
Person
Will Wright
Acting · 1894–1962 · San Francisco, California, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Henry "Will" Wright (March 26, 1894, San Francisco, California - June 19, 1962, Los Angeles, California) was an American character actor. He was frequently cast in westerns and in curmudgeonly roles. Over the course of his career, Wright appeared in more than 200 film and television roles. He started his acting career in vaudeville and later moved to the stage, then on to movies, radio, and television. Among the films in which Wright appeared are Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Major and the Minor (1943), So Proudly We Hail! (1943), Road to Utopia (1946), Mother Wore Tights (1947), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Little Women (1949), Walk Softly, Stranger (1950), Sunset in the West (1950), People Will Talk (1951), The Happy Time (1952), River of No Return (1954), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Jeanne Eagels (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). One of his most famous and memorable film roles was corrupt city official Dolph Pillsbury in the Academy Award-winning All the King's Men (1949). Wright provided the voice of Friend Owl in Walt Disney's animated film Bambi (1942). He guest starred on several television series. Will Wright died of cancer in 1962.
Known for

Perry Mason
James Vardon

Maverick
1957

Dragnet
1951

The Andy Griffith Show
Ben Weaver

Lassie
Caleb Brown

Leave It to Beaver
Pete at Firehouse #7

Bat Masterson
Billy Willow

Mister Ed
Mr. Thompson

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
King - Newspaper Editor

Rawhide
Grandfather
Filmography
- 1964Fail SafeBit Part (uncredited)
- 1962Cape FearDr. Pearsall
- 1961The Dick Van Dyke ShowSam Petrie
- 1961Twenty Plus TwoNewspaper morgue attendant
- 1961The Deadly CompanionsDoctor Acton
- 1961Mister EdMr. Thompson
- 1960The Andy Griffith ShowBen Weaver
- 1960Outlaws
- 1960Pete and Gladys
- 1960ThrillerConstable Tom Walker
- 1960The Tall Man
- 1960Inherit the WindBible Salesman (uncredited)
- 1959Mr. LuckyThe Leadville Kid
- 1959Dennis the MenaceMerrivale
- 1959RiverboatJ.C. Sickel
- 1959The 30 Foot Bride of Candy RockPentagon General
- 1959Alias Jesse JamesTitus Queasley
- 1959RawhideGrandfather
- 195877 Sunset StripLuther Hanks
- 1958Bat MastersonBilly Willow
- 1958Lawman
- 1958The Donna Reed ShowOliver
- 1958Bronco
- 1958Rock-a-Bye BabyFire Chief (uncredited)
- 1958Gunman's WalkJudge
- 1958Quantrill's RaidersJudge Wood
- 1958The Missouri TravelerSheriff Marvin Peavy
- 1957Trackdown
- 1957Leave It to BeaverPete at Firehouse #7
- 1957The Real McCoys
- 1957Maverick
- 1957Perry MasonJames Vardon
- 1957SugarfootCharlie Cade
- 1957Jeanne EagelsMarshal (uncredited)
- 1957Johnny TremainEphraim Lapham
- 1957The Wayward BusVan Brunt
- 1957The Iron SheriffJudge
- 1957Official Detective
- 1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreKing - Newspaper Editor
- 1956Conflict
- 1956Hey, Jeannie!McClish
- 1956These Wilder YearsOld Cab Driver
- 1955The Court-Martial of Billy MitchellAdmiral William S. Sims
- 1955The Man with the Golden Arm
- 1955The 20th Century Fox HourJudge O'Neill
- 1955The Tall MenGus - Bartender (uncredited)
- 1955The KentuckianJohn Decker (uncredited)
