Granville Bates (January 7, 1882 – July 8, 1940) was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

and bit player, appearing in over ninety films.

Biography

Bates was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in 1882 to Granville Bates, Sr., a developer and builder, and Adaline Bates (née Gleason). He grew up in the Lakeview neighborhood of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

on the southeast corner of Evanston (now

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 ...

) Ave. and Oakdale Ave. in a townhouse that his father later demolished, along with all of the others on the block, to redevelop as a four-story commercial building with apartments above. Bates began his film career in the 1910s with

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

of the

Chicago film industry The Chicago film industry is a central hub for motion picture production and exhibition that was established before Hollywood became the undisputed capital of film making. In the early 1900s, Chicago boasted the greatest number of production com ...

, and his

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

draft Registration Card listed him as a travelling actor for Francis Owen & Co. He appeared on Broadway in the late 1920s and early 1930s, notably in the original production of '' Merrily We Roll Along'' (1934) by George S. Kaufman and

Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...

. He was also the Conductor in the original production of ''

Twentieth Century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear ...

'' (1932). Grave of Granville Bates (1882–1940) at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago

From the 1930s, he appeared in a number of classic films, although sometimes uncredited. He received favorable notice for his character roles, such as in ''

My Favorite Wife ''My Favorite Wife'' (released in the U.K. as ''My Favourite Wife'') is a 1940 screwball comedy produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin. The picture stars Irene Dunne as a woman who, after being shipwrecked on a tropical island ...

'' (1940), where he played an irascible judge - ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

wrote "Mr. Bates deserves a separate mention for his masterpiece of comic creation." Another ''New York Times'' reviewer noted that "Edward Ellis and Granville Bates provoked an early audience yesterday to gentle laughter in a brief but quietly amusing sequence" in '' Chatterbox'' (1936), while Crowther praised his work in ''

Men Against the Sky ''Men Against the Sky'' is a 1940 drama directed by Leslie Goodwins and starring Richard Dix, Kent Taylor, Edmund Lowe and Wendy Barrie. Based on a story by John Twist, with a screenplay by novelist Nathanael West, the film is about aircraf ...

'' (1940): "The players' performances are stock and pedestrian, excepting that of Granville Bates as a cynical banker". Bates died of a heart attack in Hollywood on July 9, 1940. He was buried at

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

in Chicago.

Selected plays in which Granville Bates appeared

Selected filmography

* ''Young Mother Hubbard'' (1917) - James * ''The Kill-Joy'' (1917) - The Crab * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust ...

'' (1929) - Lawyer * ''

The Sap from Syracuse ''The Sap from Syracuse'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and written by John Griffith Wray, along with Jack O'Donnell, John Hayden and Gertrude Purcell. The film stars Jack Oakie, Ginger Rogers, Granvi ...

'' (1930) - Nycross * ''

Honor Among Lovers ''Honor Among Lovers'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Dorothy Arzner. The film stars Claudette Colbert, Fredric March, Monroe Owsley, Charles Ruggles and Ginger Rogers. Plot Julia Traynor (Claud ...

'' (1931) - Clark * ''

The Smiling Lieutenant ''The Smiling Lieutenant'' is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was written by Samson Raphaelson and ...

'' (1931) - Bill Collector (uncredited) * '' The Wiser Sex'' (1932) - City Editor * ''

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours ...

'' (1934) - Henry McGrath * '' Woman in the Dark'' (1934) - Sheriff Grant * '' Woman Wanted'' (1935) - Casey (scenes deleted) * '' Pursuit'' (1935) - Auto Camp Proprietor * ''

O'Shaughnessy's Boy ''O'Shaughnessy's Boy'' is a 1935 film starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper and directed by Richard Boleslawski. The picture was partly set in a circus. The cinematographer was James Wong Howe. Plot summary The plot involves a one-armed lio ...

'' (1935) - Doctor * ''

I Live My Life ''I Live My Life'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne, and Frank Morgan, and is based on the story "Claustrophobia" by A. Carter Goodloe. Plot summary Kay Bentley (Joan Crawford), a bored socialite se ...

'' (1935) - Yacht Captain (uncredited) * '' Chatterbox'' (1936) - Philip Greene Sr * '' Here Comes Trouble'' (1936) * ''

The Music Goes 'Round ''The Music Goes 'Round'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Harry Richman, Rochelle Hudson and Walter Connolly Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character a ...

'' (1936) - Political Speaker (uncredited) * '' 13 Hours by Air'' (1936) - Pop Andrews * '' Times Square Playboy'' (1936) - Mr. Mort Calhoun * ''

Hearts Divided ''Hearts Divided'' is a 1936 American musical film about the real-life marriage between American Elizabeth 'Betsy' Patterson and Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. It stars Marion Davies and Dick Powell as the couple. The film was a remak ...

'' (1936) - Robert Livingston (uncredited) * ''

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug o ...

'' (1936) - Mayor Farnsworth * ''

The Captain's Kid ''The Captain's Kid'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Tom Reed. The film stars May Robson, Sybil Jason, Guy Kibbee, Jane Bryan, Fred Lawrence and Dick Purcell. The film was released by Warner Bros. on ...

