George Overton O’Dell, known as George Ovey professionally (December 13, 1870 – September 23, 1951), was an American film actor and comedian. Ovey was born December 13, 1870, in

Trenton, Missouri Trenton is a city in Grundy County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,609 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Grundy County. The city used to be the world's largest producer of vienna sausages (at its biggest employer, the C ...

. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1951, but he is best known as the character "Merry Jerry" in dozens of short films known as the "Cub Comedies" that were produced in the mid-1910s by

Mutual Film Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies. Founded in 1912, it was absorbed by Film Booking Offices of America, which evolved into RKO Pictures. Founding Mutual's ...

s and directed by

Milton Fahrney Milton J. Fahrney, sometimes credited as Milton H. Fahrney or simply Milton Fahrney, was an actor and director during the silent film era. He worked for Albuquerque Film Manufacturing Company and Nestor Film Company. He featured comedian Georg ...

. Ovey died September 23, 1951, in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

Partial filmography

* ''

Fatty's Reckless Fling ''Fatty's Reckless Fling'' is a 1915 American short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Cast * Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle as Fatty * Edgar Kennedy as Neighbor * Minta Durfee as Neighbor's Wife * Katherine Griffith as Fatty's Wife ...

'' (1915) * ''Jerry in the Movies'' (1916) * ''

Oh, Mabel Behave ''Oh, Mabel Behave'' is a 1922 American Silent film, silent comedy film starring Mabel Normand, Owen Moore, Mack Sennett, and Ford Sterling. Sennett and Sterling also directed the film.Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. ...

* ''

The Arizona Sweepstakes ''The Arizona Sweepstakes'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine review, a cowboy who goes to ...

'' (1926) * ''

Transcontinental Limited ''Transcontinental Limited'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Nat Ross and starring Johnnie Walker, Eugenia Gilbert and Alec B. Francis.Munden p.828 Cast * Johnnie Walker as Johnnie Lane * Eugenia Gilbert as Mary Reynolds ...

'' (1926) * '' The Sporting Lover'' (1926) * ''

Strings of Steel ''Strings of Steel'' is a 1926 action film serial directed by Henry MacRae. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * William Desmond as Ned Brown * Eileen Sedgwick as Gloria Van Norton * Albert J. Smith as Peter Allen * Arthur Morrison as Jim ...

'' (1926) * '' The Yankee Clipper'' (1927) * '' Pals in Peril'' (1927) * '' Desert Dust'' (1927) * ''

My Friend from India ''My Friend from India'' is a 1927 silent film comedy directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Franklin Pangborn and Elinor Fair. It was produced by DeMille Pictures and distributed by Pathé Exchange. A previous film of this story was made in ...

'' (1927) * ''

A Trick of Hearts ''A Trick of Hearts'' is a lost 1928 American silent Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot Carrie Patience has been elected as the new town sheriff. In o ...

'' (1928) * ''

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 ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Pirate of Panama ''The Pirate of Panama'' is a 1929 American action film serial directed by Ray Taylor. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Jay Wilsey (aka Buffalo Bill Jr.) as Karl * Natalie Kingston as Evelyn Wallace * Al Ferguson as Boris Bothwell * ...

'' (1929) * '' Night Ride'' (1930) * '' Hit the Deck'' (1930) * ''

Gold Dust Gertie ''Gold Dust Gertie'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code musical comedy produced and released by Warner Brothers. It was originally completed as a full musical. Due to the backlash against musicals, however, all the songs were cut from the film in all r ...

'' (1931) * ''

Hold 'Em Jail ''Hold 'Em Jail'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film starring Wheeler and Woolsey. They play a couple of boobs who are wrongfully convicted for firearm possession and sent to prison, where they somehow end up playing on the warden's footbal ...

'' (1932) * ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' (1933) * '' You're Telling Me!'' (1934) * ''

6 Day Bike Rider ''6 Day Bike Rider'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon, written by Earl Baldwin, and starring Joe E. Brown, Maxine Doyle, Frank McHugh, Gordon Westcott, Arthur Aylesworth and Lottie Williams. The film's production lasted for ...

