Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the

Christmas film Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in in literature and Christmas music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptation ...

Miracle on 34th Street ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (initially released as ''The Big Heart'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American List of Christmas films, Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on ...

'' (1947), for which he won the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while work ...

and the corresponding Golden Globe Award. He received a second Golden Globe and another Academy Award nomination for the comedy film ''

Mister 880 ''Mister 880'' is a 1950 American light-hearted romantic drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire and Edmund Gwenn, about an amateurish counterfeiter who counterfeits only one dollar bills, and manages ...

'' (1950). He is also remembered for his appearances in four films directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

. As a stage actor in the West End and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, he was associated with a wide range of works by modern playwrights, including

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

and

J. B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in '' The Good Comp ...

. After the Second World War, he lived in the United States, where he had a successful career in Hollywood and Broadway.

Life and career

Early years

Gwenn was born in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...

, London to John and Catherine ( Oliver) Kellaway. His brother was the actor

Arthur Chesney Arthur William Kellaway (21 November 1881 – 27 August 1949), known as Arthur Chesney, was an English character actor who worked on stage and screen. Biography He was born 21 November 1881 in Hampstead, London, the son of John and Catherine Ke ...

, and his cousin was the actor

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' ...

. Gwenn was educated at

St. Olave's School St. Olave's Grammar School (formally St. Olave's and St. Saviour's Church of England Grammar School) ( or ) is a selective secondary school for boys in Orpington, Greater London, England. Founded by royal charter in 1571, the school occupied sev ...

and later at King's College London."Mr Edmund Gwenn – Versatile Character Actor", ''The Times'', 8 September 1959, p. 13 He began his acting career in the theatre in 1895, and learned his craft as a member of

Willie Edouin Willie Edouin (1 January 1846Edouin's ''New York Times'' obituary says 1841 – 14 April 1908) was an English comedian, actor, dancer, singer, writer, director and theatre manager. After performing as a child in England, Australia and elsewher ...

's company, playing brash comic roles. In 1901 he married Minnie Terry, niece of Dame

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

. In the same year, he went to Australia and acted there for three years with the

J. C. Williamson James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his famil ...

company. His wife accompanied him, and when Gwenn was in a production of '' Ben Hur'' that was a disastrous failure, she restored the couple's fortunes by accepting an engagement from Williamson."Miss Minnie Terry"
''Table Talk'', 9 October 1902, p. 10 Later, the couple appeared on stage together in London in a farce called ''What the Butler Saw'' in 1905 and, in 1911, when

Irene Vanbrugh Dame Irene Vanbrugh DBE ( Barnes; 2 December 1872 – 30 November 1949) was an English actress. The daughter of a clergyman, Vanbrugh followed her elder sister Violet into the theatrical profession and sustained a career for more than 50 year ...

made her debut in variety, she chose Terry and Gwenn to join her in a short play specially written by

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

. When he returned to London, Gwenn appeared not in low comedy but in what '' The Times'' called "a notably intellectual and even sophisticated setting" at the Court Theatre under the management of J. E. Vedrenne and Harley Granville-Barker. There, in 1905 to 1907, in the words of ''The Times'', "he was invaluable in smaller parts

iving Iving may refer to: *Intravenous therapy Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly ...

every part he played its full worth", including Straker, the proletarian chauffeur to John Tanner in

's '' Man and Superman'', and Drinkwater, the

cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...

gangster in ''

Captain Brassbound's Conversion ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' (1900) is a play by G. Bernard Shaw. It was published in Shaw's 1901 collection '' Three Plays for Puritans'' (together with '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' and '' The Devil's Disciple''). The first American product ...

''. He also appeared in plays by Granville-Barker and

, in

Elizabeth Robins Elizabeth Robins (August 6, 1862 – May 8, 1952) was an actress, playwright, novelist, and suffragette. She also wrote as C. E. Raimond. Early life Elizabeth Robins, the first child of Charles Robins and Hannah Crow, was born in Louisville, ...

