Eugene Pallette

The great, rotund, frog-voiced character actor Eugene Pallette was born to theatrical parents, on July 8, 1889 (*In August of 2005, I got an email from a G. Painter. He wrote, "Mr. Strong: I have a copy of Eugene Pallette's 1911 Oregon voter registration card. He gave his age as 25 when he registered, indicating that he may have been three years older than shown in official biographies.") in Winfield, Kansas. Having previously trouped as a child and worked as a streetcar conductor and a jockey, in 1910 Pallette became a touring stock company performer again, entering films as an extra and working his way to lead roles in one- and two-reel adventure films and westerns in less than a month. His film debut was in a 1910 short subject. In 1913 he made at least fifteen films -- the earliest of which appears to have been The Tattooed Arm.

At this time he was a thin, relatively attractive leading man -- this standing lasting through the teens. Pallette appeared in many landmark silent films, including major spectacles for D.W. Griffith, such as Birth of a Nation, Tarzan of the Apes (with Elmo Lincoln), and Terror Island (with Harry Houdini). His most famous pre-1920 performance was as the dashing leading man, Prosper Latour, in the French sequences of the four-part Griffith's epic Intolerance (1916).

Pallette took a break during World War I to serve in the military. There are two theories as to what happened when he returned. Either he came back to films around 1920, but was too fat for leading roles -- or he came back and found that younger, more attractive leading men had taken his place -- at which point he (purposely?) gained weight for character parts.

He had still enjoyed a few good supporting parts, such as the role of Aramis in the Douglas Fairbanks' Three Musketeers (1921 ), but his rather bland features consigned him to bits until he decided to make himself conspicuous by gaining weight. Eventually clocking in at 300 pounds, Pallette was suddenly much in demand as a character actor.

The great Eugene Pallette (1889-1954) with Robert Donat (1905-1958) in Rene Clair's (1898-1981) The Ghost Goes West (1935).

He was easily recognizable and was in much demand for supporting roles. He appeared in The Wolf Man with John Gilbert (1924) and Mantrap with Clara Bow (1926). In 1927, he signed with Hal Roach Studios, where work as a comedy foil was plentiful. In 1927 alone he appeared in three Laurel and Hardy films -- Sugar Daddies, The Second Hundred Years and the classic Battle of the Century. In 1931 he appeared with Laurel and Hardy in The Stolen Jools, a promotional film for the National Variety Artists to raise funds for tuberculosis research.

In 1929 Pallette played Sergeant Heath in the Philo Vance mysteries The Greene Murder Case and The Canary Murder Case, opposite William Powell as Vance. This gig continued through 1934 and three more cases: The Benson Murder Case (1930), The Kennel Murder Case (1933), and The Dragon Murder Case (1934). Also in 1929, Pallette was Honey Wiggin in The Virginian starring Gary Cooper.

The talkies catapulted Pallette back to prominence. He was the Duke of Bilgewater in Huckleberry Finn (1931), Sam Salt in Shanghai Express (1932), Bette Davis' boorish husband in Bordertown (1935), the sheriff in John Ford's Steamboat Round the Bend (1935). His distinctive deep croaking voice and round, stout figure made the actor a natural for detective, promoter, con man, and "boss" roles.

In films like My Man Godfrey (1936), Rene Clair's The Ghost Goes West (1937), Sturges' The Lady Eve (1941) and Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait (1943), Pallette became a comedy fixture in the recurring role of a self-made millionaire who either can't understand the lunacy of the people around him, or who can't seem to get anyone to pay attention to him until he has some kind of a tantrum.

Capable in both authoritarian and farcical roles, Pallette enjoyed a remarkably prolific career, appearing in hundreds of films through the 1940s. He co-starred with Shirley Temple in Stowaway (1935), and with Cary Grant in Topper (1937); he was brilliant as Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938); he was Chick McGann in Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Fray Felipe in The Mark of Zorro (1940); and marvellous as the quintessential ex-jock in The Male Animal (1942).

Reportedly, after World War II his ultra-right-wing political views fuelled a "bomb" paranoia, and he bought a property in Oregon which he turned into a well-stocked compound in case the Russians attacked. Many of his old Hollywood friends, including Clark Gable, visited him there (some came to hunt and fish) but the property was later sold.

According to the IMDb Pallette was married twice, to Phyllis Gordon (they later divorced) and Marjorie Cagnacci, whom it seems he married in September of 1932. The IMDb also lists his height as 5' 9". He made a total of well over 230 films. Some sources list his last film appearance as being in Errol Flynn's Silver River (Warner Bros., 1948). Others claim it was Suspense (1946). Pallette apparently retired after making Silver River (or Suspense), when illness compelled him to retire. He died of cancer a few years later in Los Angeles on September 3, 1954.