'' (1934) * ''

Pop Goes the Easel ''Pop Goes the Easel'' is a 1935 short film, short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Jerry Howard). It is the seventh entry in the series released by Columbia Pictu ...

'' (Short 1935) * '' Texas Terror'' (1935) * ''

The Roaring West ''The Roaring West'' is a 1935 American Western film serial starring Buck Jones as Montana Larkin. It co-stars his horse, Silver, and Frank McGlynn Sr. as his trusty sidekick Jinglebob Morgan. The film was released by Universal. Plot Cast * ...

'' (1935) * ''

Lawless Range ''Lawless Range'' is a 1935 American Western film released by Republic Pictures, directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne. He appears as a "singing cowboy" in the film, with his singing voice dubbed by Glenn Strange, who later ...

'' (1935) * ''

King of Burlesque ''King of Burlesque'' is a 1936 musical film about a former burlesque producer played by Warner Baxter who moves into a legitimate theatre and does very well, until he marries a socialite. Sammy Lee received an Academy Award nomination for the n ...

'' (1936) * '' Cain and Mabel'' (1936) * '' Rose Bowl'' (1936) * ''

Theodora Goes Wild ''Theodora Goes Wild'' is a 1936 American screwball comedy film that tells the story of the residents in a small town who are incensed by a risqué novel, unaware that the book was written under a pseudonym by a member of the town's leading fami ...

'' (1936) * ''

Breezing Home ''Breezing Home'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Milton Carruth and starring Binnie Barnes, William Gargan, and Wendy Barrie Wendy Barrie (born Marguerite Wendy Jenkins; 18 April 1912 – 2 February 1978) was a British-Ameri ...

'' (1936) * '' Mountain Justice'' (1937) * ''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen twelve times over sixty-five ...

'' (1937) * ''

Trouble at Midnight ''Trouble at Midnight'' is a 1937 American action film directed by Ford Beebe, written by Maurice Geraghty and Ford Beebe, and starring Noah Beery Jr., Kay Hughes, Larry J. Blake, Bernadene Hayes, Louis Mason and Earl Dwire. It was released on O ...

'' (1937) * ''

A Girl with Ideas ''A Girl With Ideas'' is a 1937 American comedy-drama film, directed by S. Sylvan Simon for Universal Pictures. It stars Wendy Barrie, Walter Pidgeon, and Kent Taylor. Cast * Wendy Barrie - Mary Morton * Walter Pidgeon - Mickey McGuire * Kent Ta ...

'' (1937) * ''

Missing Witnesses ''Missing Witnesses'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by William Clemens and written by Kenneth Gamet and Don Ryan. The film stars John Litel, Dick Purcell, Jean Dale, Sheila Bromley, Ben Welden and William Haade. The film was released ...

'' (1937) * ''

True Confession ''True Confession'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, and John Barrymore. It was based on the 1934 play ''Mon Crime'', written by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil. I ...

'' (1937) * ''

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

'' (1937) * ''

Man-Proof ''Man-Proof'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is based on the 1937 novel ''The Four Marys'' written by Fannie Heaslip Lea. Plot The daughter of wealthy and famous novelist Meg Swift, Mimi is a young ...

'' (1937) * ''

Woman Against Woman ''Woman Against Woman'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Edward Chodorov. The film stars Herbert Marshall, Virginia Bruce, Mary Astor, Janet Beecher and Marjorie Rambeau. The film was released on June 24 ...

'' (1938) * ''

Young Fugitives ''Young Fugitives'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by John Rawlins and written by Ben Grauman Kohn and Charles Grayson. The film stars Robert Wilcox, Dorothea Kent, Harry Davenport, Larry J. Blake, Clem Bevans and Mira McKinney. The ...

'' (1938) * '' City Streets'' (1938) * ''

The Missing Guest ''The Missing Guest'' is a 1938 American mystery-comedy film directed by John Rawlins. It is a remake of the 1933 film ''Secret of the Blue Room''. Synopsis A newspaper reporter is sent by his editor to spend a night in a country house where a ...