's suffragette drama ''Votes for Women'' and in works by other contemporaries. In Barrie's '' What Every Woman Knows'' (1908) in the role of the over-enthusiastic James Wylie he impressed the producer

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced '' Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter productio ...

, who engaged him for his repertory company at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

. In 1912, Gwenn went into management in partnership with

Hilda Trevelyan Hilda Trevelyan (4 February 1877 – 10 November 1959) was an English actress. Early in her career she became known for her performance in plays by J. M. Barrie, and is probably best remembered for creating the role of Wendy in ''Pete ...

. His career was interrupted by his military service during the First World War, serving as an officer in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

. During the war, Gwenn's marriage broke up and was dissolved. His ex-wife remarried but remained on affectionate terms with him.

Leading roles on stage and screen

After peace returned, Gwenn's leading roles in the West End during the 1920s included Old Bill in

Bruce Bairnsfather Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (9 July 188729 September 1959) was a prominent British humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's weekly "Fragments from Fra ...

's ''Old Bill, M.P.'' (1922); Christian Veit in '' Lilac Time'' (1922–23); the title role in

A. A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne (; 18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winni ...

's ''The Great Broxoff'' (1923); Leo Swinburne in ''

Good Luck Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...

'' by Seymour Hicks and

Ian Hay Major General John Hay Beith, CBE MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who wrote under the pen name Ian Hay. After rea ...

(1923); and Hippolyte Gallipot in Lehár's ''Frasquita'' (1925). Looking back at Gwenn's career, ''The Times'' considered, "Out of scores of other parts which he played in England and in America, the best remembered are probably Hornblower in Galsworthy's ''The Skin Game'', the Viennese paterfamilias in ''Lilac Time'' and Samuel Pepys in

Fagan Fagan or Phagan is also a Norman-Irish surname, derived from the Latin word 'paganus' meaning ‘rural’ or ‘rustic’. Variants of the name Fagan include Fegan and Fagen. It was brought to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the twelfth ...

's ''And So to Bed'' in 1926." Gwenn began his film career in 1916, playing Macbeth in ''

The Real Thing at Last ''The Real Thing at Last'' is a "lost" satirical silent movie based on the play ''Macbeth''. It was written in 1916 by Peter Pan creator and playwright J. M. Barrie as a parody of the American entertainment industry. The film was made by the ne ...

'', a satire of the American film industry written by '' Peter Pan'' playwright

. A notable early role was a recreation of his stage character Hornblower in the 1921 Anglo-Dutch silent film of ''

The Skin Game The Skin Game may refer to: * ''The Skin Game'' (play), a play by John Galsworthy * ''The Skin Game'' (1921 film), a 1921 Dutch film, based on the play * ''The Skin Game'' (1931 film), a 1931 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, also based on the ...

'', which he reprised ten years later in Alfred Hitchcock's early sound version of ''

''. His debut in a talking picture was in an adaptation of Shaw's ''

How He Lied to Her Husband ''How He Lied to Her Husband'' is a one-act comedy play by George Bernard Shaw, who wrote it, at the request of actor Arnold Daly, over a period of four days while he was vacationing in Scotland in 1904. In its preface he described it as "a samp ...

'', made at

Elstree Elstree is a large village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England. It is about northwest of central London on the former A5 road, that follows the course of Watling Street. In 2011, its population was 5,110. It forms part of the ...

in 1931. Of Gwenn's many British film roles, ''The Times'' considered his best known to be Jess Oakroyd in ''

The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...

'' with

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

and

Jessie Matthews Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Ma ...

(1933) and Radfern in

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the A ...

's '' Laburnum Grove'' with

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...

(1936). His final British film role, as a capitalist trying to take over a family brewery in ''

Cheer Boys Cheer ''Cheer Boys Cheer'' is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Nova Pilbeam, Edmund Gwenn, Jimmy O'Dea, Graham Moffatt, Moore Marriott and Peter Coke. Plot Edward Ironside (Edmund Gwenn), the head of Ironside Brewery ...

