Charles C. 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
- Big Town Scandal as Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited)
- Blazing Across the Pecos as Mayor Ace Brockway
- Crime on Their Hands as J.L. Cameron
1947
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- Meet Mr. Mischief as Harry's Boss
- Key Witness as Warden (uncredited)
1946
- It's a Wonderful Life as Charlie (uncredited)
- Road to Utopia as Official Policeman (uncredited)
- Crime of the Century as Police Lieutenant
- Blonde for a Day as Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
- 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)
- 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)
- Crime by Night as District Attorney Hyatt
- Hey, Rookie as Sam Jonas
1943
- Batman as Captain Arnold
- Silver Spurs as Mr. Hawkins
1942
- Gentleman Jim as Gurney (uncredited)
- This Gun for Hire as Police Captain
- Blondie Goes to College as Police Sergeant
- Rings on Her Fingers
- Lady Gangster as Detective
- 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
- The Man Who Returned to Life as Inspector Mensil
1941
- Meet John Doe as Charlie Dawson
- Out of the Fog
- Broadway Limited as Detective (as Charles Wilson)
- The Face Behind the Mask as Chief O'Brien
- Dressed to Kill as Newspaper Editor
- The Officer and the Lady as Police Captain Hart
- Federal Fugitives as Bruce Lane
1940
- They Drive by Night as Mike Williams (uncredited)
- City for Conquest as Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited)
- Public Deb No. 1 as Sergeant
- He Married His Wife as Warden
- Girl in 313 as Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police
- Knute Rockne All American as Gambler (uncredited)
- Tin Pan Alley as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- Sandy Is a Lady as Sergeant
- Millionaires in Prison as R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited)
- Lady with Red Hair as George Martin (uncredited)
- Gangs of Chicago
- Charter Pilot as Owen
1939
- The Roaring Twenties as Policeman (uncredited)
- The House of Fear as Police Chief
- Invisible Stripes as Arresting Officer (uncredited)
- The Return of Doctor X as Det. Kincaid
- Smashing the Money Ring as Capt. Kilrane
- Rose of Washington Square as Mike Cavanaugh
- The Cowboy Quarterback as Coach Hap Farrell
- Hotel for Women as Albert
- Fighting Thoroughbreds as Spencer Bogart
- Here I Am a Stranger as Managing Editor
1938
- Angels with Dirty Faces
- When Were You Born as Inspector Jim C. Gregg
- Gateway as Inspector
- The Night Hawk as Lonigan
- Sally, Irene and Mary as Covered Wagon Cafe Manager
- State Police as Captain Halstead
- The Spider's Web as Chase
- Little Miss Thoroughbred as Becker
- Prison Farm as Reardon
- Tenth Avenue Kid as Commissioner
- Hold That Co-ed as Coach Burke
1937
- You Only Live Once as Police Inspector (uncredited)
- Night Key as Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited)
- Broadway Melody of 1938 as Horse Auctioneer (uncredited)
- Murder Goes to College as Police Inspector Simpson
- Roaring Timber as Sam Garvin
- The Great O'Malley as Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited)
- Daughter of Shanghai as Schwartz (uncredited)
- The Case of the Stuttering Bishop as Hamilton Burger
- Find the Witness as Charley Blair (uncredited)
- Partners in Crime as Inspector Simpson
- Midnight Court as Police Chief
- The Adventurous Blonde as Mortimer Gray
- One Mile from Heaven as Fletcher
- Woman in Distress as Editor Herbert Claxton
- They Wanted to Marry as Clark
- That’s My Story as Cummings
- Life Begins in College as Tom Burke
1936
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town as County Hospital Guard (uncredited)
- Show Boat
- Satan Met a Lady as Detective Pollock
- Big Brown Eyes as Prosecuting Attorney (Uncredited)
- Murder with Pictures as Assistant Editor (uncredited)
- Grand Jury as City Editor
- The Country Doctor as George the Boat Captain (uncredited)
- Strike Me Pink as Hardie
- I'd Give My Life as Warden
- Earthworm Tractors as H.J. Russell
- 36 Hours to Kill as F.B.I. Chief
- Panic on the Air as Chief Inspector Fitzgerald
- Mind Your Own Business as Detective
- Legion of Terror as Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson)
- The Gentleman from Louisiana as Diamond Jim Brady
- The Magnificent Brute as Murphy
- Down the Stretch as Tex Reardon
- The Mine with the Iron Door as Pitkins
- The Return of Jimmy Valentine as Kelley
1935
- The Glass Key as District Attorney Edward J. Farr
- The Gilded Lily as Managing Editor
- Smart Girl as Morgan (uncredited)
- The Case of the Curious Bride as Ferry Captain (uncredited)
- After the Dance as Chief of Police
- Murder in the Fleet as Commander Brown (Uncredited)
- Show Them No Mercy! as Clifford
- The Nitwits as Police Captain Jennings
- The Public Menace as First Detective
- Waterfront Lady as Jim McFee aka Mac
- We're Only Human as Editor of The Daily Star
- The Case of the Lucky Legs as Police Officer Ricker
- Mary Burns, Fugitive as G-Man at dancehall
- Baby Face Harrington as City Editor (uncredited)
- Car 99 as Trooper Captain Ryan
- Music Is Magic as Decker - Theatre Manager (uncredited)
- Men of the Hour as Harper
- Four Hours to Kill! as Taft
- Hitch Hike Lady as Mike - a Racketeer
- White Lies as Defense Attorney (uncredited)
- The Perfect Clue as District Attorney
- Air Hawks as Newspaper editor
- The Great Hotel Murder as Anthony Wilson
1934
- It Happened One Night as Joe Gordon
- I Believed in You as Magistrate
- Here Is My Heart as Captain Dodge (uncredited)
- The Human Side as Furniture Buyer (uncredited)
- The St. Louis Kid as Mr. Harris
- The Dragon Murder Case as Det. Hennessey
- The Hell Cat as Graham
- Murder in the Clouds as Lackey
- Cross Country Cruise as Detective (Uncredited)
- Fog Over Frisco as Detective Sergeant O'Hagen
- Affairs of a Gentleman as Inspector Quillan
- Men of the Night as Benson
- The Circus Clown as Sheldon
- Embarrassing Moments as Attorney
- Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen as Chief of Police
- Port of Lost Dreams as Warden
- Name the Woman as Joel Walker
- The 9th Guest as Burke (Uncredited)
1933
- Gold Diggers of 1933 as Deputy (uncredited)
- The Kennel Murder Case as Detective Hennessy (uncredited)
- Private Detective 62 as Club Bartender (Uncredited)
- College Coach as Charles Hauser
- Mary Stevens, M.D. as Walter Rising
- Hard to Handle as Jailer (uncredited)
- Female as Private Detective Falihee (Uncredited)
- No Marriage Ties as Red Moran, City Desk Editor
- The Mayor of Hell as Wilson (uncredited)
- Elmer, the Great as Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
- Disgraced! as Thompson, Assistant District Attorney
- Shadows of Sing Sing
- Havana Widows as Mr. Timberg
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
- Lucky Boy ... (Director)
- Broadway Scandals as Jack
- Acquitted as Nelson
- Song of Love as Traveling Salesman