Walter B. McGrail (October 19, 1888 – March 19, 1970) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1916 and 1951. Besides feature films, he appeared in ''The Scarlet Runner'', a 12-chapter serial.
McGrail was born in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and died in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, at the age of 81.
Selected filmography
* ''Thou Art the Man'' (1916) – Bearer
* ''The Ordeal of Elizabeth'' (1916) – Elizabeth's Father
* '' Lights of New York'' (1916) – Hawk Chovinski
* ''
The Scarlet Runner
''The Scarlet Runner'' is a 1916 American drama film serial directed by William P. S. Earle and Wally Van. The film is considered lost.
Plot
A series of 12 two-reel episodes, each a separate story related to the adventures of Christopher Race ...
'' (1916) – Morley Chester
* ''The Dollar and the Law'' (1916) – George Gray
* '' Indiscretion'' (1917) – Jimmy Travers
* ''
The Courage of Silence
''The Courage of Silence'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Alice Joyce, Harry T. Morey
Harry Temple Morey (August 21, 1873 – January 24, 1936) was an American stage and motion picture actor who ...
'' (1917) – Saunders
* ''
Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation
''Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation'' is a 1917 American lost silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William P. S. Earle, and written by Blackton, Helmer W. Bergman, and Cyrus Townsend Brady. It is a sequel to the 1915 movie ''T ...
'' (1917) – Count Dario
* '' Within the Law'' (1917) – Dick Gilder
* '' Over There'' (1917) – Minor Role
* '' The Song of the Soul'' (1918) – Dr. Evans
* ''The Business of Life'' (1918) –
* ''
The Triumph of the Weak
''The Triumph of the Weak'' is a 1918 Vitagraph American drama film that was directed by Tom Terriss, written by Garfield Thompson based upon a play by Edith Ellis and Forrest Halsey, and starring Alice Joyce. It is the story of a woman who steal ...
'' (1918) – Jim Roberts
* ''Find the Woman'' (1918) – Maurice Dumars
* ''
To the Highest Bidder
''To the Highest Bidder'' is a lost 1918 silent film drama directed by Tom Terriss and starring Alice Joyce. It was produced by the Vitagraph Company of America and distributed by a releasing company V-L-S-E.Everybody's Girl'' (1918) – Blinker
* ''Miss Ambition'' (1918) – Larry Boyle
* '' Brown of Harvard'' (1918) – Gerald Thorne
* ''
The Adventure Shop
''The Adventure Shop'' is a 1919 American silent adventure film directed by Kenneth S. Webb and starring Corinne Griffith, Walter McGrail and Robert Gaillard.Koszarski p.108
Plot
Cast
* Corinne Griffith as Phyllis Blake
* Walter McGrail as ...
'' (1919) – Josephus Potts, Jr
* ''The Girl, Glory'' (1919) – Ernest Sanford
* ''
The Country Cousin
''The Country Cousin'' is a Walt Disney animated short film released on October 31, 1936 by United Artists. The winner of an Oscar at the 9th Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film, the film was produced by Walt Disney, directed by Wilfred J ...
'' (1919) – George Tewksbury Reynolds III
* ''
The Black Secret
''The Black Secret'' is a 1919 American adventure film, adventure film serial directed by George B. Seitz. The film was recorded in both Fort Lee, New Jersey, as well as in the nearby Hudson Palisades. Recording took place during a time when man ...
'' (1919) – Ray McKay
* ''
Greater Than Fame
''Greater Than Fame'' is a 1920 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Selznick Pictures. It was directed by Alan Crosland and stars Elaine Hammerstein. It is not known whether the film currently survives.
Plot
As described in ...
'' (1920) – Jack Martin
* ''
Blind Youth
''Blind Youth'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Walter McGrail, Leatrice Joy, and Claire McDowell. It was based upon the play of the same name by Lou Tellegen and Willard Mack.The Invisible Divorce
''The Invisible Divorce'' is a 1920 American silent drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usuall ...
