Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television.
Early years
Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University of California.
Career
Erwin began acting in college in the 1920s, having first appeared on stage. From there, he acted in stock theater in Los Angeles.
Film career
He broke into films in 1928 in Mother Knows Best. In 1934, he was cast as Joe Palooka in the film Palooka. In 1932, he co-starred with Bing Crosby in the comedy The Big Broadcast, where he played Texas oil tycoon Leslie McWhinney. In 1936, he was cast in Pigskin Parade, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1940, he played Howie Newsome, the dairy delivery vendor, in the film adaptation of Our Town, based on the Thornton Wilder play.
In Walt Disney’s Bambi, Erwin performed the voice of a tree squirrel.
Later, Erwin appeared in the Disney films Son of Flubber and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones.
Radio career
In 1946, Erwin starred in Phone Again Finnegan on CBS. He played an apartment house manager in the comedy-drama.
He also played various roles on Theater Guild on the Air, Lux Radio Theatre, The Old Gold Radio Theatre and Cavalcade of America.
Television career
In 1950, Erwin made the transition to television, in which he starred in Trouble with Father,:1109 which was retitled The Stu Erwin Show, with his co-star and real-life wife June Collyer. In 1963–1964, he played Otto King on The Greatest Show on Earth.
Erwin guest-starred on Crossroads, Angel, Bonanza, The Donna Reed Show, Straightaway, and Our Man Higgins.
Erwin made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of murderer Clem P. “Sandy” Sandover in the 1962 episode “The Case of the Double-Entry Mind” and murderer Everett Stanton in the 1964 episode “The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor”.
Erwin guest-starred on Father Knows Best in the episode titled “Family Contest” in the role of Mr. Hensley and on The Andy Griffith Show, season 1, episode 8, portraying Tom Silby who was presumed dead, but returned to town after a two-year absence.
Personal life
Erwin married actress June Collyer on July 22, 1931, in Yuma, Arizona.
Death
Erwin died of a heart attack on December 21, 1967 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California at age 64 and was interred at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.
Recognition
Erwin has a star at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in the Television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.
Partial filmography
Mother Knows Best (1928) – Ben
New Year’s Eve (1929) – Landlady’s Son
Speakeasy (1929) – Cy Williams
Thru Different Eyes (1929) – Reporter
The Exalted Flapper (1929) – Bimbo Mehaffey
Dangerous Curves (1929) – Rotarian
The Sophomore (1929) – Radio Broadcast Technician (uncredited)
Happy Days (1929) – Jig
The Cock-Eyed World (1929) – Buckley
Sweetie (1929) – Axel Bronstrup
The Trespasser (1929) – Reporter (uncredited)
This Thing Called Love (1929) – Fred
Men Without Women (1930) – Radioman Jenkins
Young Eagles (1930) – Pudge Higgins
Paramount on Parade (1930) – Marine (The Montmartre Girl)
Dangerous Nan McGrew (1930) – Eustace Macy
Love Among the Millionaires (1930) – Clicker Watson
Playboy of Paris (1930) – Paul Michel
Only Saps Work (1930) – Oscar
Along Came Youth (1930) – Ambrose
No Limit (1931) – Ole Olson
Dude Ranch (1931) – Chester Carr
Up Pops the Devil (1931) – Stranger
The Magnificent Lie (1931) – Elmer Graham
Working Girls (1931) – Pat Kelly
Two Kinds of Women (1932) – Hauser
Strangers in Love (1932) – Stan Kenney
Misleading Lady (1932) – Boney
Make Me a Star (1932) – Merton Gill
The Big Broadcast (1932) – Leslie McWhinney
Face in the Sky (1933) – Lucky
The Crime of the Century (1933) – Dan McKee
He Learned About Women (1933) – Peter Potter Kendall II
Under the Tonto Rim (1933) – ‘Tonto’ Daily
International House (1933) – Tommy Nash
Hold Your Man (1933) – Al Simpson
The Stranger’s Return (1933) – Simon Bates
Before Dawn (1933) – Dwight Wilson
Day of Reckoning (1933) – Jerry
Going Hollywood (1933) – Ernest P. Baker
Palooka (1934) – Joe Palooka
Viva Villa! (1934) – Jonny Sykes
Bachelor Bait (1934) – Mr. William Watts
The Party’s Over (1934)
Chained (1934) – John L. ‘Johnnie’ Smith
Have a Heart (1934) – Gus Anderson
The Band Plays On (1934) – Stuffy Wilson
After Office Hours (1935) – Hank Parr
Ceiling Zero (1936) – Texas Clarke
Exclusive Story (1936) – Timothy Aloysius Higgins
Absolute Quiet (1936) – ‘Chubby’ Rudd
Women Are Trouble (1936) – Matt Casey
All American Chump (1936) – Elmer Lamb
Pigskin Parade (1936) – Amos Dodd
Slim (1937) – Stumpy
Dance Charlie Dance (1937) – Andrew ‘Andy’ Tucker
Small Town Boy (1937) – Henry Armstrong
Sunday Night at the Trocadero (1937)
Second Honeymoon (1937) – Leo MacTavish
I’ll Take Romance (1937) – ‘Pancho’ Brown
Checkers (1937) – Edgar Connell
Mr. Boggs Steps Out (1938) – Oliver Boggs
Three Blind Mice (1938) – Mike Brophy
Passport Husband (1938) – Henry Cabot
Back Door to Heaven (1939) – Jud Mason
It Could Happen to You (1939) – Mackinley Winslow
Hollywood Cavalcade (1939) – Pete Tinney
The Honeymoon’s Over (1939) – Donald Todd
Our Town (1940) – Howie Newsome
When the Daltons Rode (1940) – Ben Dalton
A Little Bit of Heaven (1940) – Cotton
Sandy Gets Her Man (1940) – Bill Kerry
Cracked Nuts (1941) – Lawrence Trent
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) – Tommy Keenan
The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942) – Joe Dawson
Drums of the Congo (1942) – Congo Jack
Blondie for Victory (1942) – Pvt. Herschel Smith
He Hired the Boss (1943) – Hubert Wilkins
The Great Mike (1944) – Jay Spencer
Pillow to Post (1945) – Captain Jack Ross
Killer Dill (1947) – Johnny ‘Killer’ Dill
Heaven Only Knows (1947) – Sheriff Matt Bodine
Heading for Heaven (1947) – Henry Elkins
Doctor Jim (1947) – Dr. James (Jim) Gateson
Strike It Rich (1948) – Delbart Lane
Father Is a Bachelor (1950) – Constable Pudge Barnham
Main Street to Broadway (1953) – Stuart Erwin – First Nighter (uncredited)
For the Love of Mike (1960) – Dr. Mills
Son of Flubber (1963) – Coach Wilson
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) – Police Captain Loomis
Biography portal
California portal
Theatre portal
Film portal
Television portal
External Links
Actor Stuart Erwin – Wikipedia
