Wally Maher
Wally Maher was an American actor, primarily on old-time radio; he was also known as the original voice of Tex Avery's cartoon character Screwy Squirrel.
Early years
Maher was born in Cincinnati on August 4, 1908. He was the son of Daniel and Mary Maher, and he had three brothers and two sisters. He dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting.Career
Theater
Maher gained early acting experience with a stock theater company in Cincinnati. His radio debut came when he portrayed Paul Baumer in a production of All Quiet on the Western Front. However, a lack of future acting opportunities led him to pray for divine guidance, and soon after he had another acting opportunity.On Broadway, Maher portrayed Rittenhoff in Every Man for Himself.
Radio
In 1936, he began working on several radio dramas from the West Coast. That same year he had one of his most prominent film performances as the reporter who films the mob attempting to lynch Spencer Tracy's character in MGM's Fury, directed by Fritz Lang.| Program | Role |
| Brenthouse | Lance Dudley |
| Let George Do It | Lieutenant Riley |
| The Lineup | Sergeant Matt Grebb |
| The Main Line | Narrator |
| Michael Shayne | Michael Shayne |
| The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe | Archie Goodwin |
| This Is Judy Jones | Leighton |
| Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou | Wilbur |
Other radio programs on which he appeared included The Whistler, NBC Presents: Short Story, The Eddie Bracken Show, Camel Caravan, Gang Busters, Suspense, Mr. District Attorney, ''Hollywood Showcase, I Love a Mystery, and Junior Miss''.
Maher held offices in the Los Angeles chapter of the American Federation of Radio Artists, including being third vice-president in 1943 and a member of the board in 1945.