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Thread: Wallace Beery

  1. #1
    burgtwngrl Guest

    Wallace Beery

    • Born: Apr 01, 1885 in Kansas City, Missouri
    • Died: Apr 15, 1949 in Los Angeles, California
    • Occupation: Actor
    • Active: teens-'40s
    • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
    • Career Highlights: Grand Hotel, Dinner at Eight, Robin Hood
    • First Major Screen Credit: The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
    Biography

    Beery was a character actor in silents and talkies and the half-brother of actor Noah Beery, Sr. and uncle of actor Noah Beery, Jr. At age 16 (1902) he joined the Ringling Brothers Circus as an assistant to the elephant trainer; two years later he began singing in New York variety shows, then worked in both Broadway musicals and Kansas City stock companies. A peculiar career path led him to his first series of silent comedy shorts in the cross-dressing role of Sweedie, a Swedish maid, beginning with his move to Hollywood in 1913 when he signed a contract with Essanay; from there he did one- and two-reelers with Keystone and Universal, then tried unsuccessfully to produce films in Japan. Returning to Hollywood, Beery tended (like his half-brother Noah) to be cast as "heavies" and villains, though by the late '20s his performances were tinted with considerable humor. Although he did not have a smooth voice, he made the transition into talkies and soon achieved great success in the role of a retired boxer in The Champ (1931), for which he won a Best Actor Oscar (the previous year he had been nominated for his work in The Big House). The huge box office sales for The Champ propelled Beery into a position as one of Hollywood's top ten stars, and he ceased to be cast as heavies, instead adopting a tough, dim-witted, easy-going persona, and often playing lovable slobs. He appeared in several films with Marie Dressler, and for a time the two of them were among Hollywood's most noteworthy screen couples; later he often played opposite Marjorie Main. From 1916-18 he was married to actress Gloria Swanson, with whom he had co-starred in a series of Mack Sennett comedies.

  2. #2
    burgtwngrl Guest
    Wallace Beery Murders Ted Healy From Wikipedia

    According to E.J. Fleming's book "The Fixers" (about MGM's legendary "fixers" Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling) Beery, gangster Pat DiCicco, and Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli (who was also DiCicco's cousin and eventual producer of the James Bond films) allegedly beat comedian Ted Healy to death in a brawl. The book claimed that Beery was sent to Europe by the studio for a few months, while a story was concocted that three college students had killed Healy. Immigration records confirm a four-month-long trip to Europe on Beery's part immediately after Healy's death, ending April 17, 1938.

  3. #3
    burgtwngrl Guest
    I am reading "Swanson on Swanson" right now... According to Gloria Wallace was into Young Girls He got caught with a 15 year old actress and was shipped off to Hollywood so the matter could be swept under the rug. During this time he showed an interest in Gloria. He used to drive her home from the studio until one night he tried to get her to go into his apartment she refused.

    Gloria traveled to Hollywood to see some friends and to see her Father who was stationed near there in the military. Wallace wasted no time in seeing Gloria who was only 17 at the time. He asked her to marry him and they got married soon after. They only lived together as husband and wife for a total of 2 months. Wallace Raped Gloria on thier wedding night, he repeatedly Raped her during the 8 weeks they lived together. Gloria became Pregnant and when complaining to Wallace that she had morning sickness He went to the Local Druggist and obtained some kind of drug that she drank to purposely induce an abortion. After Gloria Miscarried she questioned the Druggist and he told her what the drug was used for. That was the last straw for Gloria she left him after that. He also was running around with other young starlets from the studio during the time they lived together to add insult to injury for Poor Gloria.

    What a Slimball.

  4. #4
    Guest Guest
    His nephew played Rocky on the Rockford Files ~ Noah Beery Jr.

    I loved Wallace as Long John Silver in Treasure Island with Jackie Cooper!!!!

  5. #5
    burgtwngrl Guest

  6. #6
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    I could see him killing someone because he was not well
    like by his fellow actors and always a big mean jerk.
    Last edited by theotherlondon; 01-23-2009 at 10:51 AM.

  7. #7
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    From Wikipedia: "Jackie Cooper, who worked with Beery in several films, called him in his autobiography "the most sadistic person I have ever known". Child actress Margaret O'Brien also worked with Beery, and ultimately had to be protected by crew members from Beery's insistence on constantly pinching her."

    What an awful person.

  8. #8
    Guest Guest
    He was nice to Jackie in The Champ

  9. #9
    burgtwngrl Guest
    He sounds like a real horrible person. He must have put on a good act to get Gloria to Marry Him.

  10. #10
    Guest Guest
    By all accounts, Beery was a nasty bastard, didn't realise the Ted Healy death thing - Knew he died after a brawl but that was it! Beery was good in Dinner at 8 and Min and Bill (with Dressler).
    I have read Swanson on Swanson and it is very intriguing! Wonder why she briefly married him though? She didn't seem too enthusiastic, unsurprisingly.