- 1955Not as a StrangerMr. Roberts (uncredited)
- 1955The MillionaireGrandpa Costello
- 1955Atomic Energy as a Force for GoodTim Summers
- 1954December Bride
- 1954LassieCaleb Brown
- 1954The RaidJosiah Anderson
- 1954Johnny GuitarNed - Bank Teller (uncredited)
- 1954River of No ReturnTrader (uncredited)
- 1954Public DefenderHorace Bascomb
- 1953The Wild OneArt Kleiner
- 1953The Danny Thomas ShowMr. Johnson
- 1953Letter to LorettaFather Gourdian
- 1953The Last PosseTodd Mitchell
- 1953General Electric Theater
- 1953You Are There
- 1953NiagaraBoatman
- 1952The Happy TimeFamily Doctor
- 1952The Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietMr. Jackson
- 1952The Ford Television TheatreMr. Crane
- 1952Cavalcade of AmericaGeorge's Father
- 1952Four Star PlayhouseWillie
- 1952O. Henry's Full HouseManager (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)
- 1952Holiday for SinnersThe Man with a Cigar
- 1952Lure of the WildernessSheriff Brink
- 1952Lydia BaileyConsul (uncredited)
- 1952PaulaRaymond Bascom
- 1952Young Man with IdeasParty Guest (uncredited)
- 1952The Las Vegas StoryMike Fogarty
- 1951Dragnet
- 1951I Love LucyMr. Walters
- 1951Schlitz Playhouse of StarsPop
- 1951People Will TalkUncle John Higgins (uncredited)
- 1951The Tall TargetThomas Ogden (uncredited)
- 1951Never Trust a GamblerCap Douglas (uncredited)
- 1951Excuse My DustRace judge
- 1951My Forbidden PastLuther Toplady
- 1951The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
- 1951Vengeance ValleyMr. Willoughby
- 1951The Living ChristAnnas
- 1950DallasJudge Harper
- 1950Walk Softly, StrangerJake - Poker Player (uncredited)
- 1950The George Burns and Gracie Allen ShowJudge Kramer
- 1950Sunset in the WestSheriff Tad Osborne
- 1950No Way OutDr. Cheney (uncredited)
- 1950The Savage HordeJudge Thomas Cole
- 1950A Ticket to TomahawkMarshal Kit Dodge
- 1950House by the RiverInspector Sarten
- 1949Mrs. MikeDr. McIntosh
- 1949Adam's RibJudge Marcasson
- 1949All the King's MenDolph Pillsbury
- 1949They Live by NightMobley
- 1949Miss Grant Takes RichmondRoscoe Johnson (uncredited)
- 1949The Lone RangerUncle Ed
- 1949BrimstoneMartin Tredwell
- 1949Lust for GoldParsons (uncredited)
- 1949The Price of FreedomMcTrees
- 1949Grape NuttyCrow (Voice)
- 1949Big JackWill Farnsworth
- 1949The Green PromiseMr. Grenstedt
- 1949Little WomenMr. Grace (uncredited)
- 1949Act of ViolencePop
- 1948Whispering SmithSheriff McSwiggin
- 1948An Act of MurderJudge Jim Wilder
- 1948DisasterPop Hansford
- 1948The Walls of JerichoDr. Patterson (uncredited)
- 1948Black EagleSheriff Clancy
- 1948RelentlessSam - the Horse Dealer
- 1948Green Grass of WyomingJake Willis
- 1948So This Is New YorkUncle Fergus (uncredited)
- 1948Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream HouseEph Hackett (uncredited)
- 1948The Inside StoryJ. J. Johnson
- 1948Jingle, Jangle, JinglePop Williams
- 1948Speaking of Animals: Home Sweet HomeBabirusa / Pig (voice)
- 1948California's Golden Beginning
- 1947Wild HarvestMike Alperson
- 1947Along the Oregon TrailJim Bridger
- 1947CynthiaGus Wood, Thatcher's Real Estate Rep
- 1947Mother Wore TightsWithers (uncredited)
- 1947Uncle Tom's CabanaUncle Tom (uncredited)
- 1947Keeper of the BeesDr. Grayson
- 1947The Trouble with WomenCommissioner (uncredited)