'' (1920) – Jimmy Ryder
* ''
Life's Twist
''Life's Twist'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Christy Cabanne with Bessie Barriscale in a dual role. With a survival status classified as unknown, so it may be a lost film.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, following her ...
'' (1920) – Steven De Koven
* ''
Darling Mine
''Darling Mine'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Laurence Trimble and starring Olive Thomas, Walter McGrail and Walt Whitman.Connelly p.59
Cast
* Olive Thomas as Kitty McCarthy
* Walter McGrail as Roger Davis
* Walt Whitman ...
'' (1920) – Roger Davis
* ''Beware of the Bride'' (1920) – Billy Emerson
* ''
Habit
A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
'' (1921) – Charles Munson
* '' The Breaking Point'' (1921) – Richard Janeway
* ''
Playthings of Destiny
''Playthings of Destiny'' is a 1921 American romance film directed by Edwin Carewe and written by Anthony Paul Kelly. The film stars Anita Stewart, Herbert Rawlinson, Walter McGrail, Grace Morse, William V. Mong, and Richard Headrick. The film ...
'' (1921) – Hubert Randolph
* ''
Pilgrims of the Night
''Pilgrims of the Night'' is a 1921 American drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Lewis Stone, Rubye De Remer and William V. Mong.Goble p.353 It is based on the 1910 novel ''Passers-By'' by the British writer E. Phillips Oppenheim. ...
'' (1921) – Gilbert Hannaway
* ''
The Invisible Fear
''The Invisible Fear'' is a lost 1921 American silent mystery film directed by Edwin Carewe and starring Anita Stewart. It was produced by Stewart and Louis B. Mayer with release through First National Pictures.
Plot
As described in a film mag ...
'' (1921) – Arthur Comstock
* ''
Her Mad Bargain
''Her Mad Bargain'' is a 1921 American drama film directed by Edwin Carewe and written by Josephine Quirk. The film stars Anita Stewart, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Helen Raymond, Adele Farrington, Margaret McWade, and Percy Challenger. The film was r ...
'' (1921) – David Leighton
* '' The Cradle'' (1922) – Courtney Webster
* ''
The Top of New York
''The Top of New York'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and written by George James Hopkins, Julia Crawford Ivers and Sonya Levien. The film stars May McAvoy, Walter McGrail, Pat Moore, Edward Cecil, ...
'' (1922) – Emery Gray
* ''
The Yosemite Trail
''The Yosemite Trail'' is a lost 1922 American silent Western film directed by Bernard J. Durning and starring Dustin Farnum, Irene Rich and Walter McGrail.Solomon p.279
Cast
* Dustin Farnum as Jim Thorpe
* Irene Rich as Eve Marsham
* Walt ...
'' (1922) – Ned Thorpe
* '' The Kentucky Derby'' (1922) – Ralph Gordon
* ''
Nobody's Money
''Nobody's Money'' is a lost 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Wallace Worsley and written by Beulah Marie Dix based on a play of the same name by William LeBaron. The film stars Jack Holt, Wanda Hawley, Harry Depp, Robert Schable, ...
'' (1923) – Frank Carey
* ''Suzanna'' (1923) – Ramón
* '' Is Divorce a Failure?'' (1923) – Kelcey Barton
* ''
Where the North Begins
''Where the North Begins'' is a 1923 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. This was the third film for up-and-coming canine actor Rin Tin Tin. The film survives today and lapsed into the public domain on January 1 ...
A Son of the Sahara
''A Son of the Sahara'' is a 1924 American silent drama film produced and directed by Edwin Carewe and co-directed with René Plaissetty. It stars Claire Windsor and Bert Lytell. First National handled the distribution of the film.
Plot
As de ...
'' (1924) – Captain Jean Duval
* ''
Unguarded Women
''Unguarded Women'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Bebe Daniels. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures.
Plot
The film is about a man who, rather than be with the ...