'' (1939) is credited with being the first authentic

Ealing comedy The Ealing comedies is an informal name for a series of comedy films produced by the London-based Ealing Studios during a ten-year period from 1947 to 1957. Often considered to reflect Britain's post-war spirit, the most celebrated films in the ...

. Gwenn appeared in more than eighty films, including '' Pride and Prejudice'' (1940), ''

Cheers for Miss Bishop ''Cheers for Miss Bishop'' is a 1941 American drama film based on the novel ''Miss Bishop'' by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It was directed by Tay Garnett and stars Martha Scott in the title role. The other cast members include William Gargan, Edmund ...

'', ''

Of Human Bondage ''Of Human Bondage'' is a 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in ...

'' and '' The Keys of the Kingdom''.

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...

's ''

Sylvia Scarlett ''Sylvia Scarlett'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, based on '' The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett'', a 1918 novel by Compton MacKenzie. Directed by George Cukor, it was notorious a ...

'' (1935) was his first appearance in a Hollywood film, as

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

's father. He settled in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

in 1940 and became part of its British colony. He had a small role as a Cockney assassin in a

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

film, '' Foreign Correspondent'' in 1940. For his Santa Claus role in ''

'' he won an

. He received a second Oscar nomination for his role in ''

'' (1950). Near the end of his career, he played one of the main roles in '' Them!'' (1954) and in Hitchcock's '' The Trouble with Harry'' (1955). On

Gwenn starred in the acclaimed 1942 production of Chekhov's '' Three Sisters'', starring Katharine Cornell (who was also the producer), Judith Anderson, and Ruth Gordon. '' Time'' proclaimed it, "a dream production by anybody's reckoning – the most glittering cast the theatre has seen, commercially, in this generation."

Later years

Gwenn remained a British subject all his life. When he first moved to Hollywood, he lived at the

Beverly Wilshire Hotel The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, commonly known as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, is a historic luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, it was completed in 1928. It has ...

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

. His home in London had been reduced to rubble during the bombings by the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War. Only the fireplace survived. What Gwenn regretted most was the loss of the memorabilia he had collected of the actor

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

. Eventually, Gwenn bought a house at 617 North Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills, which he later shared with the former Olympic athlete Rodney Soher."Rodney Soher"
, Sports Reference, retrieved 28 May 2014 At the age of 78 he travelled from his home in California for a reunion with his ex-wife in London."Veteran Edmund Gwenn Keeps a Tryst", '' The Daily Mail'', 12 July 1956, p. 3 He told a reporter, "I never married again because I was very happy with my wife. I simply stayed faithful to the memory of that happiness." Gwenn died from pneumonia after suffering a stroke, in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

, twenty days before his 82nd birthday. He was cremated, and his ashes were placed in the vault at the

Chapel of the Pines Crematory Chapel of the Pines Crematory is a crematory and columbarium located at 1605 South Catalina Street, Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, in the historic West Adams District a short distance southwest of Downtown. It is beside Angelus-R ...

in Los Angeles. Gwenn has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street for his contribution to motion pictures.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1916) as Rupert K. Thunder / Macbeth * ''

Unmarried Civil status, or marital status, are the distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other. '' Married'', '' single'', ''divorced'', and ''widowed'' are examples of civil status. ''Civil status'' and ''marital stat ...

'' (1920) as Simm Vandeleur * ''

'' (1921) as Hornblower * ''

'' (1931) as Teddy Bompas * ''

'' (1931) as Mr. Hornblower * '' Hindle Wakes'' (1931) as Chris Hawthorne * ''

Frail Women ''Frail Women'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Mary Newcomb, Owen Nares, Frank Pettingell and Herbert Lomas. In the years after World War I a Colonel marries his war-time mistress. It was made at Twickenh ...

