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Charles C. Wilson

Charles C. Wilson

Born: 1894-07-28 • New York City, New York, USA

Charles Cahill Wilson (July 29, 1894 – January 7, 1948) was an American screen and stage actor. He appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the late 1920s to late 1940s. Born in New York City in 1894, the white-haired, burly actor was often typecast as an earnest police officer, newspaper editor or principal. He appeared in over 250 films between 1928 and 1948, mostly playing small supporting roles with a few sentences. Charles Wilson began his acting career at the theatre, including roles in six Broadway plays between 1918 and 1931. In 1928, he directed the Hollywood comedy Lucky Boy (1928), where he also made his film debut. According to the Internet Movie Database, Lucky Boy was Wilson's only film as a director.

His most notable role was probably Clark Gable's "wonderfully aggravated" newspaper boss in Frank Capra's comedy It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards in 1935. He was also cast in small roles in other Capra movies such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Shortly before his death, Wilson appeared as the boss of the Three Stooges in the two-reel comedy Crime on Their Hands (1948).

Filmography
Commotion on the Ocean poster
Commotion on the Ocean
1956 • J.L. Cameron - Managing Editor (archive footage)
Crime on Their Hands poster
Crime on Their Hands
1948 • J.L. Cameron
Blazing Across the Pecos poster
Blazing Across the Pecos
1948 • Mayor Ace Brockway
Big Town Scandal poster
Big Town Scandal
1948 • Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited)
Key Witness poster
Key Witness
1947 • Warden (uncredited)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty poster
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
1947 • Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
No Image
Meet Mr. Mischief
1947 • Harry's Boss
It's a Wonderful Life poster
It's a Wonderful Life
1946 • Charlie (uncredited)
Gas House Kids poster
Gas House Kids
1946 • Inspector Shannon
Blonde for a Day poster
Blonde for a Day
1946 • Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
Larceny in Her Heart poster
Larceny in Her Heart
1946 • Chief Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
Passkey to Danger poster
Passkey to Danger
1946 • Police Sergeant
Crime of the Century poster
Crime of the Century
1946 • Police Lieutenant
Road to Utopia poster
Road to Utopia
1946 • Official Policeman (uncredited)
Scarlet Street poster
Scarlet Street
1945 • Watchman (uncredited)
Week-End at the Waldorf poster
Week-End at the Waldorf
1945 • Hi Johns
A Gun in His Hand poster
A Gun in His Hand
1945 • Chief of Police (uncredited)
Two O'Clock Courage poster
Two O'Clock Courage
1945 • Brant - City Editor (uncredited)
The Missing Juror poster
The Missing Juror
1944 • Mac Ellis (uncredited)
Crime by Night poster
Crime by Night
1944 • District Attorney Hyatt
Hey, Rookie poster
Hey, Rookie
1944 • Sam Jonas
Silver Spurs poster
Silver Spurs
1943 • Mr. Hawkins
Batman poster
Batman
1943 • Captain Arnold
Gentleman Jim poster
Gentleman Jim
1942 • Gurney (uncredited)
The Secret Code poster
The Secret Code
1942 • Desk Sgt. Cullen
Escape from Crime poster
Escape from Crime
1942 • C.L. Reardon - Managing Editor (as Charles Wilson)
Dr. Broadway poster
Dr. Broadway
1942 • District Attorney McNamara
This Gun for Hire poster
This Gun for Hire
1942 • Police Captain
Lady Gangster poster
Lady Gangster
1942 • Detective
Rings on Her Fingers poster
Rings on Her Fingers
1942
The Man Who Returned to Life poster
The Man Who Returned to Life
1942 • Inspector Mensil
Blondie Goes to College poster
Blondie Goes to College
1942 • Police Sergeant
The Officer and the Lady poster
The Officer and the Lady
1941 • Police Captain Hart
Dressed to Kill poster
Dressed to Kill
1941 • Newspaper Editor
Out of the Fog poster
Out of the Fog
1941
Broadway Limited poster
Broadway Limited
1941 • Detective (as Charles Wilson)
Federal Fugitives poster
Federal Fugitives
1941 • Bruce Lane
Meet John Doe poster
Meet John Doe
1941 • Charlie Dawson
The Face Behind the Mask poster
The Face Behind the Mask
1941 • Chief O'Brien
Charter Pilot poster
Charter Pilot
1940 • Owen
Lady with Red Hair poster
Lady with Red Hair