  11. #11
    Vamp Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Vladpyre View Post
    By all accounts, Beery was a nasty bastard, didn't realise the Ted Healy death thing - Knew he died after a brawl but that was it! Beery was good in Dinner at 8 and Min and Bill (with Dressler).
    I have read Swanson on Swanson and it is very intriguing! Wonder why she briefly married him though? She didn't seem too enthusiastic, unsurprisingly.
    I read Swanson on Swanson as well. Wallace made her have an abortion and knocked her around.

    Dinner at Eight is a great movie. I loved Harlow in it. I think Wallace and she were married in the movie.

  12. #12
    Guest Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Vamp View Post
    Dinner at Eight is a great movie. I loved Harlow in it. I think Wallace and she were married in the movie.
    I believe they were. Harlow was amazing, something very sexy about her

  13. #13
    Vamp Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Vladpyre View Post
    I believe they were. Harlow was amazing, something very sexy about her
    She was so amazingly funny too!

  14. #14
    Guest Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Vamp View Post
    She was so amazingly funny too!
    I agree a good combination. It is sad that she had such a short life.

  15. #15
    Vamp Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Vladpyre View Post
    I agree a good combination. It is sad that she had such a short life.
    Well, she sure got a lot of life in 26 years! Four marriages!

  16. #16
    HARLOWNUMBER1 Guest
    Harlow and Beery actually hated each other off screen, which actually added to their on screen chemistry as a combative couple.

    It took real talent in the turd department to be disliked by Jean Harlow.

    This alone tells you what kind of a person Beery actually was. He's literally one of the only golden age stars that no one ever had anything positive to say about.
    Last edited by HARLOWNUMBER1; 01-23-2009 at 08:58 PM.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by eelpie View Post
    He was nice to Jackie in The Champ

    He was ?
    COOPER didnt' care for him and dreaded working with him. COOPER said that he dislikes talking about the 'good old days' because they weren't.
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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by burgtwngrl View Post
    Wallace Beery Murders Ted Healy From Wikipedia

    According to E.J. Fleming's book "The Fixers" (about MGM's legendary "fixers" Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling) Beery, gangster Pat DiCicco, and Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli (who was also DiCicco's cousin and eventual producer of the James Bond films) allegedly beat comedian Ted Healy to death in a brawl. The book claimed that Beery was sent to Europe by the studio for a few months, while a story was concocted that three college students had killed Healy. Immigration records confirm a four-month-long trip to Europe on Beery's part immediately after Healy's death, ending April 17, 1938.

    Don't forget PAT DiCICCO was the one who'd been married to THELMA TODD and had an 'odd' run in with her at the party that IDA LUPINO had thrown on the last night of TODD'S short life. DiCICCO later married GLORIA VANDERBILT, mother of ANDERSON COOPER.


    GLORIA & PAT DiCICCO on their wedding day in 1942,
    seven year after the death of THELMA TODD.
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  19. #19
    Guest Guest
    Gloria looks sexy on that pic

  20. #20
    burgtwngrl Guest
    I didn't realize Pat Dicicco was involved in all of this. Thanks Kelt.

  21. #21
    burgtwngrl Guest
    Gloria Swanson Married Wallace and her second husband Herbert Somborn for the same reason she was looking for a father figure not a Husband or lover. She was let down by them both but especially with Beery since he was so abusive.

    He sounds like a sociopath doesn't he?

  22. #22
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    wallace beery seems like a bad piece of work. would love to find a good in depth book on him.
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  23. #23
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    He and his second wife adopted a little girl, named Carol Ann Beery.

    If the stories about him are true, I shudder to think what that poor kid's life was like.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheWrath of MadelineKahn View Post
    He and his second wife adopted a little girl, named Carol Ann Beery.

    If the stories about him are true, I shudder to think what that poor kid's life was like.

    There were rumors that he was sexually abusive to the little girl. KENNETH ANGER made an insinuation to that effect as well in one of HOLLYWOOD BABYLON books.
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  25. #25
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    I've never read anything good about this guy. Knew he was implicated in the Healy murder, and knew he was the Uncle of Noah Beery Jr, even read about him constantly pinching the young girl. Don't know how he managed to have such a good career, but sure doesn't sound like someone I would have wanted to know!

  26. #26
    mxwe Guest
    While single, he adopted a 7 month old girl. Shortly afterwards, the baby disappeared from his life and never was heard of again. I wonder what happened to her?

  27. #27
    Bidmor Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by TheWrath of MadelineKahn View Post
    He and his second wife adopted a little girl, named Carol Ann Beery.

    If the stories about him are true, I shudder to think what that poor kid's life was like.
    Saw 1944's "Rationing" comedy with Marjorie Main and Wallace recently...Carol Ann appeared as a customer with a few lines.

  28. #28
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    He looks mean in the photo on wiki. I didn't think they adopted to single men back then; what a shame he was an exception.

  29. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dangitbawb View Post
    I've never read anything good about this guy. Knew he was implicated in the Healy murder, and knew he was the Uncle of Noah Beery Jr, even read about him constantly pinching the young girl. Don't know how he managed to have such a good career, but sure doesn't sound like someone I would have wanted to know!
    All very true, he was not a nice person.
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