Here's a great essay on "Warner Brothers' Fat Men" (mainly Pallette and Greenstreet) by Dana Gioia. This was originally published in a very cool book, O.K. You Mugs: Writers on Movie Actors, Edited by Luc Sante and Melissa Holbrook Pierson, 1999.

Here's an obit from the NY Journal-American, Sunday, September 5, 1954.

A short article on EP's post-WWII paranoia.

Links:

• imdb.com
• what-a-character.com
• reelclassics.com
• m1.aol.com/GoodTurn1/e_pallet.htm
• dougmacaulay.com
• allmovie.com
• hollywood.com

Filmography

1. Silver River (1948)* .... ?
2. Suspense (1946) .... Harry
3. In Old Sacramento (1946) .... Jim Wales
   ... aka Flame of Sacramento (1952) (USA: reissue title)
4. The Cheaters (1945) .... Mr. Pidgeon
   ... aka The Castaway (1949) (USA: reissue title)
5. Lake Placid Serenade (1944) .... Carl Cermak
6. Heavenly Days (1944) .... Senator Bigbee
7. In the Meantime, Darling (1944) .... Henry B. Preston
8. Sensations of 1945 (1944) .... Gus Crane
9. Pin-Up Girl (1944) .... Barney Briggs
10. The Gang's All Here (1943) .... Andrew Mason Sr.
11. The Kansan (1943) .... Tom Waggoner
12. Heaven Can Wait (1943) .... E.F. Strabel, Martha's Father
13. Step Lively (1943) .... Jenkins
14. Slightly Dangerous (1943) .... Durstin
15. It Ain't Hay (1943) .... Gregory Warner
16. Silver Queen (1942) .... Steve Adams
17. The Forest Rangers (1942) .... Howard Huston
18. The Big Street (1942) .... Nicely Nicely Johnson
19. Tales of Manhattan (1942) .... Luther
20. Lady in a Jam (1942) .... Mr. Billingsley
21. Are Husbands Necessary? (1942) .... Bunker
22. Almost Married (1942) .... Doctor Dobson
23. The Male Animal (1942) .... Ed Keller
24. Swamp Water (1941) .... Sheriff Jeb McKane
25. Appointment for Love (1941) .... George Hastings
26. Unfinished Business (1941) .... Elmer
27. World Premiere (1941) .... Gregory Martin
28. The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) .... Lucius K. Winfield
29. The Lady Eve (1941) .... Horace Pike
30. Ride, Kelly, Ride (1941) .... Duke Martin
31. The Mark of Zorro (1940) .... Fray Felipe
32. A Little Bit of Heaven (1940) .... Herrington
33. He Stayed for Breakfast (1940) .... Maurice Duval
34. Sandy Is a Lady (1940) .... P.J. Barnett
35. It's a Date (1940) .... Gov. Allen
36. Young Tom Edison (1940) .... Mr. Nelson
37. First Love (1939) .... James F. Clinton
38. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) .... Chick McGann
39. Wife, Husband and Friend (1939) .... Mike Craig
40. There Goes My Heart (1938) .... Stevens
41. Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938) .... Friar Tuck
42. One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) .... John R. Frost
43. Topper (1937) .... Casey
44. She Had to Eat (1937) .... Raymond Q. Nash
45. Crime Nobody Saw, The (1937) .... Babe
46. Clarence (1937) .... Mr. Wheeler
47. Dishonour Bright (1936) .... Busby
48. Stowaway (1936) .... The Colonel
49. Easy to Take (1936) .... Doc Kraft
50. Luckiest Girl in the World, The (1936) .... Campbell Duncan
51. My Man Godfrey (1936) .... Alexander Bullock
52. Golden Arrow, The (1936) .... Mr. Meyers
53. Ghost Goes West, The (1935) .... Joseph J. Martin
54. Steamboat Round the Bend (1935) .... Sheriff Rufe Jeffers
    ... aka Steamboat Bill (1935)
55. Black Sheep (1935) .... Col. Upton C. Belcher
56. Baby Face Harrington (1935) .... Sgt. Henry Parker
57. Bordertown (1935) .... Charlie Roark
58. Caravan (1934) .... Gypsy Chief
59. One Exciting Adventure (1934) .... Kleinsilber
60. Dragon Murder Case, The (1934) .... Sergeant Ernest Heath
61. Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934) .... Wynn Rixey
62. Strictly Dynamite (1934) .... Sourwood Sam
63. All the King's Horses (1934) .... Co Conley
64. I've Got Your Number (1934) .... Joseph 'Joe' Flood
65. Cross Country Cruise (1934) .... Bronson
66. Mr. Skitch (1933) .... Cliff Merriweather
