergere for 14 weeks. He returned to Australia in 1916.

Although he appears to have expressed a desire to join up during the First World War, unspecified "physical defects" (perhaps owing to his slight frame) meant he was unable to join the First Australian Imperial Force. Instead he devoted much time to fund-raising and entertaining soldiers. His trademark moustache also appeared for the first time during Australian performances in 1917. Then in 1919, at the height of the Spanish flu epidemic, Cook brought an action against J. C. Williamson over the impact on performers' contracts, caused by their closure of theatres. The action failed. Soon after Cook left Australia for the United States.

Move to the United States

Appearing at the New York Hippodrome from mid-1919 until early 1920, he was reportedly an immediate success - often styled as the "Inja Rubber Idiot" in his early U.S. performances. In 1948 Cook returned to Australia to make contact with his older brother Tom, with whom he had no contact for twelve years.

Later career Like many character players, Cook continued to play small parts into the 1950s, including television (as a London newspaper vendor in "A Ghost for Scotland Yard", a 1953 episode of The Adventures of Superman) and the Joe McDoakes movie comedies. His final film was the John Ford feature Donovan's Reef, made in 1963.

Cook died on August 13, 1984, at his home in Carpinteria, California.

Partial filmography

His Only Chance (1918) Soldiers of Fortune (1919) - (uncredited) Skirts (1921) - Peter Rocks Jr. He Who Gets Slapped (1924) - A Clown (uncredited) So This Is Marriage? (1924) - Mr. Brown Should Sailors Marry? (1925, Short) - Cyril D'Armond What's the World Coming To? (1926, Short) - Claudia, the Blushing Groom / the baby Wandering Papas (1926, Short) - Camp Cook Wife Tamers (1926, Short) - The Butler Miss Nobody (1926) - Bertie The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) - Tex White Gold (1927) - Homer The Brute (1927) - Oklahoma Red The Climbers (1927) - Pancho Mendoza Simple Sis (1927) - Jerry O'Grady Barbed Wire (1927) - Hans The Bush Leaguer (1927) - Skeeter McKinnon A Sailor's Sweetheart (1927) - Sandy McTavish Good Time Charley (1927) - Bill Collins Beware of Married Men (1928) - Botts Domestic Troubles (1928) - James Bullard / Horace Bullard Pay as You Enter (1928) - Clyde Jones Five and Ten Cent Annie (1928) - Elmer Peck The Docks of New York (1928) - 'Sugar' Steve Through the Breakers (1928) - John Lancaster Celebrity (1928) - Circus Beware of Bachelors (1928) - Joe Babbitt Interference (1928) - Hearse Driver The Spieler (1928) - Luke aka 'Perfesser' McIntosh Captain Lash (1929) - Cocky Strong Boy (1929) - Pete A Dangerous Woman (1929) - Tubbs Masquerade (1929) - Blkodgett In the Headlines (1929) - Flashlight The Taming of the Shrew (1929) - Grumio Officer O'Brien (1930) - Limo Lewis Women Everywhere (1930) - Sam Jones The Dude Wrangler (1930) - Pinkey Fripp The Dawn Patrol (1930) - Bott Wings of Adventure (1930) - Pete 'Skeets' Smith Sunny (1930) - Sam The March of Time (1930) - Himself Daybreak (1931) - Josef Never the Twain Shall Meet (1931) - Porter The Secret Witness (1931) - Larson - Building Engineer Blondie of the Follies (1932) - Dancer West of Singapore (1933) - Ricky Oliver Twist (1933) - Chitling Shock (1934) - Hawkins The Informer (1935) - Flash Patron (uncredited) Calm Yourself (1935) - Joe The Bishop Misbehaves (1935) - Mission Patron Leading Search for Frenchy (uncredited) Barbary Coast (1935) - Oakie The White Angel (1936) - Perkins, a Soldier (uncredited) Tugboat Princess (1936) - Steve, the engineer Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937) - Alf Another Dawn (1937) - Sgt. Murphy Wee Willie Winkie (1937) - Pipe Major Sneath Souls at Sea (1937) - Hendry - Coachman (uncredited) Love Under Fire (1937) - Bert One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) - Oscar - Man in Restaurant (uncredited) Lancer Spy (1937) - Orderly (uncredited) Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938) - Constable Sacker Kidnapped (1938) - Cook - Blubber Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938) - Sandwich Man (uncredited) The Storm (1938) - Tailor (uncredited) Storm Over Bengal (1938) - Alf Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939) - Constable Sacker The Little Princess (1939) - Attendant Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police (1939) - Constable Hawkins Bulldog Drummond's Bride (1939) - Traffic Control Constable (uncredited) Pack Up Your Troubles (1939) - British Guard (uncredited) The Light That Failed (1939) - Soldier (uncredited) Wolf of New York (1940) - Jenkins (uncredited) The Sea Hawk (1940) - Walter Boggs Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) - Claude - Harris' Valet (uncredited) Sergeant York (1941) - Cockney Soldier (uncredited) Ladies in Retirement (1941) - Bates Unexpected Uncle (1941) - Johnny's Band Singer (uncredited) Suspicion (1941) - Photographer (uncredited) Klondike Fury (1942) - Yukon This Above All (1942) - Truck Driver (uncredited) Counter-Espionage (1942) - Hot Chestnuts Huckster (uncredited) White Cargo (1942) - Ted - First Mate of the Congo Queen Forever and a Day (1943) - Cabby The Mysterious Doctor (1943) - Herbert (uncredited) The Man from Down Under (1943) - Ginger Gaffney Follow the Boys (1944) - Stooge (uncredited) The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) - Jennings (uncredited) To Each His Own (1946) - Mr. Harkett The Verdict (1946) - Barney Cole Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1947) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) To the Victor (1948) - Cockney Bartender Sword in the Desert (1949) - Sentry (uncredited) When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) - Tarjack (uncredited) Pride of Maryland (1951) - Fred Leach Rogue's March (1953) - Fisherman (uncredited) Loose in London (1953) - English Cabbie The Maze (1953) - Cab Driver (uncredited) Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) - Drunk in Pub (uncredited) Donovan's Reef (1963) - Australian Officer (uncredited) (final film role)