Maurice Cass (October 12, 1884 – June 8, 1954) was a

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 ...

on stage and in films and television shows. Born in Vilna,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

(modern day

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

) he moved to America at six years of age. When he was 17, he toured the southern United States with a repertory company. His slight build,

frizz Frizz is hair that does not align with the surrounding hair, but stands up or curls independently, creating a fuzzy or irregular texture. The three main causes of frizz are genetics, hair damage, and humidity. Frizzy hair can be seen as a positive ...

y hair and

pince-nez Pince-nez ( or , plural form same as singular; ) is a style of glasses, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that are supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the nose. The name comes from French ''pincer'', "to pinch" ...

glasses cast him as the "absent minded professor" or eccentric scientist type in many of his films, such as the character who discovers the element kryptonite in '' Adventures of Superman''. He is best remembered for his role as Professor Newton in the 1954 TV science fiction show ''

Rocky Jones, Space Ranger ''Rocky Jones, Space Ranger'' is an American science fiction television serial originally broadcast in syndication from February to November 1954. The show lasted for only two seasons and, though syndicated sporadically, dropped into obscurity. ...

,'' which later was produced as a film''

Manhunt in Space ''Manhunt in Space'' is a 75-minute 1954 American science fiction film, consisting of three consecutive episodes of the TV series '' Rocky Jones, Space Ranger'', which told a continuous story. It was released only on 16mm for home movie rental a ...

.'' Cass's Broadway credits included ''The Sky's the Limit'' (1934), ''Broadway Boy'' (1932), ''Wild Waves'' (1932), ''Wonder Boy'' (1931), ''Overture'' (1930), ''The Violet and One, Two, Three'' (1930), ''The Novice and the Duke'' (1929), ''The Broken Chain'' (1929), and ''Faust'' (1928). He died of a heart attack at age 69 while the Rocky Jones show was still in production; his Professor Newton character was replaced by a new character, Professor Mayberry.

Selected filmography

* ''

Two for Tonight ''Two for Tonight'' is a 1935 American musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Joan Bennett, and Mary Boland. Based on the play ''Two for Tonight'' by J. O. Lief and Max Lief, the film is about a songwriter who comp ...

'' (1935) * ''

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour in some countries) is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, dependi ...

'' (1936) * ''

Charlie Chan at the Opera ''Charlie Chan at the Opera'' is considered by many to be the best Warner Oland Charlie Chan film, probably due to the presence of Boris Karloff as the principal suspect, as well as faux operatic music composed by Oscar Levant. This is the 13th fi ...

'' (1936) (Stage Manager—Mr. Arnold) * ''

Wife, Doctor and Nurse ''Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Loretta Young. Plot Cast * Loretta Young as Ina Heath Lewis * Warner Baxter as Dr. Judd Lewis * Virginia Bruce as Miss Stephens aka Steve * Jane Da ...

'' (1937) - Pompout * ''

Women of Glamour ''Women of Glamour'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Gordon Wiles and starring Virginia Bruce, Melvyn Douglas and Reginald Denny.Goble p.1022 It is a remake of the 1930 film ''Ladies of Leisure'', which was itself based on the 1926 si ...

'' (1937) * '' She Had to Eat'' (1937) * ''

The Lady Escapes ''The Lady Escapes'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Gloria Stuart, Michael Whalen, George Sanders and Cora Witherspoon. It is based on a Hungarian play. Plot summary A newly married couple argue constantly ...

'' (1937) * ''

Exiled to Shanghai ''Exiled to Shanghai'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and Armand Schaefer and starring Wallace Ford, June Travis, and Dean Jagger.Dooley p.242 Production Despite its exotic-sounding title, none of the film is actually set ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Jones Family in Big Business ''Big Business'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Jed Prouty, Shirley Deane and Spring Byington. It was part of Twentieth Century Fox's Jones Family series of films.Drew p.180 The film's art direction was b ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Lone Wolf in Paris ''The Lone Wolf in Paris'' is a 1938 American film, one of Columbia's Lone Wolf film series. In the start-and-stop history of the Lone Wolf series, this entry is the only one with Lederer as star. It stands alone between Melvyn Douglas's ''Th ...

'' (1938) * '' Josette'' (1938) * ''

The Baroness and the Butler ''The Baroness and the Butler'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film based on the play ''Jean'' by Ladislaus Bus-Fekete. Directed by Walter Lang, it stars William Powell and, in her American English-language debut, Annabella (actress), Annabe ...

'' (1938) * '' Second Fiddle'' (1939) * ''

Rose of Washington Square ''Rose of Washington Square'' is a 1939 American musical drama film, featuring the already well-known popular song with the same title. Set in 1920s New York City, the film focuses on singer Rose Sargent and her turbulent relationship with con ar ...

'' (1939)''Great Movie Musicals on DVD'' - A Classic Movie Fan's Guide
by John Howard Reid - Google search with book preview * ''

Sunset Trail ''Sunset Trail'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander, written by Norman Houston, and starring William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Charlotte Wynters, Jan Clayton, Robert Fiske and Kenneth Harlan. It was ...

'' (1939) * ''

Pier 13 ''Pier 13'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Lynn Bari, Lloyd Nolan and Joan Valerie.Schlossheimer p.330 It is a remake of the 1932 film '' Me and My Gal'' with Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett in which a wat ...

'' (1940) * ''

Her Lucky Night ''Her Lucky Night'' is a 1945 musical film starring The Andrews Sisters. It was their last film for Universal. Plot A story of a woman who tries to find a boyfriend. Cast Lawsuit The film was part of a lawsuit by Harold Lloyd against Universal ...

'' (1945) * '' Paris Underground'' (1945) * ''

She Gets Her Man She Gets Her Man may refer to: * She Gets Her Man (1935 film), an American comedy film * She Gets Her Man (1945 film) ''She Gets Her Man'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by Warren Wilson, Clyde Bruckman, Ra ...

'' (1945) * ''

High Conquest ''High Conquest'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Irving Allen and starring Anna Lee, Gilbert Roland, and Warren Douglas. It was adapted from the 1941 book of the same title by James Ramsey Ullman. It was distributed by Monogram Picture ...

'' (1947) * ''

Once More, My Darling ''Once More, My Darling'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by and starring Robert Montgomery and Ann Blyth. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording ( Leslie I. Carey). Plot Collier "Collie" Laing, a confirm ...

'' (1949) * ''

The Go-Getter "The Go-Getter" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the March 1931 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'' (as "Sales Resistance"), and in the United Kingdom in the August 1931 ''Strand''. Part of the Blandings ...

'' (1956)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cass, Maurice 1884 births 1954 deaths People from Vilna Governorate American male actors American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery American male stage actors