'' (1936) - Sheriff Pengast * ''

The Plainsman ''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity ...

'' (1936) - Van Ellyn * ''

Sing Me a Love Song ''Sing Me a Love Song'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by Ray Enright and written by Sig Herzig and Jerry Wald. The film stars James Melton, Patricia Ellis, Hugh Herbert, ZaSu Pitts, Allen Jenkins and Nat Pendleton. The Warner Bro ...

'' (1936) - Mr. Goodrich (uncredited) * ''

Beloved Enemy ''Beloved Enemy'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by H.C. Potter and starring Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, and David Niven. It was loosely based on the life of Michael Collins. Plot During the Irish War of Independence in 1921, Irish ...

'' (1936) - Ryan * '' Larceny on the Air'' (1937) - Prof. Rexford Sterling * ''

Breezing Home ''Breezing Home'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Milton Carruth and starring Binnie Barnes, William Gargan, and Wendy Barrie. Plot A racehorse trainer, Steve Rowan, is forced to sell one of his favorites, Galaxy, to a crooked bo ...

'' (1937) - Head Politician (uncredited) * '' Green Light'' (1937) - Sheriff * '' The Great O'Malley'' (1937) - Jake - Bar Proprietor (uncredited) * ''

When's Your Birthday? ''When's Your Birthday?'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Joe E. Brown. While original prints of this film had a cartoon sequence in Technicolor directed by Bob Clampett and Leon Schlesinger, m ...

'' (1937) - Judge O'Day * '' Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' (1937) - Joseph F.X. Flaherty * ''

Waikiki Wedding ''Waikiki Wedding'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, and Shirley Ross. Crosby plays the part of Tony Marvin, a PR man charged with extolling the virtues of the Territory ...

'' (1937) - Uncle Herman * '' Let's Get Married'' (1937) - Hank Keith * ''

The Good Old Soak ''The Good Old Soak'' is a 1937 drama film starring Wallace Beery and directed by J. Walter Ruben from a screenplay by A. E. Thomas based upon the 1922 stage play of the same name by Don Marquis. The picture's supporting cast features Una Merke ...

'' (1937) - Sam (uncredited) * '' Mountain Justice'' (1937) - Judge Crawley at Jeff's Trial * ''

Make Way for Tomorrow ''Make Way for Tomorrow'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Leo McCarey. The plot concerns an elderly couple (played by Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi) who are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children ...

'' (1937) - Mr. Hunter (uncredited) * '' Wings over Honolulu'' (1937) - Grocery Clerk (uncredited) * ''

They Won't Forget ''They Won't Forget'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Edward Norris, and Lana Turner, in her feature debut. It was based on a novel by Ward Greene called ''Death in the Deep South' ...

'' (1937) - Detective Pindar * ''

It Happened in Hollywood ''It Happened in Hollywood'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Richard Dix, Fay Wray and Victor Kilian. The arrival of sound wrecks the career of a leading western actor while his leading lady rises to new h ...

'' (1937) - Sam Bennett * ''

Back in Circulation ''Back in Circulation'' is a 1937 American film directed by Ray Enright and starring Pat O'Brien and Joan Blondell. Based on the short story "Angle Shooter" by Adela Rogers St. Johns, Blondell plays a fast-moving newspaper reporter who senses ...

'' (1937) - Dr. Evans * ''

The Perfect Specimen ''The Perfect Specimen'' is a 1937 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn and Joan Blondell. The picture is based on a novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams. It was Flynn's first comedy. Plot Gerald Wicks, the heir to a large fortune, ...

'' (1937) - Hooker - Garage Owner * '' Under Suspicion'' (1937) - K.Y. Mitchell * ''

Mannequin A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles ...

'' (1937) - Mr. Gebhart (uncredited) * ''

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 inter ...

'' (1937) - Bradford - Banker * '' The Buccaneer'' (1938) - Gentleman Wanting to Surrender (uncredited) * '' The Jury's Secret'' (1938) - Judge Pendegast * '' Gold Is Where You Find It'' (1938) - Nixon (scenes deleted) * ''

The Adventures of Marco Polo ''The Adventures of Marco Polo'' is a 1938 adventure film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Gary Cooper, Sigrid Gurie, and Basil Rathbone. It was one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions. Plot Nicolo Polo shows t ...

'' (1938) - Venetian Business Man (uncredited) * ''

Go Chase Yourself ''Go Chase Yourself'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Paul Yawitz and Bert Granet. The film stars Joe Penner, Lucille Ball, Richard Lane, June Travis, Fritz Feld and Tom Kennedy. The film was released ...

'' (1938) - Halliday * ''

Romance on the Run ''Romance on the Run'' is a 1938 American comedy crime film directed by Gus Meins and starring Donald Woods and Patricia Ellis. Plot A very expensive necklace known as the "Czarina's Tears" is stolen from Phelps' jewelry shop. The next morn ...

