Grant Mitchell

Biography

Grant Mitchell was an American actor whose Broadway career ran from 1902 to 1939 and who appeared in over 125 films during the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he trained as a lawyer before turning to acting. He took lead roles in Broadway plays including It Pays to Advertise and The Whole Town's Talking, and his screen career took off with the coming of sound, beginning with a starring role in Man to Man. He was usually cast in supporting parts as a heroine's father, a businessman, a bank clerk or a school principal, though he had a rare lead in the comedy Father Is a Prince. Credits included Dinner at Eight (1933), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He died in 1957.

82years old at death

Born June 17, 1874Columbus
Died May 1, 1957Los Angeles
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20

Movie Career

Films: 29
Career span: 15 years1932 to 1947

Genres

Drama62%, 18 films
Comedy55%, 16 films
Romance24%, 7 films
Biography10%, 3 films
Crime10%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
Mitchell had appeared in a 1916 film and a few other silents while working in theater, but sound films made his screen career take off. He got his first starring part in Man to Man (1930), directed by Allan Dwan.

Grant Mitchell movies on Netflix

It Happened on Fifth Avenue1947IMDb rating 7.6as Farrow
Conflict1945IMDb rating 7.2as Dr. Grant
Leave Her to Heaven1945IMDb rating 7.6as Carlson
Arsenic and Old Lace1944IMDb rating 7.9as Reverend Harper
Dixie1943IMDb rating 6.0as Mr. Mason
Larceny, Inc.1942IMDb rating 7.3as Mr. Aspinwall
My Sister Eileen1942IMDb rating 7.0as Walter Sherwood
One Foot in Heaven1941IMDb rating 6.6as Clayton Potter
The Great Lie1941IMDb rating 7.1as Joshua Mason
The Man Who Came to Dinner1941IMDb rating 7.5as Ernest W. Stanley
Tobacco Road1941IMDb rating 6.3as George Payne
Edison, the Man1940IMDb rating 7.0as Snade
It All Came True1940IMDb rating 6.6as Rene Salmon
The Grapes of Wrath1940IMDb rating 8.1as Caretaker
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939IMDb rating 8.1as Senator MacPherson
On Borrowed Time1939IMDb rating 7.7as Mr. Pilbeam
The Secret of Dr. Kildare1939IMDb rating 6.4as John Xerxes Archley
The Life of Emile Zola1937IMDb rating 7.1as Georges Clemenceau
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford1936IMDb rating 6.9as John Summers, Luxury's Owner
A Midsummer Night's Dream1935IMDb rating 6.8as Egeus
Gold Diggers of 19351935IMDb rating 6.8as Louis Lamson
The Cat's-Paw1934IMDb rating 6.7as Silk Hot McGee
Dancing Lady1933IMDb rating 6.8as Jasper Bradley Sr.
Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5as Ed Loomis
Heroes for Sale1933IMDb rating 7.3as George Gibson
The Stranger's Return1933IMDb rating 6.9as Allen
Wild Boys of the Road1933IMDb rating 7.5as James Smith
A Successful Calamity1932IMDb rating 6.9as Connors, Wilton's Butler
No Man of Her Own1932IMDb rating 6.6as Vane

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Arsenic and Old Lace1944 Comedy, Crime, Thrilleras Reverend Harper
IMDb rating 7.978K votes
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939 Comedy, Dramaas Senator MacPherson
IMDb rating 8.1130K votes
It Happened on Fifth Avenue1947as Farrow
IMDb rating 7.67.7K votes
The Grapes of Wrath1940as Caretaker
IMDb rating 8.1108K votes
Conflict1945as Dr. Grant
IMDb rating 7.25.5K votes
The Great Lie1941as Joshua Mason
IMDb rating 7.14.8K votes
The Man Who Came to Dinner1941as Ernest W. Stanley
IMDb rating 7.59.9K votes
No Man of Her Own1932as Vane
IMDb rating 6.61.8K votes

Most often with

Frank Capra directed two of these films, John Ford two and William Dieterle two. Charley Grapewin appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Charley Grapewin