'' (1924) – Larry Trent
* ''
Gerald Cranston's Lady
''Gerald Cranston's Lady'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Emmett J. Flynn and starring James Kirkwood Sr., James Kirkwood, Alma Rubens, and Walter McGrail. It is based on the Gerald Cranston's Lady (novel), novel of ...
'' (1924) – Gordon Ibbotsleigh
* '' Is Love Everything?'' (1924) – Boyd Carter
* '' The Dancers'' (1925) – The Argentine
* ''
Adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
Her Husband's Secret
''Her Husband's Secret'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Antonio Moreno, Patsy Ruth Miller, and Ruth Clifford
Ruth Clifford (February 17, 1900 – November 30, 1998) was an American actress of lea ...
'' (1925)
* ''
The Teaser
''The Teaser'' is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy drama film written by Lewis Milestone, Edward T. Lowe Jr., and Jack Wagner based upon the play of the same name by Adelaide Matthews and Martha M. Stanley. The film was directed by Wil ...
'' (1925) – Roderick Caswell
* ''
The Scarlet West
''The Scarlet West'' is a 1925 American silent historical drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Robert Frazer and Clara Bow. It was distributed by the First National company.
This was an ambitious silent film made by an independ ...
'' (1925) – Lt. Harper
* ''
Havoc
High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) is a set of crewed NASA mission concepts to the planet Venus. All human portions of the missions would be conducted from lighter-than-air craft or from orbit.
Background
Venus is a planet with a r ...
Marriage License?
''Marriage License?'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank Borzage and written by Bradley King and Elizabeth Pickett Chevalier. It is based on the 1925 play ''The Pelican'' by F. Tennyson Jesse and H. M. Harwood. The film st ...
'' (1926) – Marcus Heriot
* ''
Across the Pacific
''Across the Pacific'' is a 1942 American spy film set on the eve of the entry of the United States into World War II. It was directed first by John Huston, then by Vincent Sherman after Huston joined the United States Army Signal Corps. It sta ...
'' (1926) – Capt. Grover
* '' The City'' (1926) – Jim Hannock
* ''
Prisoners of the Storm
''Prisoners of the Storm'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring House Peters, Peggy Montgomery, and Walter McGrail.
Plot
As described in a film magazine, Bucky Malone and his elder partner, Pierre LeG ...
'' (1926) – Sergeant McClellan
* ''
The Secret Studio
''The Secret Studio'' is a 1927 American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by James Kevin McGuinness. The film stars Olive Borden, John Holland, Noreen Phillips, Ben Bard, Kate Bruce and Joseph Cawthorn. The film was releas ...
'' (1927) – Mr. Kyler
* ''
Old San Francisco
''Old San Francisco'' is a 1927 American silent historical drama film starring Dolores Costello and featuring Warner Oland. The film, which was produced and distributed by Warner Bros., was directed by Alan Crosland.
Plot
Chris Buckwell, cruel ...
'' (1927) – Vasquez's Grandson – in Prologue
* '' American Beauty'' (1927) – Claverhouse
* ''
Man Crazy
''Man Crazy'' is a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, published in 1997, that tells the story of a young girl's descent into self-harm, sexual abuse, cult brainwashing, and subsequent rescue.
Plot summary
Man Crazy is told from the point of view of a y ...
'' (1927) – Van Breamer
* ''
Stop That Man!
''Stop That Man!'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by Nat Ross and starring Arthur Lake, Barbara Kent and Eddie Gribbon.Langman p.398 The screenplay concerns a man who accidentally assists a group of criminals.
Plot summary
The ...
'' (1928) – 'Slippery Dick' Sylvaine
* '' Midnight Madness'' (1928) – Childers
* '' The Play Girl'' (1928) – David Courtney
* ''
The Old Code
''The Old Code'' is a 1928 American silent historical drama film directed by Ben F. Wilson and starring Walter McGrail, Lillian Rich and Cliff Lyons.Langman p.XIV It is based on a story by James Oliver Curwood and a Native American girl in love ...