'' (1938) - Phelps * ''

Cowboy from Brooklyn ''Cowboy from Brooklyn'' is a 1938 American Western musical romantic comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Earl Baldwin. It stars Dick Powell, Pat O'Brien and Priscilla Lane. The film was based on the 1937 Broadway play ''Howdy St ...

'' (1938) - Pop Hardy * '' Mr. Chump'' (1938) - Abner Sprague * '' The Affairs of Annabel'' (1938) - Mr. Fletcher * ''

Youth Takes a Fling ''Youth Takes a Fling'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Joel McCrea. McCrea plays Joe Meadows, whose only ambition as a Kansas farm boy was a life at sea. He moves to New York to try to get a job as a sailo ...

'' (1938) - Mr. Judd * '' Garden of the Moon'' (1938) - Angus McGillicuddy * '' A Man to Remember'' (1938) - George Sykes * ''

Young Dr. Kildare ''Young Dr. Kildare'' is a 1938 film directed by Harold S. Bucquet and starring Lew Ayres as Dr. James Kildare, an idealistic, freshly graduated medical intern, who benefits greatly from the wise counsel of his experienced mentor, Dr. Leonard G ...

'' (1938) - Harry Cook (uncredited) * '' The Sisters'' (1938) - Taft Election Announcer (uncredited) * '' Hard to Get'' (1938) - Judge Harkness * ''

The Shining Hour ''The Shining Hour'' is a 1938 American romantic drama film directed by Frank Borzage, based on the 1934 play '' The Shining Hour'' by Keith Winter, and starring Joan Crawford and Margaret Sullavan. The supporting cast of the MGM film feature ...

'' (1938) - Second Man on Plane (uncredited) * ''

Next Time I Marry ''Next Time I Marry'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin and written by John Twist and Helen Meinardi. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Lee Bowman, Granville Bates and Mantan Moreland. The film was released on De ...

'' (1938) - H.E. Crocker * ''

The Great Man Votes ''The Great Man Votes'' is a 1939 American drama film starring John Barrymore as a widowed professor turned drunkard who has the deciding vote in an election for mayor. It was based on the short story of the same name by Gordon Malherbe Hillman pu ...

'' (1939) - The Mayor * ''

Blackwell's Island Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City's East River, within the borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens, on Long Island, to the east. Running from the equivalent of East 46th to 8 ...

'' (1939) - Prison Warden Stuart 'Stu' Granger * '' Twelve Crowded Hours'' (1939) - James McEwen * ''

Sweepstakes Winner ''Sweepstakes Winner'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by William C. McGann, written by John W. Krafft, and starring Marie Wilson, Johnnie Davis, Allen Jenkins, Charley Foy, Jerry Colonna and Frankie Burke. It was released by Warner ...

'' (1939) - Pop Reynolds * '' Naughty but Nice'' (1939) - Judge Kennith B. Walters, Superior Court * ''

At the Circus ''At the Circus'' is a 1939 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx and Chico Marx) released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which they help save a circus from bankruptcy. The film contains Groucho Marx's classic rendition ...

'' (1939) - (uncredited) * '' Indianapolis Speedway'' (1939) - Mr. Greer * ''

Espionage Agent ''Espionage Agent'' is a pre–World War II spy melodrama produced by Hal B. Wallis in 1939. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, ''Espionage Agent'', like many Warner Bros. movies, clearly identifies the Germans as the enemy. This was unlike many other mo ...

'' (1939) - Phineas T. O'Grady * ''

Fast and Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a ...

'' (1939) - Chief Miller * '' Pride of the Blue Grass'' (1939) - Col. Bob Griner * '' Eternally Yours'' (1939) - Ship Captain (uncredited) * '' Our Neighbors – The Carters'' (1939) - Joseph Laurence * ''

Charlie McCarthy, Detective ''Charlie McCarthy, Detective'' is a 1939 American comedy film starring Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy and Robert Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television act ...

'' (1939) - Judge Black (uncredited) * ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job ...

'' (1939) - Carlson * ''Thou Shalt Not Kill'' (1939) - Mr. Miller * ''Internationally Yours'' (1939) * '' Brother Rat and a Baby'' (1940) - First Doctor (uncredited) * ''

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 primarily ...

'' (1940) - Tom Redding * '' Millionaire Playboy'' (1940) - Stafford * ''

'' (1940) - Judge Bryson * '' Brother Orchid'' (1940) - Pattonsville Superintendent * ''

The Mortal Storm ''The Mortal Storm'' is a 1940 American drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.'' Harrison's Reports'' film review; June 22, 1940, page 98. It was directed by Frank Borzage and stars Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart. The film shows ...

'' (1940) - Professor Berg * ''

Anne of Windy Poplars Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

'' (1940) - Dr. Walton (uncredited) * '' Private Affairs'' (1940) - Judge Samuel Elmer Hamilton * '' Flowing Gold'' (1940) - Charles Hammond / Shylock * ''

'' (1940) - Mr. Burdett (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Granville 1882 births 1940 deaths American male film actors Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago) Male actors from Chicago 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors