Wallace Beery

Biography

Wallace Beery was an American actor who worked on both stage and screen, appearing in around 250 films over 36 years. Born in Clay County, Missouri, in 1885, he joined his brother Noah in New York in 1904, sang in comic opera and played Broadway and summer stock before signing with Essanay Studios in 1913. He made comedy shorts there, notably playing a Swedish maid named Sweedie in drag, then shifted to villain roles such as Magua in The Last of the Mohicans (1920), and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) gave him a small part. He was Professor Challenger in The Lost World (1925). Signed by MGM, he was Oscar-nominated for The Big House (1930) and won Best Actor for The Champ (1931), with later hits including Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), Viva Villa! (1934), which brought him the Volpi Cup, and Treasure Island (1934).

64years old at death

Born April 1, 1885Clay County
Died April 15, 1949Beverly Hills
Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 18
Career span: 28 years1920 to 1948

Genres

Drama67%, 12 films
Adventure33%, 6 films
Romance28%, 5 films
Comedy17%, 3 films
Crime11%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

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Behind the award
Beery shared the Best Actor Oscar for The Champ with Fredric March, even though March received one vote more, because Academy rules then treated results within one vote as ties.
A first
Beery's 1929 film Chinatown Nights was shot silent with the actors dubbing their voices afterward, a technique that worked well with his resonant voice but was not used again for another full-length feature during the silent era.

Wallace Beery movies on Netflix

A Date with Judy1948IMDb rating 6.5as Melvin R. Foster
This Man's Navy1945IMDb rating 6.3as Ned Trumpet
20 Mule Team1940IMDb rating 6.4as Skinner Bill Bragg
China Seas1935IMDb rating 6.9as Jamesy MacArdle
Treasure Island1934IMDb rating 7.1as Long John Silver
Viva Villa!1934IMDb rating 6.3as Pancho Villa
Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5as Dan Packard
The Bowery1933IMDb rating 6.8as Chuck Connors
Grand Hotel1932IMDb rating 7.3as General Director Preysing
The Champ1931IMDb rating 7.2as Andy 'Champ' Purcell
The Secret Six1931IMDb rating 6.3as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' Scorpio
The Big House1930IMDb rating 7.1as Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt
Beggars of Life1928IMDb rating 7.4as Oklahoma Red
The Lost World1925IMDb rating 7.0as Prof. Challenger
Three Ages1923IMDb rating 7.0as The Villain
Robin Hood1922IMDb rating 7.0as Richard the Lion-Hearted
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse1921IMDb rating 7.1as Lieut. Col. von Richthosen
The Last of the Mohicans1920IMDb rating 6.6as Magua

Best known for

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

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Grand Hotel1932 Drama, Romanceas General Director Preysing
IMDb rating 7.323K votes
The Champ1931 Drama, Familyas Andy 'Champ' Purcell
IMDb rating 7.24.0K votes
Dinner at Eight1933as Dan Packard
IMDb rating 7.59.8K votes
The Lost World1925as Prof. Challenger
IMDb rating 7.06.7K votes
Treasure Island1934as Long John Silver
IMDb rating 7.13.6K votes
Three Ages1923as The Villain
IMDb rating 7.05.8K votes
The Big House1930as Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt
IMDb rating 7.13.1K votes
Viva Villa!1934as Pancho Villa
IMDb rating 6.31.8K votes

Most often with

George W. Hill directed two of these films, William A. Wellman two and Richard Thorpe two. Lewis Stone appears in six 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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Lewis Stone

