Charles Cahill Wilson
Acting · Directing
Born July 28, 1894, New York City, New York, USA
Charles Cahill Wilson (July 29, 1894 – January 7, 1948) was an American screen and stage actor. He appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the late 1920s to late 1940s. Born in New York City in 1894, the white-haired, burly actor was often typecast as an earnest police officer, newspaper editor or principal. He appeared in over 250 films between 1928 and 1948, mostly playing small supporting roles with a few sentences. Charles Wilson began his acting career at the theatre, including roles in six Broadway plays between 1918 and 1931. In 1928, he directed the Hollywood comedy Lucky Boy (1928), where he also made his film debut. According to the Internet Movie Database, Lucky Boy was Wilson's only film as a director. His most notable role was probably Clark Gable's "wonderfully aggravated" newspaper boss in Frank Capra's comedy It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards in 1935. He was also cast in small roles in other Capra movies such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Shortly before his death, Wilson appeared as the boss of the Three Stooges in the two-reel comedy Crime on Their Hands (1948).
Filmography
- 1956Commotion on the Ocean — J.L. Cameron - Managing Editor (archive footage)
- 1948Big Town Scandal — Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited)
- 1948Blazing Across the Pecos — Mayor Ace Brockway
- 1948Crime on Their Hands — J.L. Cameron
- 1947Key Witness — Warden (uncredited)
- 1947Meet Mr. Mischief — Harry's Boss
- 1947The Secret Life of Walter Mitty — Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- 1946Blonde for a Day — Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
- 1946Crime of the Century — Police Lieutenant
- 1946Gas House Kids — Inspector Shannon
- 1946It's a Wonderful Life — Charlie (uncredited)
- 1946Larceny in Her Heart — Chief Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
- 1946Passkey to Danger — Police Sergeant
- 1946Road to Utopia — Official Policeman (uncredited)
- 1945A Gun in His Hand — Chief of Police (uncredited)
- 1945Scarlet Street — Watchman (uncredited)
- 1945Two O'Clock Courage — Brant - City Editor (uncredited)
- 1945Week-End at the Waldorf — Hi Johns
- 1944Crime by Night — District Attorney Hyatt
- 1944Hey, Rookie — Sam Jonas
- 1944The Missing Juror — Mac Ellis (uncredited)
- 1943Batman — Captain Arnold
- 1943Silver Spurs — Mr. Hawkins
- 1942Blondie Goes to College — Police Sergeant
- 1942Dr. Broadway — District Attorney McNamara
- 1942Escape from Crime — C.L. Reardon - Managing Editor (as Charles Wilson)
- 1942Gentleman Jim — Gurney (uncredited)
- 1942Lady Gangster — Detective
- 1942Rings on Her Fingers
- 1942The Man Who Returned to Life — Inspector Mensil
- 1942The Secret Code — Desk Sgt. Cullen
- 1942This Gun for Hire — Police Captain
- 1941Broadway Limited — Detective (as Charles Wilson)
- 1941Dressed to Kill — Newspaper Editor
- 1941Federal Fugitives — Bruce Lane
- 1941Meet John Doe — Charlie Dawson
- 1941Out of the Fog
- 1941The Face Behind the Mask — Chief O'Brien
- 1941The Officer and the Lady — Police Captain Hart
- 1940Charter Pilot — Owen
- 1940City for Conquest — Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited)
- 1940Gangs of Chicago
- 1940Girl in 313 — Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police
- 1940He Married His Wife — Warden
- 1940Knute Rockne All American — Gambler (uncredited)
- 1940Lady with Red Hair — George Martin (uncredited)
- 1940Millionaires in Prison — R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited)
- 1940Public Deb No. 1 — Sergeant
- 1940Sandy Is a Lady — Sergeant
- 1940They Drive by Night — Mike Williams (uncredited)
- 1940Tin Pan Alley — Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- 1939Fighting Thoroughbreds — Spencer Bogart
- 1939Here I Am a Stranger — Managing Editor
- 1939Hotel for Women — Albert
- 1939Invisible Stripes — Arresting Officer (uncredited)
- 1939Rose of Washington Square — Mike Cavanaugh
- 1939Smashing the Money Ring — Capt. Kilrane
- 1939The Cowboy Quarterback — Coach Hap Farrell
- 1939The House of Fear — Police Chief
- 1939The Return of Doctor X — Det. Kincaid
- 1939The Roaring Twenties — Policeman (uncredited)
- 1938Angels with Dirty Faces
- 1938Gateway — Inspector
- 1938Hold That Co-ed — Coach Burke
- 1938Little Miss Thoroughbred — Becker
- 1938Prison Farm — Reardon
- 1938Sally, Irene and Mary — Covered Wagon Cafe Manager
- 1938State Police — Captain Halstead
- 1938Tenth Avenue Kid — Commissioner
- 1938The Night Hawk — Lonigan
- 1938The Spider's Web — Chase