1940 • George Martin (uncredited)
Tin Pan Alley poster
Tin Pan Alley
1940 • Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Knute Rockne All American poster
Knute Rockne All American
1940 • Gambler (uncredited)
City for Conquest poster
City for Conquest
1940 • Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited)
Public Deb No. 1 poster
Public Deb No. 1
1940 • Sergeant
They Drive by Night poster
They Drive by Night
1940 • Mike Williams (uncredited)
Millionaires in Prison poster
Millionaires in Prison
1940 • R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited)
Girl in 313 poster
Girl in 313
1940 • Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police
Sandy Is a Lady poster
Sandy Is a Lady
1940 • Sergeant
Gangs of Chicago poster
Gangs of Chicago
1940
He Married His Wife poster
He Married His Wife
1940 • Warden
Invisible Stripes poster
Invisible Stripes
1939 • Arresting Officer (uncredited)
The Return of Doctor X poster
The Return of Doctor X
1939 • Det. Kincaid
The Roaring Twenties poster
The Roaring Twenties
1939 • Policeman (uncredited)
Smashing the Money Ring poster
Smashing the Money Ring
1939 • Capt. Kilrane
Here I Am a Stranger poster
Here I Am a Stranger
1939 • Managing Editor
Hotel for Women poster
Hotel for Women
1939 • Albert
The Cowboy Quarterback poster
The Cowboy Quarterback
1939 • Coach Hap Farrell
The House of Fear poster
The House of Fear
1939 • Police Chief
Rose of Washington Square poster
Rose of Washington Square
1939 • Mike Cavanaugh
No Image
Fighting Thoroughbreds
1939 • Spencer Bogart
Angels with Dirty Faces poster
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938
The Spider's Web poster
The Spider's Web
1938 • Chase
The Night Hawk poster
The Night Hawk
1938 • Lonigan
Hold That Co-ed poster
Hold That Co-ed
1938 • Coach Burke
Tenth Avenue Kid poster
Tenth Avenue Kid
1938 • Commissioner
Gateway poster
Gateway
1938 • Inspector
When Were You Born poster
When Were You Born
1938 • Inspector Jim C. Gregg
Prison Farm poster
Prison Farm
1938 • Reardon
Little Miss Thoroughbred poster
Little Miss Thoroughbred
1938 • Becker
State Police poster
State Police
1938 • Captain Halstead
Sally, Irene and Mary poster
Sally, Irene and Mary
1938 • Covered Wagon Cafe Manager
Daughter of Shanghai poster
Daughter of Shanghai
1937 • Schwartz (uncredited)
The Adventurous Blonde poster
The Adventurous Blonde
1937 • Mortimer Gray
Partners in Crime poster
Partners in Crime
1937 • Inspector Simpson
Life Begins in College poster
Life Begins in College
1937 • Tom Burke
Broadway Melody of 1938 poster
Broadway Melody of 1938
1937 • Horse Auctioneer (uncredited)
One Mile from Heaven poster
One Mile from Heaven
1937 • Fletcher
Roaring Timber poster
Roaring Timber
1937 • Sam Garvin
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop poster
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
1937 • Hamilton Burger
Night Key poster
Night Key
1937 • Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited)
Midnight Court poster
Midnight Court
1937 • Police Chief
Murder Goes to College poster
Murder Goes to College
1937 • Police Inspector Simpson
The Great O'Malley poster
The Great O'Malley
1937 • Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited)
They Wanted to Marry poster
They Wanted to Marry
1937 • Clark
You Only Live Once poster
You Only Live Once
1937 • Police Inspector (uncredited)
Woman in Distress poster
Woman in Distress
1937 • Editor Herbert Claxton
Find the Witness poster
Find the Witness
1937 • Charley Blair (uncredited)
Mind Your Own Business poster
Mind Your Own Business
1936 • Detective
Legion of Terror poster
Legion of Terror
1936 • Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson)
The Magnificent Brute poster
The Magnificent Brute
1936 • Murphy
Murder with Pictures poster
Murder with Pictures
1936 • Assistant Editor (uncredited)
Down the Stretch poster
Down the Stretch
1936 • Tex Reardon
The Gentleman from Louisiana poster
The Gentleman from Louisiana
1936 • Diamond Jim Brady
No Image
I'd Give My Life
1936 • Warden
Grand Jury poster
Grand Jury
1936 • City Editor
Earthworm Tractors poster
Earthworm Tractors
1936 • H.J. Russell
36 Hours to Kill poster
36 Hours to Kill
1936 • F.B.I. Chief
Satan Met a Lady poster
Satan Met a Lady
1936 • Detective Pollock
Show Boat poster
Show Boat
1936