'' (1928) – Pierre Belleu
* ''
Confessions of a Wife
''Confessions of a Wife'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Albert H. Kelley and starring Helene Chadwick, Walter McGrail and Ethel Grey Terry.Munden p.143
A married woman loses huge amounts of money playing cards. She is blackm ...
'' (1928) – Henri Duval
* ''
Blockade
A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force.
A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...
'' (1928) – Hayden
* ''
Hey Rube!
''Hey Rube!'' is a 1928 American silent drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified ...
'' (1928) – Duke
* ''
The Veiled Woman
''The Veiled Woman'' is a 1929 American drama film directed by Emmett J. Flynn and starring Lia Torá, Lupita Tovar and Walter McGrail, also featuring Bela Lugosi.Kohner p. 347 This film was initially advertised as being a sound film, but at th ...
'' (1929) – Diplomatic Attaché
* ''
River of Romance
''River of Romance'' is a 1929 American drama film directed by Richard Wallace and written by Ethel Doherty, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Dan Totheroh and John V.A. Weaver. The film stars Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Mary Brian, June Collyer, Henry B. Wal ...
Women Everywhere
''Women Everywhere'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring J. Harold Murray, Fifi D'Orsay, and George Grossmith, Jr. It is set amongst the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
The fi ...
'' (1930) – Lieutenant of Legionnaires
* ''
Anybody's War
''Anybody's War'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Richard Wallace and written by Lloyd Corrigan, Hector Turnbull and Walter Weems. The film stars George Moran, Charles Mack, Joan Peers, Neil Hamilton, Walter Weems and Bet ...
Murder by the Clock
''Murder by the Clock'' is a 1931 American pre-Code murder mystery film starring William "Stage" Boyd and Lilyan Tashman. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Rufus King and the play ''Dangerously Yours'' by Charles Beahan.
Pl ...
'' (1931) – Herbert Endicott
* ''
Under Eighteen
''Under Eighteen'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Marian Marsh, Anita Page, Regis Toomey, and Warren William. It is based on the short story "Sky Life" by Frank Mitchell Dazey and Agnes Chri ...
'' (1931) – Gregg (uncredited)
* '' Night Beat'' (1931) – Martin Andrews
* '' Union Depot'' (1932) – Pickpocket (uncredited)
* ''
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the ''Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder ...
'' (1932, Serial) – Dulac
* ''
McKenna of the Mounted
''McKenna of the Mounted'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by D. Ross Lederman. A print is housed in the Library of Congress collection.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collec ...
'' (1932) – Inspector Oliver P. Logan
* ''
Exposed
Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to:
News sources
* Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism
* '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website
Film and TV Film
* ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film
* ''Exposed'' (1932 ...
'' (1932) – Johnny Russo
* ''
Vanity Street
''Vanity Street'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code crime drama film directed by Nick Grinde and starring Charles Bickford, Helen Chandler and Mayo Methot.Scott p.42
A New York policeman assists a down-on-her-luck showgirl, helping her get a job at th ...
'' (1932) – Detective Hanson (uncredited)
* '' Robbers' Roost'' (1932) – Henchman Brad
* '' State Trooper'' (1933) – Burman
* '' Police Call'' (1933) – Dr. James A. Gordon
* ''
Sing Sinner Sing
''Sing Sinner Sing'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Howard Christie.
Plot summary
Leila Hyams plays a singer who is accused of her husband's murder.
Production notes
At the time the movie was released, it was reco ...
'' (1933) – Louis
* ''
David Harum
''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''.
Literary significance and criticism
Written by retired Syracuse, N ...
'' (1934) – Townsman (uncredited)
* ''
The World Moves On
''The World Moves On'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by John Ford and starring Madeleine Carroll and Franchot Tone. It was the first Hollywood code approved film.
Plot
The story opens in the year 1825, when two families, cotton merch ...
