Biography

Heavy-set, balding Scottish character actor, in British silent films from 1921. Moved to Hollywood in 1924 to play a succession of butlers, socialites and burgomasters. Had small parts in many a Universal B-movie. Died of a heart attack in his car in the 20th Century Fox Studio parking lot.

[In an interview with Charles Denton on the set of 'Sir Walter Raleigh'. Less than an hour later, he died of a heart attack at the studio] It's a good life, even if you never reach the top. It's rather 1ike gambling, though - all a matter of luck. Sometimes you do very little work and get five or six weeks' pay. I have only three days' work on this one. It just happens that way, but money is money. I was in 'That Hamilton Woman' and 'The Good Earth', if that means anything. It's this British accent of mine. I can't get rid of it, and they're making so many pictures abroad now that there isn't much room for accents in Hollywood any more. You're typed here, you know. I've played an enormous number of butlers. In fact, I've played so many that they won't have me as a butler any longer because everyone has seen me. I've never tried any other kind of work, though. I haven't been clever enough for that. Well, I was 67 last March, so I suppose I will go on the rest of my life.