| Chester
Morris
1901
- 1970 |
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The actor Chester Morris grew up in an artistic family. His mother
was the comedian Etta Hawkins, his father William Morris was an actor,
also his brother Adrian Morris (1907-1941). His brother Gordon Morris (1898-1940)
was an author.
He began his film career already in the silent movie era but only in
the 30's and 40's he became a big star.
He made his stage debut in 1917 on Broadway in Lionel Barrymore's play
"The Copperhead", he also made his film debut in the same years with "An
Amateur Orphan" (17). It followed the silent movies "The Beloved Traitor"
(18) and "The Road to Yesterday" (25) before he was nominated for an Oscar
for his first talky "Alibi" (29).
His breakthrough came in the 30's where he impersonated often tough
fellows. To his well-known movies of those years belong "The Divorcee"
(30), "The Big House" (30), "Red-Headed Woman" (32), "Infernal Machine"
(33), "Public Hero #1" (35), "Three Godfathers" (36), "Frankie and Johnnie"
(36), "Counterfeit" (36), "Sky Giant" (38) and "Blind Alley" (39).
He achieved huge popularity in the 40's with his role Boston Blackie"
Black. He impersonated this character in more than a dozen movies and was
able to live up his love doing careful carried out masquerades and to demonstrate
his dexterity.
He appeared among others in in the productions "Wagons Westward" (40),
"Meet Boston Blackie" (41), "Wrecking Crew" (42), "High Explosive" (43),
"Secret Command" (44), "One Way to Love" (46), "The Phantom Thief" (46),
"Blind Spot" (47) and "Bostson Blackie's Chinese Venture" (49).
The expressive actor usually appeared in TV productions from the 50's,
normally in single episodes of successful serials.
To these serials belong "Suspense: Black Panther" (52), "Danger: Death
Pulls the Strings" (52), "Frontier Justice: Black Is for Grief" (59), "Naked
City: Make-Believe Man" (61), "Route 66: Child of a Night" (64), "Dr. Kildare:
Dolly's Dilemma" (64) and "Cimarron Strip: Without Honor" (68).
He only appeared seldom on the big screen in those years, e.g. in "Unchained"
(55) and "The She-Creature" (56).
He didn't live to see the first night of his last picture "The Great
White Hope" (70) with James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander. Chester Morris
died in 1970 because of a barbiturate overdose.
Other movies with Chester Morris:
Loyal Lives (23) Fast Life (29)
Woman Trap (29) The Show of Shows (29) Second Choice (30) She Couln't Say
No (30) Playing Around (30) The Case of Sergeant Grischa (30) The Bat Whispers
(30) Corsair (31) Cock of the Air (32) The Miracle Man (32) Sinners in
the Sun (32) Breach of Primise (32) Blondie Johnson (33) Tomorrow at Seven
(33) Golden Harvest (33) King for a Night (33) Let's Talk It Over (34)
Gift of Gab (34) Embarrassing Moments (34) The Gay Bride (34) I've Been
Around (34) Society Doctor (35) Princess O'Hara (35) Pursuit (35) Moonlight
Murder (36) They Met in a Taxi (36) The Devil's Playground (37) I Promise
to Pay (37) Flight From Glory (37) Law of the Underworld (38) Smashing
the Rackets (38) Pacific Liner (38) Five Came Back (39) Thunder Afloat
(39) The Marines Fly High (40) Girl from God's Country (40) No Hands on
the Clock (41) Confessions of Boston Blackie (41) Canal Zone (42) Alias
Boston Blackie (42) I Live on Danger (42) Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood
(42) After Midnight with Boston Blackie (43) Aerial Gunner (43) The Chance
of a Lifetime (43) Tornado (43) Gambler's Choice (44) One Mysterious Night
(44) Double Exposure (44) Rough, Tough and Ready (45) Boston Blackie Booked
on Suspicion (45) Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (45) A Close Call for Boston
Blackie (46) Boston Blackie and the Law (46) Trapped by Boston Blackie
(48) Serie "Cameo Theatre: The Great Merlini" (50) Serie "Starlight Theatre:
Act of God Nonwithstanding" (51) Serie "Danger: The Undertaker Calls" (51)
Serie "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars: Billy Budd" (52) Serie "Tales of Tomorrow:
The Exile" (52) Serie "Lights Out: The Intruder" (52) Serie "Lux Video
Theatre: Welcome Home, Lefty" (52) Serie "Tales of Tomorrow: The Glacier
Giant" (52) Serie "Robert Montgomery Presents: The Law-Abiding" (52) Serie
"Robert Montgomery Presents: The Big Night" (53) Serie "Kraft Television
Theatre: Final Edition" (53) Serie "Suspense: Point Blank" (53) Serie "Danger:
Towerman" (53) Serie "The Web: Rock-Bound" (54) Serie "Robert Montgomery
Presents: The Greatest Man in the World" (53) Serie "The Philip Morris
Playhouse: Walk in the Night" (54) Serie "Studio One: Jack Sperling; Forty-six"
(54) Serie "Studion One: The Death and Life of Larry Benson" (54) Serie
"Studio One: Blow Up at Cortland" (55) Serie "Appointment with Adventure:
Time Bomb" (55) Unchained (55) The She-Creature (56) Serie "Kraft Television
Theatre: Time Lock" (56) Serie "Studio One: The Arena" (56) Serie "Zane
Grey Theatre: Black Is for Grief" (57) Serie "Kraft Television Theatre:
Man of Prey" (57) Serie "Playhouse 90: Child of Trouble" (57) Serie "Oldsmobile
Music Theatre: Too Bad About Sheila Troy" (59) Serie "The United States
Steel Hour: Whisper of Evil" (59)Serie "Rawhide: Incident on the Road to
Yesterday" (60) Serie "Diagnoses: Unknown" (60) A String of Beads (61)
Serie "Checkmate: Portrait of a Man Running" (61) Serie "Ben Casey: An
Expensive Glass of Water" (61) Serie "The Defenders: The Empty Chute" (62)
Serie "Alcoa Premiere: The Contenders" (62) Serie "The Eleventh Hour: AlongAbout
Late in the Afternoon" (62) Serie "The Defenders: The Bagman" (63) Serie
"Alcoa Premiere: The Glass Palace" (63) Serie "Route 66: Soda Pop and Paper
Flags" (63) Serie "East Side/West Side: The Name of the Game" (64) Serie
"Espionage: Castles in Spain" (64) Serie "Kraft Suspense Theatre: Knight's
Gambit" (64) Serie "Suspense: The Hunger" (64) Serie "Mr. Broadway: Don't
Mention My Name in Sheboygan" (64) Serie "The Defenders: A Matter of Law
and Disorder" (65) Serie "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre: The Fliers"
(65) Serie "Coronet Blue: A Time to Be Born, a Time to Die" (67) Serie
"Gentle Ben: Busman's Holiday" (69) |
