Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles.
Biography
Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until around 1890 he worked as a machinist for the Chesapeake Nail Works in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and had little interest in acting.
He soon appeared on stage after leaving school with a walk-on part, but it wasn’t long before he was being given fair-sized roles. He played on Broadway between 1910 and 1929 and was a busy character actor in films during the 1930s and early 1940s. He often portrayed somewhat befuddled judges, doctors, clerks, managers, and jailers.
Charters was married to actress Irene Myers until her death December 22, 1941. He died by suicide from a mix of sleeping pills and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Selected filmography
April Folly (1920) – Dobbs
Number 17 (1920)
Little Old New York (1923) – Bunny
Janice Meredith (1924) – Squire Hennion
Dancing Mothers (1926) – Butter and Egg Man
Whoopee! (1930) – Jerome Underwood
The Bat Whispers (1930) – The Caretaker
Lonely Wives (1931) – Andrews, the Butler
The Front Page (1931) – Woodenshoes
Ex-Bad Boy (1931) – Henry Simmons
Traveling Husbands (1931) – Joe
Palmy Days (1931) – Mr. Clark
Union Depot (1932) – Police Officer Bert Brady (uncredited)
The Heart of New York (1932) – The Doorman (uncredited)
The Famous Ferguson Case (1932) – Fire Chief (uncredited)
The Tenderfoot (1932) – Oscar
Jewel Robbery (1932) – Lenz
Movie Crazy (1932) – J.L. O’Brien
Two Against the World (1932) – John Mulligan – Doorman (uncredited)
Hold ‘Em Jail (1932) – The Governor
The Crooked Circle (1932) – Kinny
Three on a Match (1932) – Street Cleaner (uncredited)
Central Park (1932) – Police Sergeant Riley (uncredited)
20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) – Officer Daniels (uncredited)
The Match King (1932) – Oscar
Broadway Bad (1933) – Lew Gordon (uncredited)
Gabriel Over the White House (1933) – Vice President (uncredited)
So This Is Africa (1933) – Doctor
Song of the Eagle (1933) – Detective ‘Bright Eyes’ (uncredited)
Gambling Ship (1933) – Detective
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) – Sgt. Snitkin (uncredited)
Female (1933) – Tom
From Headquarters (1933) – Teletype Man (uncredited)
Lady Killer (1933) – Los Angeles Cop (uncredited)
Mr. Skitch (1933) – Mr. Umpchay – the Chump (uncredited)
Hips, Hips, Hooray! (1934) – Clark
Caravan (1934) – Flunkey (uncredited)
Fashions of 1934 (1934) – Man Removing Telephone
Wonder Bar (1934) – Pete
Success at Any Price (1934) – Crawford – Architect (uncredited)
The Loudspeaker (1934) – Burroughs
Half a Sinner (1934) – Noel Cunningham
The Circus Clown (1934) – Kingsley
Blind Date (1934) – Pa Taylor
Million Dollar Ransom (1934) – Pop McGarry (uncredited)
The Pursuit of Happiness (1934) – Sam Evans
Wake Up and Dream (1934) – Earl Craft
The St. Louis Kid (1934) – Messeldopp
The Firebird (1934) – Max Bauer – the Porter
It’s a Gift (1934) – Gate Guard
The Ghost Walks (1934) – Guard #1
The Secret Bride (1934) – Second Diner (uncredited)
Romance in Manhattan (1935) – Marriage License Clerk (uncredited)
Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) – Chief Of Police Britt
The Nut Farm (1935) – Sliscomb – the Landlord
Star of Midnight (1935) – Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
Eight Bells (1935) – Walker
Whispering Smith Speaks (1935) – Cal Stone
Alibi Ike (1935) – Minister
Stranded (1935) – Boatman
The Raven (1935) – Geoffrey (Credits) / Col. Bertram Grant
Don’t Bet on Blondes (1935) – Doc
Welcome Home (1935) – Constable Mulhausen
The Gay Deception (1935) – Mr. Mercer – Banker (uncredited)
The Goose and the Gander (1935) – Winkelsteinberger
1,000 Dollars a Minute (1935) – Stevens (uncredited)
In Person (1935) – Parson Calverton Lunk