- 1938When Were You Born — Inspector Jim C. Gregg
- 1937Broadway Melody of 1938 — Horse Auctioneer (uncredited)
- 1937Daughter of Shanghai — Schwartz (uncredited)
- 1937Find the Witness — Charley Blair (uncredited)
- 1937Life Begins in College — Tom Burke
- 1937Midnight Court — Police Chief
- 1937Murder Goes to College — Police Inspector Simpson
- 1937Night Key — Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited)
- 1937One Mile from Heaven — Fletcher
- 1937Partners in Crime — Inspector Simpson
- 1937Roaring Timber — Sam Garvin
- 1937That’s My Story — Cummings
- 1937The Adventurous Blonde — Mortimer Gray
- 1937The Case of the Stuttering Bishop — Hamilton Burger
- 1937The Great O'Malley — Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited)
- 1937They Wanted to Marry — Clark
- 1937Woman in Distress — Editor Herbert Claxton
- 1937You Only Live Once — Police Inspector (uncredited)
- 193636 Hours to Kill — F.B.I. Chief
- 1936Big Brown Eyes — Prosecuting Attorney (Uncredited)
- 1936Down the Stretch — Tex Reardon
- 1936Earthworm Tractors — H.J. Russell
- 1936Grand Jury — City Editor
- 1936I'd Give My Life — Warden
- 1936Legion of Terror — Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson)
- 1936Mind Your Own Business — Detective
- 1936Mr. Deeds Goes to Town — County Hospital Guard (uncredited)
- 1936Murder with Pictures — Assistant Editor (uncredited)
- 1936Panic on the Air — Fitzgerald
- 1936Satan Met a Lady — Detective Pollock
- 1936Show Boat
- 1936Strike Me Pink — Hardie
- 1936The Country Doctor — George the Boat Captain (uncredited)
- 1936The Gentleman from Louisiana — Diamond Jim Brady
- 1936The Magnificent Brute — Murphy
- 1936The Mine with the Iron Door — Pitkins
- 1936The Return of Jimmy Valentine — Kelley
- 1935After the Dance — Chief of Police
- 1935Air Hawks — Newspaper editor
- 1935Baby Face Harrington — City Editor (uncredited)
- 1935Car 99 — Trooper Captain Ryan
- 1935Four Hours to Kill! — Taft
- 1935Hitch Hike Lady — Mike - a Racketeer
- 1935Mary Burns, Fugitive — G-Man at dancehall
- 1935Men of the Hour — Harper
- 1935Murder in the Fleet — Commander Brown (Uncredited)
- 1935Music Is Magic — Decker - Theatre Manager (uncredited)
- 1935Show Them No Mercy! — Clifford
- 1935Smart Girl — Morgan (uncredited)
- 1935The Case of the Curious Bride — Ferry Captain (uncredited)
- 1935The Case of the Lucky Legs — Police Officer Ricker
- 1935The Gilded Lily — Managing Editor
- 1935The Glass Key — District Attorney Edward J. Farr
- 1935The Great Hotel Murder — Anthony Wilson
- 1935The Nitwits — Police Captain Jennings
- 1935The Perfect Clue — District Attorney
- 1935The Public Menace — First Detective
- 1935Waterfront Lady — Jim McFee aka Mac
- 1935We're Only Human — Editor of The Daily Star
- 1935White Lies — Defense Attorney (uncredited)
- 1934Affairs of a Gentleman — Inspector Quillan
- 1934Cross Country Cruise — Detective (Uncredited)
- 1934Embarrassing Moments — Attorney
- 1934Fog Over Frisco — Detective Sergeant O'Hagen
- 1934Here Is My Heart — Captain Dodge (uncredited)
- 1934I Believed in You — Magistrate
- 1934It Happened One Night — Joe Gordon
- 1934Men of the Night — Benson
- 1934Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen — Chief of Police
- 1934Murder in the Clouds — Lackey
- 1934Name the Woman — Joel Walker
- 1934Port of Lost Dreams — Warden
- 1934The 9th Guest — Burke (Uncredited)
- 1934The Circus Clown — Sheldon
- 1934The Dragon Murder Case — Det. Hennessey
- 1934The Hell Cat — Graham
- 1934The Human Side — Furniture Buyer (uncredited)
- 1934The St. Louis Kid — Mr. Harris
- 1933College Coach — Charles Hauser
- 1933Disgraced! — Thompson, Assistant District Attorney
- 1933Elmer, the Great — Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
- 1933Female — Private Detective Falihee (Uncredited)
- 1933Gold Diggers of 1933 — Deputy (uncredited)
- 1933Hard to Handle — Jailer (uncredited)
- 1933Havana Widows — Mr. Timberg
- 1933Mary Stevens, M.D. — Walter Rising
- 1933No Marriage Ties — Red Moran, City Desk Editor
- 1933Private Detective 62 — Club Bartender (Uncredited)
- 1933Shadows of Sing Sing
- 1933The Kennel Murder Case — Detective Hennessy (uncredited)
- 1933The Mayor of Hell — Wilson (uncredited)
- 1932The Campus Mystery — Detective Reardon
- 1932The Trans-Atlantic Mystery — Detective Doyle (uncredited)
- 1931Hot News Margie — Newspaper Editor (uncredited)
- 1931My Sin — Guest in Pool Party
- 1931Stolen Heaven — Detective
- 1930Getting a Ticket — Motorcycle Cop
- 1930Insurance — Doctor (uncredited)
- 1929Acquitted — Nelson
- 1929Broadway Scandals — Jack
- 1929Lucky Boy — Director
- 1929Song of Love — Traveling Salesman