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