Nat Carr (August 12, 1886 – July 6, 1944) 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 ...

of the silent and early

talking picture A sound film is a motion picture with synchronization, 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 decad ...

eras. During his eighteen-year career, Carr appeared in over 100 films, most of them features.

Life and career

Carr was born on August 12, 1886, in Poltava in the Russian Empire (now part of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

). In 1887, his family emigrated to the United States. Carr entered the film industry in the 1925 film, ''

His People ''His People'' (also known as Proud Heart) is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman about a young, Jewish boxer growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

'', in the featured role of Chaim Barowitz. Although he may have appeared in an earlier film, 1923's ''

Little Johnny Jones ''Little Johnny Jones'' is a musical by George M. Cohan. The show introduced Cohan's tunes " Give My Regards to Broadway" and " The Yankee Doodle Boy." The "Yankee Doodle" character was inspired by real-life Hall of Fame jockey Tod Sloan. Bac ...

''. He appeared in the featured role of Levi in ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...

'' in 1927. In 1929 Carr co-wrote the story (with

Mark Sandrich Mark Sandrich (born Mark Rex Goldstein; October 26, 1900 – March 4, 1945) was an American film director, writer, and producer. Early life Sandrich was born in New York City on October 26, 1900 into a American Jews, Jewish family. His siste ...

) for the film, ''The Talk of Hollywood'', in which he also starred. Other notable films in which he appeared include: as a waiter in

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He w ...

's 1939 crime drama, ''

The Roaring Twenties ''The Roaring Twenties'' is a 1939 American crime thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, and Gladys George. The film, spanning the periods between 1919 and 1933, was written by Jerry ...

'', starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

Priscilla Lane Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995) was an American actress, and the youngest sibling in the Lane Sisters of singers and actresses. She is best remembered for her roles in the films ''The Roaring Twenties'' ...

, and

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

; in the role of Crocker in the 1939 Western, ''

Dodge City Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town ...

'', starring

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

and

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

; as one of the doctors in the

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

tour de force, ''

Dark Victory ''Dark Victory'' is a 1939 American melodrama film directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Bette Davis, and featuring George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, Henry Travers, and Cora Witherspoon. The screenplay by Ca ...

'', which also starred Bogart and

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

; and as one of the reporters in the 1941 war classic, '' Sergeant York'', starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

. Carr's final screen performance was as a tourist in the 1941 comedy mystery, ''

Passage from Hong Kong ''Passage from Hong Kong'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by D. Ross Lederman and written by Fred Niblo Jr. and Earl Derr Biggers. The film stars Lucile Fairbanks, Douglas Kennedy, Paul Cavanagh, Richard Ainley, Marjorie Gateson and ...

''. Carr died on July 6, 1944, in Hollywood, California, and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries''
/ref>

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1923) *''

His People ''His People'' (also known as Proud Heart) is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman about a young, Jewish boxer growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

'' (1925) *''

Her Big Night ''Her Big Night'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Melville W. Brown and written by Brown, Rex Taylor, and Nita O'Neil. It is based on the 1925 short story, ''Doubling for Lora'', by Peggy Gaddis that was originally serialize ...

'' (1926) *''

Millionaires A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short sc ...

'' (1926) *'' Private Izzy Murphy'' (1926) *''

The Mystery Club ''The Mystery Club'' is a 1926 American silent mystery film directed by Herbert Blaché and starring Matt Moore, Edith Roberts and Mildred Harris.Munden p.535 It was based on a story from Arthur Somers Roche's ''Crimes of the Armchair Club''. ...

'' (1926) *''

Watch Your Wife ''Watch Your Wife'' is a 1926 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Svend Gade and starring Virginia Valli, Pat O'Malley and Nat Carr.Langman p.264 Cast * Virginia Valli as Claudia Langham * Pat O'Malley as James Langham * Nat ...

'' (1926) *'' Madonna of the Sleeping Cars'' (1928) *''

The Talk of Hollywood ''The Talk of Hollywood'' is a 1929 American musical comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Nat Carr, Fay Marbe and Hope Sutherland.Munden p.785 It was shot at the New York studios of RKO Pictures. The film's sets were designed b ...

'' (1929) *''

Two Plus Fours ''Two Plus Fours'' is a 1930 American short film directed by Ray McCarey and featuring the Rhythm Boys ( Bing Crosby, Al Rinker and Harry Barris). The film was shot in 5 days starting on May 29, 1930 at a cost of $19,689. It previewed in mid-J ...

'' (1930) *'' 50 Million Frenchmen'' (1931) *'' Union Depot'' (1932) *''

Big Time or Bust ''Big Time or Bust'' is a 1933 American comedy-drama directed by Sam Newfield, which stars Regis Toomey, Gloria Shea, and Walter Byron. Plot Jimmy Kane is a high diver in a carnival, with his wife, Betty Roberts as his assistant. Before ever ...

'' (1933) *''

I Can't Escape ''I Can't Escape'' is a 1934 American film directed by Otto Brower. The film is also known as ''The Magic Vault'' (American alternative title). Cast *Onslow Stevens as Steve Nichols, alias Steve Cummings *Lila Lee as Mae Nichols *Russell Glea ...

'' (1934) *''

Marrying Widows ''Marrying Widows'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Judith Allen, Johnny Mack Brown and Minna Gombell.Parish & Pitts, p. 286 Synopsis After the death of her sewing machine tycoon husband, a young w ...

'' (1934) *''

Red Blood of Courage ''Red Blood of Courage'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by John English from a screenplay by Barry Barringer. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Ann Sheridan, and Reginald Barlow. Plot Sgt. Sullivan of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police go ...

'' (1935) *''

Bank Alarm ''Bank Alarm'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Hunt in the last of their four film G-Man film series. Plot A G-Man (Conrad Nagel) and his girlfriend (Eleanor Hunt) follow a trail ...

'' (1937) *''

Everybody's Hobby ''Everybody's Hobby'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by William C. McGann and written by Kenneth Gamet and William W. Brockway. The film stars Irene Rich, Henry O'Neill, Jackie Moran, Aldrich Bowker, Jean Sharon, John Ridgely and Peg ...

'' (1939) *''

King of the Lumberjacks ''King of the Lumberjacks'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by William Clemens and starring John Payne, Gloria Dickson and Stanley Fields.Pitts p.174 The film's sets were designed by the art director Esdras Hartley. Partial cast * ...

'' (1940)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Nat 1886 births 1944 deaths Ukrainian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male silent film actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)