Charles Cahill Wilson
Born: 1894-07-28 in New York City, New York, USA
Died: 1948-01-07
Known For: Acting
Biography
Charles Cahill Wilson (July 29, 1894 – January 7, 1948) was an American screen and stage actor. He appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the late 1920s to late 1940s. Born in New York City in 1894, the white-haired, burly actor was often typecast as an earnest police officer, newspaper editor or principal. He appeared in over 250 films between 1928 and 1948, mostly playing small supporting roles with a few sentences. Charles Wilson began his acting career at the theatre, including roles in six Broadway plays between 1918 and 1931. In 1928, he directed the Hollywood comedy Lucky Boy (1928), where he also made his film debut. According to the Internet Movie Database, Lucky Boy was Wilson's only film as a director. His most notable role was probably Clark Gable's "wonderfully aggravated" newspaper boss in Frank Capra's comedy It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards in 1935. He was also cast in small roles in other Capra movies such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Shortly before his death, Wilson appeared as the boss of the Three Stooges in the two-reel comedy Crime on Their Hands (1948).
Filmography
1956
- Commotion on the Ocean as J.L. Cameron - Managing Editor (archive footage)
1948
- Blazing Across the Pecos as Mayor Ace Brockway
- Crime on Their Hands as J.L. Cameron
- Big Town Scandal as Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited)
1947
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- Key Witness as Warden (uncredited)
- Meet Mr. Mischief as Harry's Boss
1946
- It's a Wonderful Life as Charlie (uncredited)
- Road to Utopia as Official Policeman (uncredited)
- Blonde for a Day as Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
- Larceny in Her Heart as Chief Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
- Crime of the Century as Police Lieutenant
- Gas House Kids as Inspector Shannon
- Passkey to Danger as Police Sergeant
1945
- Scarlet Street as Watchman (uncredited)
- Week-End at the Waldorf as Hi Johns
- Two O'Clock Courage as Brant - City Editor (uncredited)
- A Gun in His Hand as Chief of Police (uncredited)
1944
- The Missing Juror as Mac Ellis (uncredited)
- Hey, Rookie as Sam Jonas
- Crime by Night as District Attorney Hyatt
1943
- Batman as Captain Arnold
- Silver Spurs as Mr. Hawkins
1942
- This Gun for Hire as Police Captain
- Gentleman Jim as Gurney (uncredited)
- Dr. Broadway as District Attorney McNamara
- Rings on Her Fingers
- Lady Gangster as Detective
- The Man Who Returned to Life as Inspector Mensil
- The Secret Code as Desk Sgt. Cullen
- Blondie Goes to College as Police Sergeant
- Escape from Crime as C.L. Reardon - Managing Editor (as Charles Wilson)
1941
- Meet John Doe as Charlie Dawson
- The Face Behind the Mask as Chief O'Brien
- Dressed to Kill as Newspaper Editor
- Broadway Limited as Detective (as Charles Wilson)
- Out of the Fog
- Federal Fugitives as Bruce Lane
- The Officer and the Lady as Police Captain Hart
1940
- They Drive by Night as Mike Williams (uncredited)
- Knute Rockne All American as Gambler (uncredited)
- City for Conquest as Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited)
- Lady with Red Hair as George Martin (uncredited)
- He Married His Wife as Warden
- Tin Pan Alley as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- Public Deb No. 1 as Sergeant
- Millionaires in Prison as R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited)
- Girl in 313 as Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police
- Gangs of Chicago
- Charter Pilot as Owen
- Sandy Is a Lady as Sergeant
1939
- The Roaring Twenties as Policeman (uncredited)
- Invisible Stripes as Arresting Officer (uncredited)
- The Return of Doctor X as Det. Kincaid
- Rose of Washington Square as Mike Cavanaugh
- Hotel for Women as Albert
- The Cowboy Quarterback as Coach Hap Farrell
- The House of Fear as Police Chief
- Smashing the Money Ring as Capt. Kilrane
- Here I Am a Stranger as Managing Editor
- Fighting Thoroughbreds as Spencer Bogart
1938
- Angels with Dirty Faces
- Sally, Irene and Mary as Covered Wagon Cafe Manager
- The Spider's Web as Chase
- When Were You Born as Inspector Jim C. Gregg
- Prison Farm as Reardon
- Gateway as Inspector
- State Police as Captain Halstead
- Hold That Co-ed as Coach Burke
- Tenth Avenue Kid as Commissioner