'' (1932) as The Bookmaker - Jim Willis * '' Money for Nothing'' (1932) as Sir Henry Blossom * ''

Condemned to Death ''Condemned to Death'' is a 1932 British crime film directed by Walter Forde and starring Arthur Wontner, Gillian Lind and Gordon Harker. It was adapted from the play ''Jack O'Lantern'' by James Dawson which was itself based on a 1929 novel by ...

'' (1932) as Banting * ''

Love on Wheels ''Love on Wheels'' is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jack Hulbert, Gordon Harker, Edmund Gwenn and Leonora Corbett. Plot A daily commuter on a Green Line bus from the suburbs to Central London Fred ...

'' (1932) as Philpotts * ''

Tell Me Tonight ''Tell Me Tonight'' or ''Be Mine Tonight'' is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Jan Kiepura, Sonnie Hale and Magda Schneider. It was shot in Berlin at the Babelsberg Studios as part of a co-production be ...

'' (1932) as Mayor Pategg * ''

'' (1933) as Jess Oakroyd * ''

Cash In economics, cash is money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins. In bookkeeping and financial accounting, cash is current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-imm ...

'' (1933) as Edmund Gilbert * ''

I Was a Spy ''I Was a Spy'' is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, and Conrad Veidt. Based on the 1932 memoir ''I Was a Spy'' by Marthe Cnockaert, the film is about her experiences as a ...

'' (1933) as Burgomaster * '' Smithy'' (1933) as John Smith * ''

Channel Crossing ''Channel Crossing'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by Milton Rosmer and starring Matheson Lang, Constance Cummings, Anthony Bushell and Nigel Bruce. It was shot partly on location and at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush.Wood ...

'' (1933) as Trotter * ''

Marooned Marooned may refer to: * Marooning, the intentional act of abandoning someone in an uninhabited area Film and television * ''Marooned'' (1933 film), a British drama film * ''Marooned'' (1969 film), an American science-fiction film * ''Marooned ...

'' (1933) as Tom Roberts * '' Friday the Thirteenth'' (1933) as Mr Wakefield * ''

Early to Bed Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early ...

'' (1933) as Kruger * ''

Waltzes from Vienna ''Waltzes from Vienna'' is a 1934 British biographical film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, sometimes known as ''Strauss' Great Waltz''. It was part of the cycle of operetta films made in Britain during the 1930s. Hitchcock's film is based on the ...

'' (1934) as Johann Strauss, the Elder * ''

Warn London ''Warn London'' is a 1934 British thriller film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and starring Edmund Gwenn, John Loder and Leonora Corbett. It was based on a novel by Denison Clift. Premise A detective goes undercover to infiltrate a gang planning ...

'' (1934) as Dr. Herman Krauss * ''

Passing Shadows ''Passing Shadows'' is a 1934 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Edmund Gwenn, Barry MacKay and Aileen Marson. It was made as Beaconsfield Studios as a quota quickie.Wood p.83 The film's sets were designed by Nor ...

'' (1934) as David Lawrence * ''

Java Head Tanjung Layar, formerly Java's Eerste Punt in Dutch, and Java's First Point, or Java Head in English is a prominent cape at the extreme western end of Java, at the Indian Ocean entrance to the Sunda Strait. Java Head is a bluff at the sea's edg ...

'' (1934) as Jeremy Ammidon * ''

The Admiral's Secret ''The Admiral's Secret'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Guy Newall and starring Edmund Gwenn, James Raglan and Dorothy Black. It was based on a play by Cyril Campion and filmed at Twickenham Studios. The film's sets were designed b ...

'' (1934) as Adm. Fitzporter * '' Father and Son'' (1934) as John Bolton * ''

Spring in the Air ''Spring in the Air'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Victor Hanbury and Norman Lee and starring Edmund Gwenn, Zelma O'Neal and Theo Shall.Wood p.64 It was made at Elstree Studios. Cast * Edmund Gwenn as Franz * Zelma O'Neal as Il ...

'' (1934) as Franz * '' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) as Bishop * ''

'' (1935) as Henry Scarlett * '' The Walking Dead'' (1936) as Dr. Beaumont * '' Laburnum Grove'' (1936) as Mr. Radfern * ''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Herve ...