'' (1938) * '' Stand Up and Fight'' (1938) * ''

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle. Plot Circus propr ...

'' (1939) * ''

Calling Dr. Kildare ''Calling Dr. Kildare'' is a 1939 film in the Dr. Kildare series. Directed by Harold S. Bucquet, it stars Lew Ayres as the young Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie, his mentor. The second of MGM's series of Kildare films, it intro ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Great Victor Herbert ''The Great Victor Herbert'' is a 1939 American musical film directed by Andrew L. Stone. During production, the movie was slated to be called ''The Gay Days of Victor Herbert.'' Plot Cast * Allan Jones as John Ramsey * Mary Martin as Louis ...

'' (1939) * ''

Granny Get Your Gun ''Granny Get Your Gun'' is a 1940 American comedy western film directed by George Amy and written by Kenneth Gamet. The film stars May Robson, Harry Davenport, Margot Stevenson, Hardie Albright, Clem Bevans and Clay Clement. It is based primaril ...

'' (1940) * ''

Edison, the Man ''Edison, the Man'' is a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was played by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for their work on th ...

'' (1940) * ''

The Man Who Talked Too Much ''The Man Who Talked Too Much'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Vincent Sherman and written by Walter DeLeon and Earl Baldwin. Starring George Brent, Virginia Bruce, Brenda Marshall, Richard Barthelmess, William Lundigan, George Tobias a ...

'' (1940) * ''

A Dispatch from Reuters ''A Dispatch from Reuters'' is a 1940 biographical film about Paul Reuter, the man who built the famous news service that bears his name.''Harrison's Reports'' review; November 2, 1940, page 174. Story behind Reuters Paul Reuter starts a messe ...

'' (1940) * '' A Man Betrayed'' (1941) * ''

The Wagons Roll at Night ''The Wagons Roll at Night'' is a 1941 circus film directed by Ray Enright and starring Humphrey Bogart as traveling carnival owner Nick Coster, Sylvia Sidney as his girlfriend, and Eddie Albert as a newcomer who falls in love with Nick's siste ...

'' (1941) * ''

Life Begins for Andy Hardy ''Life Begins for Andy Hardy'' is a 1941 American comedy film and the 11th installment of the 16 popular Andy Hardy movies. Directed by George B. Seitz, ''Life Begins for Andy Hardy'' was also the last Andy Hardy movie to feat ...

'' (1941) * ''

Unholy Partners ''Unholy Partners'' is a 1941 black-and-white film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Laraine Day, Edward Arnold, and Marsha Hunt. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot A newspaper reporter, Bruce Corey, return ...

'' (1941) * ''

Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritten ...

'' (1942) * ''

Captains of the Clouds ''Captains of the Clouds'' ( ''Shadows of Their Wings'') is a 1942 American war film in Technicolor, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney. It was produced by William Cagney (Cagney's brother), with Hal B. Wallis as executive pro ...

'' (1942) * ''

Fingers at the Window ''Fingers at the Window'' is a 1942 mystery film directed by Charles Lederer and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot An axe murderer in Chicago has already killed six victims. The police, led by Inspector Gallagher with psychiatrist Dr. Immel ...

'' (1942) * ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Ro ...

'' (1942) * ''

Tish ''TISH'' was a Canadian poetry newsletter founded by student-poets at the University of British Columbia in 1961. The publication was edited by a number of Vancouver poets until 1969. The newsletter's poetics were built on those of writers associa ...

'' (1942) * '' Good Sam'' (1948) * ''

Act of Violence ''Act of Violence'' is a 1949 American film noir starring Van Heflin, Robert Ryan and featuring Janet Leigh, Mary Astor and Phyllis Thaxter. Directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted for the screen by Robert L. Richards from a story by Collier Yo ...

'' (1949) * ''

The Stratton Story ''The Stratton Story'' is a 1949 American biographical film directed by Sam Wood that tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1938. The film is the first of three ...

'' (1949) * '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951)

References

External links

* * * 1870 births 1951 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors People from Trenton, Missouri {{US-film-actor-1870s-stub