Walter Abel (June 6, 1898 – March 26, 1987) was an American stage, film, and radio actor whose career spanned nearly seven decades.
Life Abel was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Christine (née Becker) and Richard Michael Abel. Abel graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where he had studied in 1917 and joined a touring company. His brother Alfred died in 1922 from tuberculosis contracted while serving overseas in World War I. Abel was married to concert harpist Marietta Bitter.
Career
Abel made his film debut in 1918 with a small part in Out of a Clear Sky,"Walter Abel", Turner Classic Movies and his Broadway debut in Forbidden in 1919.
In 1924, he appeared in two Eugene O'Neill plays simultaneously: Bound East for Cardiff at the Provincetown Playhouse and Desire Under the Elms at the Greenwich Village Theater. His many theatre credits include As You Like It (1923), William Congreve's Love for Love (1925), Anton Chekhov's The Seagull (1929–1930), Mourning Becomes Electra (1929), Kaufman and Hart's Merrily We Roll Along (1934), and Trelawny of the 'Wells'. He also appeared in Channing Pollock's play The Enemy (1926) with Fay Bainter, adapted to film as The Enemy (1927) with Lillian Gish and Ralph Forbes. Abel made his stage debut in London in the 1929 Coquette.
His first major film role was as D'Artagnan in RKO Pictures' 1935 The Three Musketeers. He played hyperactive agent Danny Reed in the 1942 musical comedy Holiday Inn, with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
Abel went on to play in more than sixty films, and was a vice president of the Screen Actors' Guild.
Abel also appeared as a concert narrator or reader with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait in 1951, and in Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood in 1953."Walter Abel papers, 1900-1976, 1916-1975", the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Death Abel died March 26, 1987, of a myocardial infarction at a nursing home in Essex, Connecticut. He was cremated and a memorial service was held at the Little Church Around the Corner in Manhattan. His ashes were combined with those of his wife and scattered in Long Island Sound.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1918Out of a Clear SkyUncredited Lost film1920The North Wind's MaliceTom1930LiliomCarpenter1935The Three Musketeersd'Artagnan1936Two in the DarkFord AdamsThe Lady ConsentsStanley AshtonThe Witness ChairJames 'Jim' TrentFuryDistrict AttorneyWe Went to CollegePhil TalbotSecond WifeKenneth Carpenter Sr.1937Green LightJohn StaffordPortia on TrialDan FosterWise GirlKarl1938Law of the UnderworldWarren RogersRacket BustersHugh AllisonMen with WingsNick Ranson1939King of the TurfRobert BarnesFirst OffendersGregory StoneMiracle on Main Street''' |Jim Foreman
| rowspan="4" |1940 |Dance, Girl, Dance|Judge
|Arise, My Love|Phillips
|Who Killed Aunt Maggie?|Dr. George Benedict
|Michael Shayne: Private Detective|Elliott Thomas
| rowspan="3" |1941 |Hold Back the Dawn|Inspector Hammock
|Skylark|George Gorell
|Glamour Boy|Anthony J. Colder
| rowspan="4" |1942 |Beyond the Blue Horizon|Prof. Thornton
|Holiday Inn|Danny Reed
|Wake Island|Cmdr. Roberts
|Star Spangled Rhythm|B.G. DeSoto
| rowspan="3" |1943 |Fired Wife|Chris McClelland
|The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith|Jack / A Flyer / Opening Narrator |Short Film |- |So Proudly We Hail!|Chaplain
| rowspan="4" |1944 |Follow the Boys|Walter Abel |Uncredited |- |The Hitler Gang|Narrator (voice)
|Mr. Skeffington|George Trellis
|An American Romance|Howard Clinton
| rowspan="3" |1945 |The Affairs of Susan|Richard Aiken
|Duffy's Tavern|Director
|Kiss and Tell|Harry Archer
