Walter Catlett


Walter Leland Catlett was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards.

Career

Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in San Francisco, California.
He started out in vaudeville, teaming up with Hobart Cavanaugh at some point, with a detour for a while to opera, before breaking into acting.
He debuted on stage in 1906 and made his first Broadway appearance in either The Prince of Pilsen or So Long Letty. His first film appearance was in 1912, but then he went back to the stage and did not return to films until 1929. He performed in operettas and musicals, including The Ziegfeld Follies of 1917, the original production of the Jerome Kern musical Sally and the Gershwins' Lady, Be Good. In the last, he introduced the song "Oh, Lady Be Good!" In 1918, he starred in, stage-managed and rewrote an Oliver Morosco-Elmer Harris-Harry Plani production titled Look Pleasant, playing at the Majestic Theatre in Los Angeles. His antics in the musical Baby Bunting in London in 1922 had King George V laughing "uproariously".
Catlett made a handful of silent film appearances, but his film career did not catch on until the advent of talking pictures allowed moviegoers to experience his full comic repertoire. He starred in a number of 'two-reelers', mostly in the 1930s, some as a comedy duo with Eugene Pallette, for RKO; most were for RKO, but six were for Columbia between 1934 and 1940.
Three of his better remembered roles were as the theatre manager driven to distraction by James Cagney's character in Yankee Doodle Dandy, the local constable who throws the entire cast in jail and winds up there himself in the Howard Hawks classic screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby, and as Morrow, the drunken poet in the restaurant who "knows when been a skunk" and takes Longfellow Deeds on a "bender" in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. He was also widely reported to have been Katharine Hepburn's comedy coach while filming Bringing Up Baby. The New York Times film critic Mordaunt Hall wrote that "This clever comedian runs away with the acting laurels" in Big City Blues. He played John Barsad in the 1935 David O. Selznick production of A Tale of Two Cities, starring Ronald Colman. He also provided the uncredited voice of J. Worthington Foulfellow (a.k.a. Honest John) the Fox, the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1940 animated film Pinocchio. In the 1950s, he appeared in films like Here Comes the Groom, Friendly Persuasion, and Beau James.
For his contributions to the film industry, Catlett was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960, with a motion pictures star located at 1713 Vine Street.

Death

Catlett died of a stroke on November 14, 1960, at the age of 71, in Woodland Hills, California. He was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.

Filmography

Second Youth as John McNabSummer Bachelors as Bachelor No. 1The Music Master as Medicine Show BarkerWhy Leave Home? as ElmerMarried in Hollywood as Joe GlitnerHappy Days as End Man - Minstrel ShowLet's Go Places as Rex WardellThe Big Party as Mr. GoldfarbThe Golden Calf as Master of CeremoniesThe Florodora Girl as De BoerThe Front Page as MurphyHoneymoon Trio as The NuisanceOne Quiet Night Platinum Blonde as BingyMaker of Men as McNeilCock of the Air as Col. WallaceSky Devils as Master of Ceremonies - Canteen Show The Expert as AlIt's Tough to Be Famous as Joseph Craig 'Joe' ChapinBack Street as BakelessOkay, America! as City Editor aka 'Lucille'Big City Blues as Cousin 'Gibby' GibboneyRain as Quartermaster BatesThe Sport Parade as 'Shifty' MorrisonRockabye as Jimmy DunnOlsen's Big Moment as Robert Brewster IIIPrivate Jones as SpiveyPrivate Wives Walter Catlett two-reeler, as WalterHunting Trouble Walter Catlett two-reeler, as WalterCaliente Love Walter Catlett two-reeler, as HarrisonDream Stuff Walter Catlett two-reeler, as Cousin WalterRoad Queen Walter Catlett two-reeler, as Walter KnoxDaddy Knows Best Walter Catlett two-reeler, as Mr. BoyceHusbands' Reunion Walter Catlett two-reeler, as WalterThe Big Fibber Walter Catlett two-reeler, as Walter MooreMeet The Champ Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfSailors Beware Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as SmittyOne Awful Night Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfSo This Is Harris Phil Harris three-reeler co-starring Walter Catlett as himselfMama Loves Papa as Tom WalkerArizona to Broadway as Ned FlynnOnly Yesterday as Barnes Gold Nuggets Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfElmer Steps Out Walter Catlett two-reeler; as ElmerGet Along Little Hubby Walter Catlett two-reeler; as Elmer TuttleThe New Dealers Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfNews Hounds Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfMaking the Rounds Eugene Pallette and Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfThe Fuller Gush Man Walter Catlett two-reeler; as Harry JudsonOld Maid's Mistake Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfUnknown Blonde as Publicity ManThe Captain Hates the Sea as Joe SilversLightning Strikes Twice as GusEvery Night at Eight as Master of CeremoniesThe Affair of Susan as GilbertIn the Sweet Bye and Bye Walter Catlett two-reeler; as ElmerA Tale of Two Cities as BarsadMr. Deeds Goes to Town as Morrow, the PoetWe Went to College as Senator BudgerFollow Your Heart as Joe SheldonCain and Mabel as Jake ShermanFour Days' Wonder as DuffyBanjo on My Knee as Warfield ScottSing Me a Love Song as Mr. Sprague I Loved a Soldier Fibbing Fibbers Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfUpper Cutlets Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfOn the Avenue as Jake DibbleLove Is News as Eddie JohnsonWake Up and Live as Gus AveryLove Under Fire as Tip ConwayVarsity Show as Professor Sylvester BiddleDanger – Love at Work as Uncle AlanEvery Day's a Holiday as Nifty BaileyCome Up Riches Bringing Up Baby as SlocumZaza as MarlardotGoing Places as Franklin DexterExile Express as GusKid Nightingale as Skip DavisStatic in the Attic Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfPinocchio as Honest John Worthington Foulfellow Half a Sinner as Station AttendantPop Always Pays as Tommy LaneComin' Round the Mountain as W.P.A. ClerkSpring Parade as HeadwaiterThe Quarterback as TomLi'l Abner as BarberYou're Next! Walter Catlett two-reeler; as SlocumAlex In Wonderland Walter Catlett two-reeler; as FredBlondes and Blunders Walter Catlett two-reeler; as himselfRemedy for Riches as ClemHoneymoon for Three as WaiterThe Wild Man of Borneo as 'Doc' SkelbyYou're the One as Program DirectorHorror Island as Sergeant McGoonMillion Dollar Baby as Mr. SimpsonHello, Sucker as G. Remington 'Max' ConwayBad Men of Missouri as Mr. PettiboneManpower as Sidney WhippleUnfinished Business as Billy RossSing Another Chorus as Theodore GatesonIt Started with Eve as Doctor HarveySteel Against the Sky as Professor Rupert SampsonWild Bill Hickok Rides as Sylvester W. TwiggStar Spangled Rhythm as WalterMy Gal Sal as Col. TruckeeSyncopation as SpelvinYankee Doodle Dandy as Theatre ManagerMaisie Gets Her Man as JasperGive Out, Sisters as GribbleBetween Us Girls as Desk SergeantHeart of the Golden West as Colonel Silas PopenHow's About It as WhippleThey Got Me Covered as Hotel ManagerHit Parade of 1943 as J. MacClellan DavisCowboy in Manhattan as Ace RobbinsGet Going as Horace DoblemThe West Side Kid as Ramsey FenselFired Wife as Judge AllenHis Butler's Sister as Mortimer KalbUp in Arms as Major BrockHat Check Honey as Tim MartelHer Primitive Man as Hotel ClerkLady, Let's Dance as Timber ApplegatePardon My Rhythm as O'BannionGhost Catchers as Colonel Breckinridge MarshallThree Is a Family as Barney MeekerMy Gal Loves Music as Dr. BilboHi, Beautiful as Gerald BisbeeLake Placid Serenade as Carlton WebbThe Man Who Walked Alone as WigginsI Love a Bandleader as B. Templeton JamesRiverboat Rhythm as Colonel Jeffrey "Smitty" WitherspoonSlightly Scandalous as Mr. WrightI'll Be Yours as Mr. BuckinghamAre You with It? as Jason CarterMr. Reckless as Joel HawkinsThe Boy with Green Hair as The KingHenry, the Rainmaker as Mayor ColtonLeave It to Henry as Mayor ColtonLook for the Silver Lining as himselfDancing in the Dark as Joe BrooksThe Inspector General as Colonel CastineFather Makes Good as Mayor George ColtonFather's Wild Game as Mayor George ColtonFather Takes the Air as Mayor George ColtonHere Comes the Groom as Mr. McGonigleHoneychile as Al MooreDavy Crockett and the River Pirates as Colonel Plug Friendly Persuasion as Professor QuigleyThe Gay Nineties Beau James as Gov. Alfred E. "Al" Smith

Broadway stage credits

So Long Letty Ziegfeld Follies of 1917 Follow the Girl Sally Dear Sir Lady, Be Good Lucky