67. From Headquarters (1933) .... Sgt. Buck Boggs
68. Kennel Murder Case, The (1933) .... Detective Sgt. Heath
69. Shanghai Madness (1933) .... Lobo Lonergan
70. Storm at Daybreak (1933) .... Janos
71. Made on Broadway (1933) .... Terwilliger
    ... aka Girl I Made, The (1933) (USA)
72. Hell Below (1933) .... MacDougal
73. Off His Base (1932)
74. Half Naked Truth, The (1932) .... Achilles
75. Wild Girl (1932) .... Yuba Bill
    ... aka Salomy Jane (1932) (UK)
76. Night Mayor (1932) .... Hymie Shane
77. Tom Brown of Culver (1932) .... Deaf Diner
78. Thunder Below (1932) .... Horner
79. Strangers of the Evening (1932) .... Detective Brubacher
    ... aka Case of the Missing Corpse (1932)
    ... aka Hidden Corpse, The (1932) (USA: reissue title)
80. Dancers in the Dark (1932) .... Gus
81. Shanghai Express (1932) .... Sam Salt
82. Girls About Town (1931) .... Benjamin Thomas
83. Huckleberry Finn (1931) .... Duke of Bilgewater
84. Dude Ranch (1931) .... Judd
85. Gun Smoke (1931) .... Stub Wallack
86. Slippery Pearls, The (1931) .... Reporter
    ... aka Stolen Jools, The (1931)
87. It Pays to Advertise (1931) .... Cyrus Martin
88. Fighting Caravans (1931) .... Seth Higgins
    ... aka Blazing Arrows (1931)
89. Men Are Like That (1930) .... Traffic Cop
90. Sea Legs (1930) .... Hyacinth Nitouche
91. Playboy of Paris, The (1930) .... Pierre Bourdin
92. Follow Thru (1930) .... J.C. Effingham
93. Santa Fe Trail, The (1930) .... Doc Brady
94. Sea God, The (1930) .... Square Deal McCarthy
95. Let's Go Native (1930) .... Deputy Sheriff 'Careful' Cuthbert
96. Border Legion, The (1930) .... Bunco Davis
97. Paramount on Parade (1930) .... Sergeant Heath (Murder Will Out)
98. Benson Murder Case, The (1930) .... Sergeant Ernest Heath
99. Slightly Scarlet (1930) .... Sylvester Corbett
100. Kibitzer, The (1930) .... Klaus
101. Pointed Heels (1929) .... Joe Clark
102. Love Parade, The (1929) .... Minister of War
103. Virginian, The (1929) .... 'Honey' Wiggin
104. Greene Murder Case, The (1929) .... Sergeant Ernest Heath
105. Studio Murder Mystery, The (1929) .... Detective Lieutenant Dirk
106. Dummy, The (1929) .... Madison
107. Canary Murder Case, The (1929) .... Sergeant Ernest Heath
108. His Private Life (1928) .... Henri Bérgere
109. Red Mark, The (1928) .... Sergeo
110. Out of the Ruins (1928) .... Volange
111. Good-Bye Kiss, The (1928) .... The Captain
112. Lights of New York (1928) .... Gene
113. Barnum & Ringling, Inc. (1928) .... Hotel detective
114. Aching Youths (1928)
115. Battle of the Century, The (1927) .... Insurance agent
116. Jewish Prudence (1927)
     ... aka Prudence (1927) (USA: rerun title)
117. What Every Iceman Knows (1927)
118. Chicago (1927) .... Casley
119. Assistant Wives (1927)
120. Second Hundred Years, The (1927) .... Dinner Guest
121. Lighter That Failed, The (1927)
122. Sugar Daddies (1927) .... Hardy look-alike
123. Fluttering Hearts (1927) .... Motorcycle Cop
124. Moulders of Men (1927) .... Barney Mulholland
125. Should Men Walk Home? (1927) .... A detective
126. Many Scrappy Returns (1927)
127. Desert Valley (1926) .... Deputy
128. Mantrap (1926) .... E. Wesson Woodbury
129. Whispering Canyon (1926) .... Harvey Hawes
130. Volga Boatman, The (1926) (uncredited)
131. Whispering Smith (1926) .... Bill Dancing
132. Rocking Moon (1926) .... Side Money
133. Fighting Edge, The (1926) .... Simpson
134. Without Mercy (1925) .... Link
135. Ranger of the Big Pines (1925)
136. Light of Western Stars, The (1925) .... Stub
137. Cyclone Rider, The (1924) .... Eddie
138. Wandering Husbands (1924) .... Percy
139. Galloping Fish, The (1924) (uncredited) .... Anti-Volstead Esquire
     ... aka Galloping Fish (1924) (USA: reissue title)
140. Wolf Man, The (1924) .... Pierre
141. Ten Commandments, The (1923) (uncredited)
142. North of Hudson Bay (1923) .... Peter Dane
143. Hell's Hole (1923) .... Pablo
