Walter Connolly

Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character actor whose career spanned the silent era through the golden age of Hollywood, appearing in nearly fifty films and dozens of stage productions. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Ella Burke and Walter Joseph Connolly, he received his early education at St. Xavier College and the College of Music of Cincinnati, where he first cut his teeth in local amateur theater. After serving with the U.S. Marines in World War I, Connolly briefly considered abandoning acting and enrolled in courses at the University of Dublin, but frequent visits to the Abbey Theatre rekindled his passion and soon after he returned to the United States to join professional troupes. His Broadway debut came in the early 1910s and by 1916 he was a respected stage presence, appearing in twenty‑two Broadway productions including revivals of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author and Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Connolly’s transition to film began with two silent pictures, The Marked Woman (1914) and A Soldier’s Oath (1915), but it was not until the early 1930s that his screen career accelerated, highlighted by his memorable turn as Alexander Andrews, the irascible newspaper magnate in It Happened One Night (1934). He became known for portraying exasperated businessmen, fathers, and authority figures, delivering a blend of gravitas and subtle humor in movies such as Broadway Bill (1934), Libeled Lady (1936), and The Good Earth (1937). In addition to supporting roles, Connolly headlined films like The League of Frightened Men (1937) as the detective Nero Wolfe and The Great Victor Herbert (1939), his final screen appearance. His distinctive voice also made him a popular radio star, leading the Adventures of Charlie Chan series on NBC from 1932 to 1938. Connolly married actress Nedda Harrigan in 1921 and the couple had one child; he died of a stroke in Beverly Hills on May 28, 1940 and was interred at St. Joseph New Cemetery in his native Cincinnati.