- 1947Danger StreetPolice Chief Bullward
- 1947The Long NightMr. Tully - the Janitor (uncredited)
- 1947Blaze of NoonMr. Thomas
- 1947CaliforniaChairman (uncredited)
- 1946Fair Weather FiendsWolfie Wolf (voice)
- 1946Blue SkiesDan - Stage Manager (uncredited)
- 1946The Jolson StorySourpuss Movie Patron (uncredited)
- 1946The Reckless DriverWally Walrus (voice)
- 1946Big TownStation Agent (uncredited)
- 1946Down Missouri WayProf. Morris
- 1946The Inner CircleHenry Boggs
- 1946Rendezvous with AnnieElmer Snodgrass
- 1946Hot CargoTim Chapman
- 1946Who's Cookin Who?Wolfie Wolf (voice)
- 1946One Exciting WeekOtis Piper
- 1946Without ReservationsPullman Conductor (uncredited)
- 1946They Made Me a KillerHenry, the Blacksmith
- 1946The Blue Dahlia"Dad" Newell
- 1946Apple AndyDevil
- 1946Johnny Comes Flying HomeForeman (uncredited)
- 1946The Hoodlum SaintAllan 'Knucklehead' Smith - Times Editor (uncredited)
- 1946Road to UtopiaMr. Latimer (uncredited)
- 1946The Madonna's SecretThe Riverman
- 1946Prospecting for PetroleumThe Professor (voice)
- 1945Scarlet StreetGlobe Loan Office Manager (uncredited)
- 1945The Loose NutConstruction Worker (voice)
- 1945State FairHog Judge (uncredited)
- 1945The Strange Affair of Uncle HarryMr. Nelson
- 1945You Came AlongCol. Dale V. Armstrong (uncredited)
- 1945BewitchedMr. Herkheimer
- 1945Rhapsody in BlueRachmaninoff
- 1945Salome, Where She DancedSheriff
- 1945Fall GuyMr. Nedsen, Parkson's Attorney (uncredited)
- 1945High PoweredJeff Hines
- 1945Grissly's MillionsJohn Frey
- 1944Practically YoursSen. Cowling (uncredited)
- 1944Dangerous PassagePostal Clerk (uncredited)
- 1944The Town Went WildJudge Harry Schrank (uncredited)
- 1944WilsonHughes Campaign Orator in Maine (uncredited)
- 1944Take It BigRodeo Judge (uncredited)
- 1944You Can't Ration LoveJudge Cary - Justice of the Peace
- 1944The Navy WayBaldy - Triangle A Ranch Hand (uncredited)
- 1943In Old OklahomaDoctor
- 1943Here Comes ElmerHorace Parrot
- 1943So Proudly We HailColonel Clark (Uncredited)
- 1943Sleepy LagoonCyrus Coates
- 1943The Good FellowsBrother from Danville (uncredited)
- 1943Cowboy in ManhattanHiggins
- 1943The Meanest Man in the WorldPawn Shop Owner (uncredited)
- 1942Tennessee JohnsonAlderman (uncredited)
- 1942The Major and the MinorTicket Agent #1 (uncredited)
- 1942A Letter From BataanMr. Limpert
- 1942WildcatJohn 'Paw' Smithers
- 1942BambiFriend Owl (voice) (uncredited)
- 1942Tales of ManhattanOld Concertgoer (uncredited)
- 1942The Postman Didn't RingMr. Slade
- 1942SaboteurJ.C. Lormans - Company Official (uncredited)
- 1942Shut My Big MouthJim Long
- 1942USS VD: Ship of ShameCommandant (uncredited)
- 1941Shadow of the Thin ManMaguire (uncredited)
- 1941The Tell-Tale HeartSecond Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
- 1941Nothing but the TruthMr. Bart Prichard (uncredited)
- 1941Mob TownPawnbroker (uncredited)
- 1941Honky TonkTownsman at Meeting House (uncredited)
- 1941Blossoms in the DustSenator
- 1941The Richest Man in TownFrederick Johnson
- 1941Cracked NutsSylvanus Boogle
- 1941Maisie Was a LadyJudge Thatcher (Uncredited)
- 1940You, the PeopleMr. Roberts
- 1940Blondie Plays CupidMr. Tucker
- 1935It's A Small WorldCourtroom spectator (uncredited)
- 1934Pure FeudLem (uncredited)
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