'' (1936) as John Bonnyfeather * ''

All American Chump ''All American Chump'' is a 1936 American comedy film produced by MGM, directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Lawrence Kimble. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Robert Armstrong, Betty Furness, Edmund Gwenn and Harvey Stephens. Plot When a trav ...

'' (1936) as Jeffrey Crane * '' Mad Holiday'' (1936) as Williams * '' Parnell'' (1937) as Campbell * '' South Riding'' (1938) as Alfred Huggins * ''

A Yank at Oxford ''A Yank at Oxford'' is a 1938 comedy-drama film directed by Jack Conway and starring Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh and Edmund Gwenn. The screenplay was written by John Monk Saunders and Leon Gordon. The ...

'' (1938) as Dean of Cardinal * ''

Penny Paradise ''Penny Paradise'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Carol Reed and starring Edmund Gwenn, Betty Driver and Jimmy O'Dea. It was an early directorial assignment for Reed, and along with many other British productions of the era such as ...

'' (1938) as Joe Higgins * ''

'' (1939) as Edward Ironside * ''

The Earl of Chicago ''The Earl of Chicago'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen and Edmund Gwenn. It is the first MGM film in the 1940s. Plot To remedy the ill doings of his past, Rob ...

'' (1940) as Munsey, the Butler * ''

An Englishman's Home ''An Englishman's Home'' is a threat-of-invasion play by Guy du Maurier, first produced in 1909. The title is a reference to the expression " an Englishman's home is his castle". Play ''An Englishman's Home'' caused a sensation in London when ...

'' (1940) as Tom Brown * ''

The Doctor Takes a Wife ''The Doctor Takes a Wife'' is a 1940 screwball comedy film starring Loretta Young and Ray Milland as a best-selling author and medical school instructor, respectively, who find it convenient to pretend to be married, even though they initially l ...

'' (1940) as Dr. Lionel Sterling * '' Pride and Prejudice'' (1940) as Mr. Bennet * '' Foreign Correspondent'' (1940) as Rowley * ''

'' (1941) as President Corcoran * '' Scotland Yard'' (1941) as Insp. Cork * ''

The Devil and Miss Jones ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' is a 1941 comedy film starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, and Charles Coburn. Directed by Sam Wood from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, the film was the product of an independent collaboration between Krasna and pr ...

'' (1941) as Hooper * ''

One Night in Lisbon ''One Night in Lisbon'' is a 1941 American thriller film directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll and Patricia Morison. It was one of a cycle of pro-British films produced in Hollywood before the United S ...

'' (1941) as Lord Fitzleigh * ''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...

'' (1941) as Stephen Spettigue * '' A Yank at Eton'' (1942) as Headmaster Justin * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) as Stubbs * ''

The Meanest Man in the World Not to be confused with the 1920 George M. Cohan play or The Meanest Man in the World (1923 film) ''The Meanest Man in the World'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield, starring Jack Benny and Priscilla Lane, based upon ...

'' (1943) as Frederick P. Leggitt * ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was direct ...

'' (1943) as Rowlie * '' Between Two Worlds'' (1944) as Scrubby * '' The Keys of the Kingdom'' (1944) as Father Hamish MacNabb * ''

Dangerous Partners ''Dangerous Partners'' is a 1945 American adventure film directed by Edward L. Cahn and written by Marion Parsonnet and Edmund L. Hartmann, based on the novel “Paper Chase” by Oliver Weld Bayer, the pen-name of Leo and Eleanor Bayer (later k ...

'' (1945) as Albert Richard Kingby * ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

'' (1945) as Dr. Bergson * '' She Went to the Races'' (1945) as Dr. Homer Pecke * ''

'' (1946) as Athelny * '' Undercurrent'' (1946) as Prof. 'Dink' Hamilton * ''

'' (1947) as Kris Kringle * ''

Life with Father ''Life with Father'' is a 1939 play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, adapted from a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day. The Broadway production ran for 3,224 performances over 401 weeks to become the l ...