Lionel Barrymore

Jean Harlow

Jackie Cooper

Clark Gable

Alan HaleGeorge W. HillDirector, 2 films

William A. WellmanDirector, 2 films Richard ThorpeDirector, 2 films

Films together

Lewis Stone6 films together, 1925 to 1935
Lewis Stone's page
- China Seas1935IMDb rating 6.9Beery as Jamesy MacArdleStone as Tom Davids
- Treasure Island1934IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Long John SilverStone as Captain Smollett
- Grand Hotel1932IMDb rating 7.3Beery as General Director PreysingStone as Doctor Otternschlag
- The Secret Six1931IMDb rating 6.3Beery as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' ScorpioStone as Richard 'Newt' Newton - Attorney at Law
- The Big House1930IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Machine Gun 'Butch' SchmidtStone as Warden James Adams
- The Lost World1925IMDb rating 7.0Beery as Prof. ChallengerStone as Sir John Roxton
Lionel Barrymore3 films together, 1932 to 1934
Lionel Barrymore's page
- Treasure Island1934IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Long John SilverBarrymore as Billy Bones
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Beery as Dan PackardBarrymore as Oliver Jordan
- Grand Hotel1932IMDb rating 7.3Beery as General Director PreysingBarrymore as Otto Kringelein
Jean Harlow3 films together, 1931 to 1935
Jean Harlow's page
- China Seas1935IMDb rating 6.9Beery as Jamesy MacArdleHarlow as Dolly 'China Doll' Portland
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Beery as Dan PackardHarlow as Kitty Packard
- The Secret Six1931IMDb rating 6.3Beery as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' ScorpioHarlow as Anne Courtland
Jackie Cooper3 films together, 1931 to 1934
Jackie Cooper's page
- Treasure Island1934IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Long John SilverCooper as Jim Hawkins
- The Bowery1933IMDb rating 6.8Beery as Chuck ConnorsCooper as Swipes McGurk
- The Champ1931IMDb rating 7.2Beery as Andy 'Champ' PurcellCooper as Dink Purcell
Clark Gable2 films together, 1931 to 1935
Clark Gable's page
- China Seas1935IMDb rating 6.9Beery as Jamesy MacArdleGable as Cpt Alan Gaskell
- The Secret Six1931IMDb rating 6.3Beery as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' ScorpioGable as Carl Luckner
Alan Hale2 films together, 1921 to 1922
Alan Hale's page
- Robin Hood1922IMDb rating 7.0Beery as Richard the Lion-HeartedHale as Little John
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse1921IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Lieut. Col. von RichthosenHale as Karl von Hartrott
George W. HillDirector, 2 films, 1930 to 1931
All films by George W. Hill
- The Secret Six1931IMDb rating 6.3Beery as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' Scorpio
- The Big House1930IMDb rating 7.1Beery as Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt
William A. WellmanDirector, 2 films, 1928 to 1945
All films by William A. Wellman
- This Man's Navy1945IMDb rating 6.3Beery as Ned Trumpet
- Beggars of Life1928IMDb rating 7.4Beery as Oklahoma Red
Richard ThorpeDirector, 2 films, 1940 to 1948
All films by Richard Thorpe
- A Date with Judy1948IMDb rating 6.5Beery as Melvin R. Foster
- 20 Mule Team1940IMDb rating 6.4Beery as Skinner Bill Bragg
Also two films together17 more actors
- Edward BrophyChina Seas (1935) and The Champ (1931)
- John BarrymoreDinner at Eight (1933) and Grand Hotel (1932)
- Fay WrayViva Villa! (1934) and The Bowery (1933)
- Nigel De BrulierViva Villa! (1934) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- Roscoe AtesThe Champ (1931) and The Big House (1930)
- Selena RoyleA Date with Judy (1948) and This Man's Navy (1945)
- Marjorie Rambeau20 Mule Team (1940) and The Secret Six (1931)
- Jean HersholtDinner at Eight (1933) and Grand Hotel (1932)
- Louise EmmonsThree Ages (1923) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- Murray KinnellGrand Hotel (1932) and The Secret Six (1931)
- Arthur HoytThe Lost World (1925) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- DeWitt JenningsThe Secret Six (1931) and The Big House (1930)
- Leo Carrillo20 Mule Team (1940) and Viva Villa! (1934)
- Xavier CugatA Date with Judy (1948) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- Nelson McDowellThe Lost World (1925) and The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
- Fletcher NortonThe Secret Six (1931) and The Big House (1930)
- Kewpie MorganBeggars of Life (1928) and Three Ages (1923)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Three awards and honors from 1932 to 1934, two of them major.

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Wallace Beery's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1932	Best Actor	The Champ	Won
Venice Film Festival
1934	Volpi Cup for Best Actor	Viva Villa!	Won
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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