Lionel Barrymore

Beulah Bondi

Elizabeth Patterson

Ward Bond

Charles Lane

Frank CapraDirector, 2 films

John FordDirector, 2 films William DieterleDirector, 2 films

Films together

Charley Grapewin5 films together, 1932 to 1941
Charley Grapewin's page
- Tobacco Road1941IMDb rating 6.3Mitchell as George PayneGrapewin as Jeeter Lester
- The Grapes of Wrath1940IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as CaretakerGrapewin as Grandpa
- Heroes for Sale1933IMDb rating 7.3Mitchell as George GibsonGrapewin as Pa Dennis
- Wild Boys of the Road1933IMDb rating 7.5Mitchell as James SmithGrapewin as Mr. Cadman
- No Man of Her Own1932IMDb rating 6.6Mitchell as VaneGrapewin as Clerk
Lionel Barrymore4 films together, 1933 to 1939
Lionel Barrymore's page
- On Borrowed Time1939IMDb rating 7.7Mitchell as Mr. PilbeamBarrymore as Julian Northrup - Gramps
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare1939IMDb rating 6.4Mitchell as John Xerxes ArchleyBarrymore as Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Mitchell as Ed LoomisBarrymore as Oliver Jordan
- The Stranger's Return1933IMDb rating 6.9Mitchell as AllenBarrymore as Grandpa Cyrus Tatum Storr
Beulah Bondi4 films together, 1933 to 1941
Beulah Bondi's page
- One Foot in Heaven1941IMDb rating 6.6Mitchell as Clayton PotterBondi as Lydia Sandow
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as Senator MacPhersonBondi as Ma Smith
- On Borrowed Time1939IMDb rating 7.7Mitchell as Mr. PilbeamBondi as Nellie - Granny
- The Stranger's Return1933IMDb rating 6.9Mitchell as AllenBondi as Beatrice
Elizabeth Patterson4 films together, 1932 to 1942
Elizabeth Patterson's page
- My Sister Eileen1942IMDb rating 7.0Mitchell as Walter SherwoodPatterson as Grandma Sherwood
- Tobacco Road1941IMDb rating 6.3Mitchell as George PaynePatterson as Ada Lester
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Mitchell as Ed LoomisPatterson as Miss Copeland
- No Man of Her Own1932IMDb rating 6.6Mitchell as VanePatterson as Mrs. Randall
Ward Bond3 films together, 1933 to 1941
Ward Bond's page
- Tobacco Road1941IMDb rating 6.3Mitchell as George PayneBond as Lov Bensey
- The Grapes of Wrath1940IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as CaretakerBond as Policeman
- Wild Boys of the Road1933IMDb rating 7.5Mitchell as James SmithBond as Red the Brakeman
Charles Lane3 films together, 1939 to 1947
Charles Lane's page
- It Happened on Fifth Avenue1947IMDb rating 7.6Mitchell as FarrowLane as Landlord
- Arsenic and Old Lace1944IMDb rating 7.9Mitchell as Reverend HarperLane as Reporter at Marriage License Office
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as Senator MacPhersonLane as Nosey
Frank CapraDirector, 2 films, 1939 to 1944
All films by Frank Capra
- Arsenic and Old Lace1944IMDb rating 7.9Mitchell as Reverend Harper
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as Senator MacPherson
John FordDirector, 2 films, 1940 to 1941
All films by John Ford
- Tobacco Road1941IMDb rating 6.3Mitchell as George Payne
- The Grapes of Wrath1940IMDb rating 8.1Mitchell as Caretaker
William DieterleDirector, 2 films, 1935 to 1937
All films by William Dieterle
- The Life of Emile Zola1937IMDb rating 7.1Mitchell as Georges Clemenceau
- A Midsummer Night's Dream1935IMDb rating 6.8Mitchell as Egeus
Also three films together9 more actors
- Robert BarratThe Life of Emile Zola (1937), Heroes for Sale (1933) and Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
- Gene LockhartLeave Her to Heaven (1945), One Foot in Heaven (1941) and Edison, the Man (1940)
- Harry DavenportLarceny, Inc. (1942), One Foot in Heaven (1941) and The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
- Spencer ChartersArsenic and Old Lace (1944), Tobacco Road (1941) and The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)
- Erville AldersonTobacco Road (1941), Edison, the Man (1940) and The Stranger's Return (1933)
- Dorothy AdamsOne Foot in Heaven (1941), Tobacco Road (1941) and On Borrowed Time (1939)
- Fortunio BonanovaDixie (1943), Larceny, Inc. (1942) and A Successful Calamity (1932)
- Nat PendletonOn Borrowed Time (1939), The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939) and The Cat's-Paw (1934)
- George BarbierThe Man Who Came to Dinner (1941), The Cat's-Paw (1934) and No Man of Her Own (1932)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Grant Mitchell's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$50.6 million

9 of the 29 films have a worldwide figure.

9Worldwide figure
2US gross only
18Figure not found

Top grosser

A Midsummer Night's Dream1935Egeus$25.0 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
A Midsummer Night's Dream1935as Egeus
$25M49.5% of the total
2
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939as Senator MacPherson
$9.6M19.0% of the total
3
Arsenic and Old Lace1944as Reverend Harper
$4.8M9.5% of the total
4
Conflict1945as Dr. Grant
$3.7M7.3% of the total
5
Dancing Lady1933as Jasper Bradley Sr.
$2.4M4.7% of the total
6
Dinner at Eight1933as Ed Loomis
$2.2M4.3% of the total
7
The Grapes of Wrath1940as Caretaker
$1.6M3.1% of the total
8
The Great Lie1941as Joshua Mason
$689K1.4% of the total