Harold Vermilyea (October 10, 1889 – January 7, 1958) was an American actor who had a long and prolific career on Broadway, performing in 32 plays over the course of his career. He made notable appearances in several films of the post-war era, particularly film noirs, and ended his career moving into television.

Life and career

Vermilyea was born October 10, 1889 in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. He made his first stage appearance in 1914 in "The Lion and the Mouse." Subsequent appearances included " It Pays to Advertise" (1914-1915) and a revival of " Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford" (1917), after which he served with the Army Ambulance Service in France during the First World War. After WWI came to a close, Vermilyea returned to the Broadway stage and performed in twenty-nine further plays. These were: " A Tailor-Made Man" (1917-1918), "

Hobohemia Hobohemia is a low rent district in a city where artistic bohemians and the down-and-outs or hobos mix. In Chicago from the turn of the century to circa 1940s this was Tower Town and the area often known as "The West Madison Stem" (Madison Street w ...

" (1919), "Pagans" (1921), " Captain Applejack" (1921-1922), "The Alarm Clock" (1923-1924), "The Lady Killer" (1924), "The Haunted House" (1924), "The Youngest" (1924-1925), "The Enemy" (1925-1926), "Loose Ankles" (1926-1927), "Los Angeles" (1927-1928), "Killers" (1928), "Anna" (1928), "A Man With Red Hair" (1928), "Midnight" (1930-1931), "We Are No Longer Children" (1932), "Bad Manners" (1933), "The Pure in Heart" (1934), " Boy Meets Girl" (1935-1937), "Fulton of Oak Falls" (1937), "Madame Bovary" (1937), "If I Were You" (1938), "Gloriana" (1938), "Gabrielle" (1941), "Sun-Up" (presumably a revival of the Lula Vollmer play; date unknown), "The Acquittal" (presumably a revival of the

Rita Weiman Rita Weiman (1885–1954) was a playwright, journalist, author, and screenwriter. Biography Beginnings Rita was born in Philadelphia in 1885 and raised in a Quaker community. She later recounted that she felt lucky her parents supported her ...

play; date unknown), "Jacobowsky and the Colonel" (1944-1945), " Deep Are the Roots" (1945-1946), and "Deadfall" (1955). Vermilyea had substantial roles in 1930s radio, supporting

Maude Adams Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden (November 11, 1872 – July 17, 1953), known professionally as Maude Adams, was an American actress who achieved her greatest success as the character Peter Pan, first playing the role in the 1905 Broadway production ...

in a series and playing a leading role on the Rudy Vallée Show. During the World War II years, he served as Director of the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

's Victory Players. Vermilyea devoted his time in the post-war era to motion pictures and then to television. Ultimately, he died of an apparent heart attack at his apartment in Manhattan on January 8, 1958.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

The Jungle ''The Jungle'' is a 1906 novel by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States. However, most readers wer ...

'' (1914) - Undetermined * '' Pride and the Devil'' (1917) - Undetermined * '' The Law That Failed'' (1917) - Jack Thorpe * '' O.S.S.'' (1946) - Amadeus Brink * ''

Gentleman's Agreement A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or th ...

'' (1947) - Lou Jordan * ''

The Miracle of the Bells ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1948) - Orloff * ''

The Big Clock ''The Big Clock'' is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was Fearing's fourth novel, following three for Random House (''The Hospital'', ''Dagger of the Mind'', ''Clark Gifford's Body'') and five collections ...

'' (1948) - Don Klausmeyer * '' The Sainted Sisters'' (1948) - Lederer * ''

The Emperor Waltz ''The Emperor Waltz'' (german: Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame) is a 1948 American musical film directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine.Bookbinder 1977, p. 179. Written by Wilder and Charles Brackett, the film is about ...

'' (1948) - Chamberlain * ''

Beyond Glory ''Beyond Glory'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by John Farrow and starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed. Written by William Wister Haines, Jonathan Latimer, and Charles Marquis Warren, the film is about a former soldier who thinks he may have ...

'' (1948) - Raymond Denmore, Sr. * ''

Sorry, Wrong Number ''Sorry, Wrong Number'' is a 1948 American thriller film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same name. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It follows a ...

'' (1948) - Chamberlain * '' California's Golden Beginning''

hort Hort may refer to: People * Erik Hort (born 1987), American soccer player * F. J. A. Hort (1828–1892), Irish theologian * Greta Hort (1903–1967), Danish-born literature professor * Josiah Hort (c. 1674–1751), English clergyman of the Chur ...

(1948) * '' Alias Nick Beal'' (1949) - Chief Justice (uncredited) * '' Manhandled'' (1949) - Dr. Redman * ''

Chicago Deadline ''Chicago Deadline'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed. It was remade as '' Fame Is the Name of the Game'' (1966). Plot Chicago newspaper reporter Ed Adams is in a boardi ...

'' (1949) - Jack Anstruder * ''

Edge of Doom ''Edge of Doom'' is a 1950 black-and-white film noir directed by Mark Robson and starring Dana Andrews, Farley Granger, and Joan Evans. Plot The story concerns a young mentally disturbed man, Martin Lynn (Farley Granger), who goes on a rampage ...

'' (1950) - Father Kirkman * '' Born to Be Bad'' (1950) - John Caine * '' Katie Did It'' (1950) - Merill T. Grumby * ''

Finders Keepers Finders, keepers, sometimes extended as the children's rhyme finders, keepers; losers, weepers, is an English language, English adage with the premise that when something is unowned or abandoned, whoever finds it first can claim it for themself pe ...

'' (1952) - Mr. Fitzpatrick

Television

* ''Danger'' * ''Man Against Crime'' * ''Studio One'' * ''The Philco Playhouse''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vermilyea, Harold 1889 births 1958 deaths American male stage actors American male television actors