Jay Eaton (March 17, 1899 – February 5, 1970) 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 b ...

whose career spanned both the silent and

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

eras.

Biography

Born on March 17, 1899, in

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, Eaton entered the film industry with a featured role in the 1920 silent film ''

Her First Elopement ''Her First Elopement'' is a 1920 American drama film directed by Sam Wood and written by Edith M. Kennedy. It is based on the 1915 novel ''Her First Elopement'' by Alice Duer Miller. The film stars Wanda Hawley, Jerome Patrick, Nell Craig, Luc ...

''. Over the next 32 years, according to some sources, he would appear in almost 200 films, usually in smaller uncredited roles, or as a background extra. During the course of his career, he would appear in many notable films, including: '' Stage Mother'' (1933), ''

Morning Glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. Morning glory species belong to many genera, some of ...

'' (1933), '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935), ''

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town ''Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' is a 1936 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Frank Capra and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role. Based on the 1935 short story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland, which ...

'' (1936), ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a magaz ...

'' (1944), ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' (1945), '' Brewster's Millions'' (1945), ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, The Big Sleep (1946 film), in 1946 and again The Big Sleep ...

'' (1946), ''

The Blue Dahlia ''The Blue Dahlia'' is a 1946 American crime film and film noir with an original screenplay by Raymond Chandler''Variety'' film review; January 30, 1946, page 12.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; February 2, 1946, page 19. directed by George M ...

'' (1946), ''

The Kid from Brooklyn ''The Kid from Brooklyn'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Steve Cochran, Walter Abel, Eve Arden, and Fay Bainter. Virginia Mayo's and Vera-Ellen's singing v ...

'' (1946), ''

The Fuller Brush Man ''The Fuller Brush Man'' is a 1948 American comedy film starring Red Skelton as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company who becomes a murder suspect. Plot Success doesn't exactly stare the unfortunate street cleaner Red Jones (Red Sk ...

'' (1948), ''

The Fountainhead ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect, who battles against conventional standards and refuses to com ...

'' (1949), and '' Young Man with a Horn'' (1950). His final appearance would be in

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for ''Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of O ...

's 1952 film, ''

Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...

'', which stars

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

and

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...

. Eaton died on February 5, 1970, at the age of 70, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1920) * ''

Where Lights Are Low ''Where Lights Are Low'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Colin Campbell and starring Sessue Hayakawa, Tôgô Yamamoto, and Goro Kino.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 66 Cast * Sessue Hayakawa as Tsu Wong S ...

'' (1921) *'' The Noose'' (1928) *'' Lady Be Good'' (1928) *''

Three-Ring Marriage ''Three-Ring Marriage'' also known as ''3-Ring Marriage'' is a lost 1928 American silent drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Mary Astor, Lloyd Hughes, and Lawford Davidson. Cast * Mary Astor as Anna * Lloyd Hughes as Cal * ...

'' (1928) *''

Man-Made Women ''Man-Made Women'' is a 1928 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Leatrice Joy. It was produced by Cecil B. DeMille and Ralph Block and distributed through Pathé Exchange. Cast *Leatrice Joy as Nan Payson ...

'' (1928) *'' Synthetic Sin'' (1929) *''

Children of Pleasure ''Children of Pleasure '' is a 1930 American pre-Code MGM musical comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont, originally released with Technicolor sequences. It was adapted from Crane Wilbur's 1929 play, ''The Song Writer''. Plot Danny, an acclai ...

'' (1930) *'' Sunny'' (1930) *'' The Last Flight'' (1931) *''

Faithless Faithless are an English band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, '' Reverence'', was released in 1996 and their most recent, ''All Blessed'', in 2020. They have sold millions ...

'' (1932) *'' Cocktail Hour'' (1933) *'' Stage Mother'' (1933) *''

The Affairs of Cellini ''The Affairs of Cellini'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Frank Morgan, Constance Bennett, Fredric March, Fay Wray, and Louis Calhern. It is set in Florence. The film was adapted by Bess Meredyth from the play ''The ...

'' (1934) *'' To Mary - with Love'' (1936) *'' Michael O'Halloran'' (1937) *'' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) *''

Blondie Plays Cupid ''Blondie Plays Cupid'' is a 1940 American comedy film starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake and directed by Frank R. Strayer. Also in the cast is Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Cana ...

'' (1940) *''

It Happened in Flatbush ''It Happened in Flatbush'' is a 1942 American sports film directed by Ray McCarey and starring Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis and Sara Allgood. The film is a baseball comedy inspired by the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers' pennant win. This film's sets we ...

'' (1942) *''

It's in the Bag! ''It's in the Bag!'' is a 1945 comedy film featuring Fred Allen in his only starring film role. The film was released by United Artists at a time when Allen was at the peak of his fame as one of the most popular radio comedians. The film has bee ...

'' (1945) *''

'' (1952)

References

External links

* * 1899 births 1970 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) People from Union Township, Union County, New Jersey 20th-century American male actors Male actors from New Jersey {{US-film-actor-1890s-stub