| rowspan="2" |1946 |The Kid from Brooklyn|Gabby Sloan
|13 Rue Madeleine|Charles Gibson
| rowspan="2" |1947 |Variety Girl|Walter Abel |Uncredited |- |The Fabulous Joe|Milo Terkel
| rowspan="4" |1948 |Dream Girl|George Allerton
|That Lady in Ermine|Major Horvath / Benvenuto
|Picture in Your Mind|Narrator |Short Film |- |Neighbor to the North|The American |Short Film |- | rowspan="2" |1953 |So This Is Love|Colonel James Moore
|Island in the Sky|Col. Fuller
|1954 |Night People|Maj. R.A. Foster, MD
|1955 |The Indian Fighter|Captain Trask
|1956 |The Steel Jungle|Warden Bill Keller
| rowspan="2" |1957 |Bernardine|Mr. Beaumont
|Raintree County|T.D. Shawnessy
|1958 |Handle with Care|Prof. Roger Bowden
|1964 |Quick, Let's Get Married|The Thief
| rowspan="2" |1965 |Mirage|Charles Stewart Calvin
|Israel: The Story of the Jewish People|Narrator |Short Film; uncredited |- |1972 |Silent Night, Bloody Night|Mayor Adams
|1979 |Israel: The Story of the Jewish People|Narrator |Short Film; credited as Walter Able |- |1985 |Grace Quigley''Homer MorrisonFinal role
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1948Critic at LargeSelfEpisode: "Episode #1.16"1948–1949The Philco Television PlayhouseMacduff2 episodes1949The Chevrolet Tele-TheatreSir Wilfred RobertsEpisode: "Witness for the Prosecution"1950Masterpiece PlayhouseGeorge Tesman2 episodes1950–1951The Prudential Family PlayhouseEgbert Flound / Sam Dodsworth2 episodes1950–1953Lux Video TheatreFather / Joe Holmby2 episodes1951Faith Baldwin Romance TheatreEpisode: "To My Beloved Wife"The Colgate Comedy HourSelfGuestWho Said That?SelfEpisode: "March 12, 1951"The Sam Levenson ShowSelfEpisode: "Walter Abel and Son"The Ed Sullivan ShowSelfEpisode: "Episode #4.39"20 QuestionsSelfEpisode: "Walter Abel"1951–1952Robert Montgomery PresentsFather / Harry Archer2 episodesTales of TomorrowDoctor Allen4 episodes1952Celanese TheatreReedEpisode: "Yellow Jack"It's News to MeSelfEpisode: "Walter Abel, Signe Hasso"1953The Ford Television TheatreEpisode: "There's No Place Like Home"1954Ethel and AlbertGilbertEpisode: "The Income Tax"Studio OneJuror No. 4Episode: "Twelve Angry Men"Armstrong Circle TheatreEpisode: "The Judged"The Red Buttons ShowEpisode: "November 12, 1954"1955Playwrights '56Dr. HarmonEpisode: "The Answer"The Martha Raye ShowSelfEpisode: "Stubby Kaye, Johnnie Ray, Walter Abel"1956Climax!StewartEpisode: "The Midas Touch"The Joseph Cotten Show: On TrialEpisode: "The Person and Property of Margery Hay"1956–1958Playhouse 90Mr. Wayde2 episodes1957The 20th Century Fox HourMcKinleyEpisode: "The Great American Hoax"Kraft Television TheatreEpisode: "Heroes Walk on Sand"1958SuspicionMajor Harvey DenbrowEpisode: "Meeting in Paris"1960The Play of the WeekInspectorEpisode: "The Enchanted"1963The DefendersBen BurkeEpisode: "A Book for Burning"The Farmer's DaughterGeneral ToddEpisode: "An Enterprising Young Man"1964East Side West SideBrewer BradfordEpisode: "Here Today"1965The Mike Douglas ShowSelfEpisode: "Episode #4.196"1966SeawayGoddard BorglunEpisode: "The Viking"Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreReynard PitneyEpisode: "And Baby Makes Five"1971NBC Children's TheatreSelfEpisode: "Super Plastic Elastic Goggles"1973The Man Without a CountryCol. A.B. MorganDirect-to-TV Movie1976The American Woman: Portraits of CourageJudgeDirect-to-TV Documentary
Radio appearances Year Program Episode/source 1941 Gulf Screen Guild Theatre No Time for Comedy 1944 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre Phantom Lady 1945 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre Double Indemnity 1947 Theatre Guild on the Air No Time for Comedy Suspense Quiet Desperation 1952 Theatre Guild on the Air The Bishop Misbehaves
References
External links