Joe Devlin
Biography
Joe Devlin was an American actor and a vaudeville and burlesque performer who had more than 170 film and television credits. Born in Manhattan in 1894, he started with an after-school group called the American Comedy Four and was hired for a touring Cohan and Harris Minstrels production in 1911. He toured in vaudeville for nearly twenty years and worked in burlesque from 1924 to 1937 as a straight comedian and tenor, serving as a house principal at Minsky's Winter Garden. On Broadway he appeared in Street Scene from 1929 to 1930. After moving to California in 1937, he spent three decades as a character actor, often playing a henchman, bartender, or cop, and co-starred in the Dick Tracy series in the early 1950s. His films included King of the Underworld (1939) and Shoot to Kill (1947), and he played Benito Mussolini in three World War II films. He died in 1973.
79years old at death
- Born Manhattan
- Died
- Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
- Also credited as Joseph Mathews
Movie Career
- Films
- 12
- Career span
- 27 years1939 to 1966
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Getting ready for a role
Devlin was famous for looking like Benito Mussolini and played the Italian dictator in three films during World War II.
First role
In 1911, George "Honey Boy" Evans, a performer, brought Devlin into a touring version of the Cohan and Harris musical Minstrels.
Behind the camera
Devlin wrote the book for Novelties of 1936, a burlesque show with 24 scenes in 2 acts. It toured Issy Hirst's Independent Burlesque Association circuit in 1936 with Countess Nadja starring.
Joe Devlin movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Humphrey Bogart appears in three 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.
Films together
Humphrey Bogart's page
Chet Brandenburg's page
Henry O'Neill's page
Frank Faylen's page
Arthur Aylesworth's page
Bob Jellison2 films together, 1955 to 1966
Bob Jellison's page
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.