Don’t Get Personal (1936) – Mr. Charles van Ranseleer
The Preview Murder Mystery (1936) – Watchman
Love on a Bet (1936) – Plaza Ritz Hotel Owner
The Farmer in the Dell (1936) – Milkman
Boulder Dam (1936) – First Sheriff (uncredited)
Colleen (1936) – Doctor Frothingham (uncredited)
Till We Meet Again (1936) – Herr Hoffer
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) – Mal (uncredited)
The Moon’s Our Home (1936) – Abner Simpson
Murder on a Bridle Path (1936) – Warden Sylvester Mahoney
The Harvester (1936) – Stubby Pratt
F-Man (1936) – Sheriff Hank ‘One Gun’ Groder
The Mine with the Iron Door (1936) – Thad Hill
Let’s Sing Again (1936) – (uncredited)
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) – Dr. Bunting, Coroner (uncredited)
The Bride Walks Out (1936) – Marriage Bureau Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Spendthrift (1936) – Col. Barnaby
36 Hours to Kill (1936) – Mr. Hutchins (uncredited)
My American Wife (1936) – Engineer (uncredited)
Back to Nature (1936) – Deputy Sheriff Putney (uncredited)
Postal Inspector (1936) – Grumpy
The Texas Rangers (1936) – Sheriff Jake (uncredited)
Libeled Lady (1936) – Magistrate
All American Chump (1936) – Abiah Smith
Fugitive in the Sky (1936) – Henry Staeger
Four Days’ Wonder (1936) – Gilroy
Banjo on My Knee (1936) – Judge Tope
Career Woman (1936) – Coroner McInery
Lady from Nowhere (1936) – Alexander Scorzo
The Mighty Treve (1937) – Watling
Dangerous Number (1937) – Jeffers Gass – Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
They Wanted to Marry (1937) – Police Turnkey (uncredited)
Waikiki Wedding (1937) – Frame (uncredited)
Girl Loves Boy (1937) – Rufus Boggs
Venus Makes Trouble (1937) – Joel Willard
Pick a Star (1937) – Judge
Fifty Roads to Town (1937) – George Hession
Mountain Music (1937) – Justice of the Peace Sharody
Married Before Breakfast (1937) – Fireman (uncredited)
Ever Since Eve (1937) – Mike – Monteray Tavern Porter (uncredited)
The Emperor’s Candlesticks (1937) – Usher (uncredited)
She Had to Eat (1937) – Alf Franklin (uncredited)
Make a Wish (1937) – Station Agent
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) – Railroad Porter (uncredited)
Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937) – Uncle
Back in Circulation (1937) – The Sheriff
Behind the Mike (1937) – Pete Jones
Danger – Love at Work (1937) – Hick
The Perfect Specimen (1937) – Stationmaster (uncredited)
The Hurricane (1937) – Judge (uncredited)
Big Town Girl (1937) – Isaiah Wickenback
Checkers (1937) – Zeb
Lady Behave! (1937) – Innkeeper
Wells Fargo (1937) – Jethro – Old Confederate (uncredited)
The Bad Man of Brimstone (1937) – Rufus Odlum (uncredited)
In Old Chicago (1938) – Commissioner W.J. Beavers
The Jury’s Secret (1938) – Old Man (uncredited)
Mr. Boggs Steps Out (1938) – Angus Tubbs
Forbidden Valley (1938) – Dr. Scudd
Joy of Living (1938) – Magistrate
Vivacious Lady (1938) – Henpecked Husband Shaving on Train (uncredited)
Crime School (1938) – Old Doctor
One Wild Night (1938) – Lem Halliday
Three Comrades (1938) – Herr Schultz (uncredited)
Three Blind Mice (1938) – Hendricks
Professor Beware (1938) – Sheriff Henry Sweatt (uncredited)
Four’s a Crowd (1938) – Charlie (uncredited)
Mr. Chump (1938) – Mr. Koeper
The Texans (1938) – Chairman (uncredited)
The Road to Reno (1938) – The Judge
Valley of the Giants (1938) – Fireman #1 (uncredited)
Breaking the Ice (1938) – Farmer Smith
Stablemates (1938) – Choirmaster (uncredited)
Five of a Kind (1938) – Rev. Matthew Brand
Spring Madness (1938) – Police Chief (uncredited)
Strange Faces (1938) – Mason City Sheriff
The Law West of Tombstone (1938) – El Paso Judge Tom Moseby (uncredited)
Topper Takes a Trip (1938) – Judge
Jesse James (1939) – Minister
Boy Trouble (1939) – Grocer Bradley
St. Louis Blues (1939) – Judge (uncredited)
Woman Doctor (1939) – Veterinarian
Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939) – Angus Dibble
Inside Story (1939) – Uncle Ben Perkins
I’m from Missouri (1939) – Charley Shook, Mule Breeder
They Made Her a Spy (1939) – Lucius
Dodge City (1939) – Reverend (uncredited)
The Lady and the Mob (1939) – Flanagan – Bank Guard (uncredited)
The Flying Irishman (1939) – Mr. Smedley (uncredited)
Hotel Imperial (1939) – Visoff (uncredited)
The Kid from Texas (1939) – Deputy Sheriff Serving Attachment Papers (uncredited)
Women in the Wind (1939) – Farmer
They Asked for It (1939) – Chief Lawson
Unmarried (1939) – Judge (uncredited)
Exile Express (1939) – Justice of the Peace Henry P. Smith
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) – Judge Herbert A. Bell
Unexpected Father (1939) – Magistrate
Second Fiddle (1939) – Joe Clayton
In Name Only (1939) – Gardener
The Under-Pup (1939) – Druggist
Dust Be My Destiny (1939) – F.W. Jennson – Jailer (uncredited)
No Place to Go (1939) – Old Soldier (uncredited)
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) – Innkeeper
The Covered Trailer (1939) – Sheriff
Two Thoroughbreds (1939) – Doc Purdy
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) – Court Clerk
The Oklahoma Kid (1939) – (uncredited)
Remember the Night (1940) – Judge at Rummage Sale
He Married His Wife (1940) – Mayer
Virginia City (1940) – Sazerac Saloon Bartender (uncredited)
The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940) – Henry Quinn – Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Alias the Deacon (1940) – Sheriff Yates
Our Town (1940) – Constable Warren
Lucky Cisco Kid (1940) – Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Three Faces West (1940) – Dr. ‘Nunk’ Atterbury
Maryland (1940) – Judge
Girl from God’s Country (1940) – Dealer
The Boys from Syracuse (1940) – Turnkey
The Golden Fleecing (1940) – Reuben – Justice of Peace
Calling All Husbands (1940) – Station Agent (uncredited)
Blondie Plays Cupid (1940) – Uncle Abner
Friendly Neighbors (1940) – Bumblebee Hibbs
Meet the Missus (1940) – Grandpa
She Couldn’t Say No (1940) – Hank Woodcock
Santa Fe Trail (1940) – Conductor
Kitty Foyle (1940) – Father (scenes deleted)
So Ends Our Night (1941) – Swiss Policeman
High Sierra (1941) – Ed
Petticoat Politics (1941) – Grandpa
Tobacco Road (1941) – County Clerk
The Lady from Cheyenne (1941) – Dr. McGuinness
The Singing Hill (1941) – Judge Henry Starrbottle
Moon Over Miami (1941) – Postman
Bad Men of Missouri (1941) – Clem (uncredited)
Hold That Ghost (1941) – Storekeeper (uncredited)
Man at Large (1941) – Mr. Gallon
They Died with Their Boots On (1941) – Station Master (uncredited)
Look Who’s Laughing (1941) – Motel Manager
Glamour Boy (1941) – Hillbilly Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case (1941) – Judge White
Bedtime Story (1941) – Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Pacific Blackout (1941) – Cornelius–Garage Night Watchman
Right to the Heart (1942) – Jonah
The Remarkable Andrew (1942) – Dr. Clarence Upjohn
The Night Before the Divorce (1942) – Small Town Judge
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine (1942) – Cheevers Snow
Dr. Broadway (1942) – Oscar Titus
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – Colony Opera House Stage Manager (uncredited)
Juke Girl (1942) – Keeno
Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942) – Judge Fred Horgan
The Postman Didn’t Ring (1942) – Judge Ben Holt
The Pride of the Yankees (1942) – Mr. Larsen (uncredited)
Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942) – Sheriff
Silver Queen (1942) – Doc Stonebraker
Slightly Dangerous (1943) – Claudius Swade – Owner of Motel (uncredited)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) – Marriage License Clerk (uncredited)
External Links
Actor Spencer Charters – Wikipedia