- The Night Hawk as Lonigan
- Little Miss Thoroughbred as Becker
1937
- You Only Live Once as Police Inspector (uncredited)
- Night Key as Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited)
- The Great O'Malley as Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited)
- One Mile from Heaven as Fletcher
- Broadway Melody of 1938 as Horse Auctioneer (uncredited)
- Daughter of Shanghai as Schwartz (uncredited)
- The Adventurous Blonde as Mortimer Gray
- That’s My Story as Cummings
- Life Begins in College as Tom Burke
- Find the Witness as Charley Blair (uncredited)
- Midnight Court as Police Chief
- The Case of the Stuttering Bishop as Hamilton Burger
- Partners in Crime as Inspector Simpson
- Woman in Distress as Editor Herbert Claxton
- Roaring Timber as Sam Garvin
- Murder Goes to College as Police Inspector Simpson
- They Wanted to Marry as Clark
1936
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town as County Hospital Guard (uncredited)
- Show Boat
- 36 Hours to Kill as F.B.I. Chief
- Satan Met a Lady as Detective Pollock
- Big Brown Eyes as Prosecuting Attorney (Uncredited)
- Grand Jury as City Editor
- Earthworm Tractors as H.J. Russell
- The Return of Jimmy Valentine as Kelley
- Strike Me Pink as Hardie
- The Country Doctor as George the Boat Captain (uncredited)
- Down the Stretch as Tex Reardon
- Legion of Terror as Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson)
- The Magnificent Brute as Murphy
- Panic on the Air as Chief Inspector Fitzgerald
- Murder with Pictures as Assistant Editor (uncredited)
- Mind Your Own Business as Detective
- The Mine with the Iron Door as Pitkins
- I'd Give My Life as Warden
- The Gentleman from Louisiana as Diamond Jim Brady
1935
- The Gilded Lily as Managing Editor
- Waterfront Lady as Jim McFee aka Mac
- The Glass Key as District Attorney Edward J. Farr
- Mary Burns, Fugitive as G-Man at dancehall
- Music Is Magic as Decker - Theatre Manager (uncredited)
- Air Hawks as Newspaper editor
- We're Only Human as Editor of The Daily Star
- Show Them No Mercy! as Clifford
- Smart Girl as Morgan (uncredited)
- Murder in the Fleet as Commander Brown (Uncredited)
- Car 99 as Trooper Captain Ryan
- After the Dance as Chief of Police
- The Case of the Lucky Legs as Police Officer Ricker
- The Nitwits as Police Captain Jennings
- The Public Menace as First Detective
- Men of the Hour as Harper
- Hitch Hike Lady as Mike - a Racketeer
- Baby Face Harrington as City Editor (uncredited)
- The Case of the Curious Bride as Ferry Captain (uncredited)
- Four Hours to Kill! as Taft
- The Great Hotel Murder as Anthony Wilson
- White Lies as Defense Attorney (uncredited)
- The Perfect Clue as District Attorney
1934
- It Happened One Night as Joe Gordon
- Fog Over Frisco as Detective Sergeant O'Hagen
- The 9th Guest as Burke (Uncredited)
- The Hell Cat as Graham
- Here Is My Heart as Captain Dodge (uncredited)
- Men of the Night as Benson
- I Believed in You as Magistrate
- The Human Side as Furniture Buyer (uncredited)
- The Dragon Murder Case as Det. Hennessey
- Murder in the Clouds as Lackey
- Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen as Chief of Police
- The Circus Clown as Sheldon
- The St. Louis Kid as Mr. Harris
- Name the Woman as Joel Walker
- Embarrassing Moments as Attorney
- Port of Lost Dreams as Warden
- Cross Country Cruise as Detective (Uncredited)
- Affairs of a Gentleman as Inspector Quillan
1933
- Gold Diggers of 1933 as Deputy (uncredited)
- Elmer, the Great as Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
- The Mayor of Hell as Wilson (uncredited)
- The Kennel Murder Case as Detective Hennessy (uncredited)
- Mary Stevens, M.D. as Walter Rising
- Female as Private Detective Falihee (Uncredited)
- Hard to Handle as Jailer (uncredited)
- College Coach as Charles Hauser
- Havana Widows as Mr. Timberg
- Private Detective 62 as Club Bartender (Uncredited)
- Shadows of Sing Sing
- No Marriage Ties as Red Moran, City Desk Editor
- Disgraced! as Thompson, Assistant District Attorney
1932
- The Campus Mystery as Detective Reardon
- The Trans-Atlantic Mystery as Detective Doyle (uncredited)
1931
- Hot News Margie as Newspaper Editor (uncredited)
- My Sin as Guest in Pool Party
- Stolen Heaven as Detective
1930
- Insurance as Doctor (uncredited)
- Getting a Ticket as Motorcycle Cop
1929
- Song of Love as Traveling Salesman
- Acquitted as Nelson
- Lucky Boy ... (Director)
- Broadway Scandals as Jack