'' (1947) as Rev. Dr. Lloyd * '' Thunder in the Valley'' (1947) as Adam MacAdam * '' Green Dolphin Street'' (1947) as Octavius Patourel * '' Apartment for Peggy'' (1948) as Prof. Henry Barnes * '' Hills of Home'' (1948) as Dr. William MacLure * ''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''Lassi ...

'' (1949) as

John Traill John Traill (11 January 1835 – 8 June 1897) was the owner of Traill's Temperance Coffee House which was regularly visited by Greyfriars Bobby. Early and personal life Traill was born in 1835 in Dunfermline and was the son of a weaver. He a ...

* ''

A Woman of Distinction ''A Woman of Distinction'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Rosalind Russell and Ray Milland. Plot Susan Manning Middlecott is dean of a New England school called Benton College and it is her whole ...

'' (1950) as Mark 'J.M.' Middlecott * '' Louisa'' (1950) as Henry Hammond * '' Pretty Baby'' (1950) as Cyrus Baxter * ''

'' (1950) as William 'Skipper' Miller * '' For Heaven's Sake'' (1950) as Arthur * ''

Peking Express ''Peking Express'' is a Dutch–Flemish reality game show that follows a series of couples as they hitchhike to or from Beijing (only in the first three seasons; seasons four and five are set in South America). The series has already gone throu ...

'' (1951) as Father Joseph Murray * ''

Sally and Saint Anne ''Sally and Saint Anne'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Ann Blyth, Edmund Gwenn and John McIntire. Plot Sally O’Moyne is a schoolgirl who lives with three generations of an eccentric Irish family, includin ...

'' (1952) as Grandpa Pat Ryan * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origina ...

'' (1952) as Bishop Courbet * ''

Bonzo Goes to College ''Bonzo Goes to College'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Frederick De Cordova and starring Maureen O'Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn, Charles Drake, Gigi Perreau, Gene Lockhart, and Bonzo. Plot Former lab chimpanzee Bonzo, suddenly literate ...

'' (1952) as Ted 'Pop' Drew * '' Something for the Birds'' (1952) as 'Admiral' Johnnie Adams * ''

Mister Scoutmaster ''Mister Scoutmaster'' is a 1953 comedy film about Boy Scouts, starring Clifton Webb. It is based on the book ''Be Prepared'' by Keith Monroe, writing under the pseudonym Rice E. Cochran. Plot An arrogant, aloof television personality gets mo ...

'' (1953) as Dr. Stone * '' The Bigamist'' (1953) as Mr. Jordan * '' The Student Prince'' (1954) as Prof. Juttner * '' Them!'' (1954) as Dr. Harold Medford * '' The Trouble with Harry'' (1955) as Capt. Albert Wiles * '' It's a Dog's Life'' (1955) as Jeremiah Edward Emmett Augustus Nolan * ''

Calabuch ''Calabuch'' (US title: ''The Rocket From Calabuch'') is a 1956 comedy film directed by Luis García Berlanga. Synopsis Calabuch is a little village in the coast of Spain. There arrives Dr. George Hamilton (Edmund Gwenn), a scientist expert in ...

'' (1956, U.S. title ''The Rocket from Calabuch'') as Prof. Jorge Serra Hamilton

Radio appearances

*Audition program for the ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

'' radio program.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Edmund Gwenn in Screen Director's Playhouse: ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1949)
(Downloadable mp3 and streaming audio)
Edmund Gwenn in Lux Radio Theater: ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1948)
(Downloadable mp3 and streaming audio)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwenn, Edmund 1877 births 1959 deaths 20th-century English male actors People educated at St Olave's Grammar School Alumni of King's College London Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory British emigrants to the United States English male film actors English male silent film actors English male stage actors Male actors from London People from Wandsworth Terry family British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Service Corps officers Deaths from pneumonia in California