144. To the Last Man (1923) .... Simm Bruce
145. Man's Man, A (1923) .... Captain Benevido
146. Without Compromise (1922) .... Tommy Ainsworth
147. Two Kinds of Women (1922) .... Old Carson
148. Three Musketeers, The (1921) .... Aramis
149. Fine Feathers (1921) .... Bob Reynolds
150. Twin Beds (1920) (uncredited)
151. Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1920) .... Reggie Irving
152. Terror Island (1920) .... Guy Mourdant
153. Alias Jimmy Valentine (1920) .... 'Red' Jocelyn
154. Fair and Warmer (1919) .... Billy Bartlett
155. Be a Little Sport (1919) .... Dick Nevins
156. Amateur Adventuress, The (1919) .... George Goodie
157. Words and Music by - (1919) .... Gene Harris
158. No Man's Land (1918) .... Sidney Dundas
159. Viviette (1918) .... Dick Ware
160. Breakers Ahead (1918) .... Jim Hawley
161. Turn of a Card, The (1918) .... Eddie Barrett
162. Man's Man, A (1918) .... Capt. Benevido
163. Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
164. His Robe of Honor (1918) .... Clifford Nordhoff
165. Madam Who (1918) .... Lieutenant Conroy
166. Ghost House (1917) .... Spud Foster
167. Heir of the Ages (1917) .... Larry Payne
168. World Apart, The (1917) .... Clyde Holt
169. Purple Scar, The (1917)
170. Marcellini Millions, The (1917) .... Mr. Murray
171. Lonesome Chap, The (1917) .... George Rothwell
172. Bond Between, The (1917) .... Raoul Vaux
173. Winning of Sally Temple, The (1917) .... Sir John Gorham
174. Each to His Kind (1917) .... Dick Larimer
175. His Guardian Angel (1916)
176. Intolerance (1916) .... Prosper Latour
177. Gretchen the Greenhorn (1916) .... Rodgers
178. Hell-to-Pay Austin (1916) .... Harry Tracey
     ... aka Love in the West (1916)
179. Going Straight (1916) .... Jimmy Briggs
     ... aka Corruption (1916)
180. Children in the House, The (1916) .... Arthur Vincent
181. Sunshine Dad (1916) .... Fred Evergreen
182. Ever Living Isles, The (1915)
183. Penalty, The (1915)
184. When Love Is Mocked (1915)
185. Isle of Content, The (1915)
186. Adventure Hunter, The (1915)
187. Scarlet Lady, The (1915)
188. Spell of the Poppy, The (1915) .... Manfredi
189. Victim, The (1915) .... James Darrell
190. Story of a Story, The (1915) .... John Penhallow
191. Highbinders, The (1915) .... Hop Woo
192. Emerald Brooch, The (1915)
193. Day That Is Gone, A (1915)
194. How Hazel Got Even (1915)
195. Death Dice, The (1915)
196. Birth of a Nation, The (1915) .... Union soldier
197. After Twenty Years (1915)
198. Lost Receipt, The (1915)
199. Terror of the Mountains, The (1915)
200. Beat of the Year, The (1914) .... Joyce
201. Who Shot Bud Walton? (1914)
202. Kaffir's Skull, The (1914)
203. Woman Scorned, A (1914)
204. Detective Burton's Triumph (1914)
205. Tardy Cannon Ball, The (1914)
206. Runaway Freight (1914)
207. Broken Nose Bailey (1914) .... Broken Nose Bailey
208. Turned Back (1914)
209. Through the Dark (1914)
210. Stolen Oar, The (1914)
211. Bank Burglar's Fate, The (1914)
212. On the Border (1914)
213. Gunman, The (1914)
214. Sheriff's Prisoner, The (1914)
215. Burden, The (1914)
216. Peach Brand, The (1914)
217. Horse Wrangler, The (1914)
218. Pair of Cuffs, A (1914)
219. Wheels of Destiny, The (1914)
220. Stolen Radium, The (1914)
221. Diamond in the Rough, A (1914)
222. Texas Bill's Last Ride (1914)
223. Atonement (1914)
224. Stronger Hand, The (1914)
225. Reform Candidate, The (1914)
226. Portrait of Anita, The (1914)
227. Thief and the Book, The (1914)
228. Educating His Daughters (1914)
229. Tattooed Arm, The (1913)
230. Man's Awakening, A (1913)
231. Helping Hand, The (1913)
232. Accidental Clue, An (1913)
233. Tomboy's Race, The (1913)
234. Vengeance (1913)
235. Only Clue, The (1913)
236. Brother Love (1913)
237. When Jim Returned (1913)
238. Suspended Sentence (1913)
239. Homestead Race, The (1913)
240. Transgression of Manuel (1913)
241. When the Light Fades (1913)