'' (1934) – The Duallist (1825)
* ''
A Demon for Trouble
''A Demon for Trouble'' is a 1934 American black-and-white action/adventure/ romance short film directed by Robert F. Hill and produced by A. W. Hackel for Supreme Pictures. It stars Bob Steele, Don Alvarado, Gloria Shea, and Nick Stuart and ...
'' (1934) – Dyer
* ''
The Lemon Drop Kid
''The Lemon Drop Kid'' is a 1951 American comedy film based on the short story of the same name by Damon Runyon, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. Although Sidney Lanfield is credited as the director, Frank Tashlin reportedly was hired, u ...
'' (1934) – Racetrack Tout (uncredited)
* '' Men of the Night'' (1934) – Louie
* '' All the King's Horses'' (1935) – Baron Kurt Chizlinska (uncredited)
* ''
Sunset Range
''Sunset Range'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Ray McCarey and starring Hoot Gibson. The film received a mostly positive reception, with praise for Gibson's acting and delivery of humor in what was his first western film in two ...
'' (1935) – Grant
* ''
The Glass Key
''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ga ...
Hard Rock Harrigan
''Hard Rock Harrigan'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by David Howard and starring George O'Brien, Irene Hervey and Fred Kohler.Katchmer p.181
Cast
* George O'Brien as Tim 'Hard Rock' Harrigan
* Irene Hervey as 'Andy' Anderson
* ...
'' (1935) – Worker (uncredited)
* '' Call of the Wild'' (1935) – Spectator (uncredited)
* '' Special Agent K-7'' (1936) – Vincent 'Lanny' Landers
* ''
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 Jan ...
'' (1936) – Gambler #1 (uncredited)
* ''
The Accusing Finger
''The Accusing Finger'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by James P. Hogan and written by Madeleine Ruthven, Brian Marlow, John Bright and Robert Tasker. The film stars Paul Kelly, Marsha Hunt, Kent Taylor, Robert Cummings, Harry Care ...
'' (1936) – Guard (uncredited)
* ''
Ten Laps to Go
''Ten Laps to Go'' (''King of the Speedway'') is a 1938 American action/drama film directed by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Rex Lease as a champion race car driver, Duncan Renaldo as his rival, and Muriel Evans as the romantic interest. Former si ...
'' (1936) – Drake – DeSylva's Mechanic
* ''
Reefer Madness
''Reefer Madness'' (originally made as ''Tell Your Children'' and sometimes titled ''The Burning Question'', ''Dope Addict'', ''Doped Youth'', and ''Love Madness'') is a 1936 American propaganda film about drugs, revolving around the melodramat ...
'' (1936) – The Boss (uncredited)
* ''
The Shadow Strikes
''The Shadow Strikes'' is a 1937 black and white American film based on the story ''Ghost of the Manor'' written by Walter B. Gibson under the pen name Maxwell Grant The Shadow was featured on a popular radio show and also as a pulp magazine ...
'' (1937) – Winstead Comstock
* ''The Fighting Deputy'' (1937) – Townsman (uncredited)
* ''The Mysterious Pilot'' (1937) – Jordan (uncredited)
* ''West of Rainbow's End'' (1938) – George Reynolds aka Johnson
* ''Held for Ransom (1938 film), Held for Ransom'' (1938) – Donnelly
* ''On the Great White Trail'' (1938) – Garou
* ''Code of the Fearless'' (1939) – Ranger Capt. Rawlins
* ''In Old Montana'' (1939) – Joe Allison
* ''Stagecoach (1939 film), Stagecoach'' (1939) – Capt. Sickel (uncredited)
* ''The Sun Never Sets (film), The Sun Never Sets'' (1939) – Henchman DaCosta (uncredited)
* ''Calling All Marines'' (1939) – Capt. Chester
* ''The Green Hornet (serial), The Green Hornet'' (1940, Serial) – Dean
* ''The Grapes of Wrath (film), The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940) – Gang Leader (uncredited)
* ''My Little Chickadee'' (1940) – Townsman (uncredited)
* ''Billy the Kid Outlawed'' (1940) – Judge Fitzgerald
* ''Marked Men (1940 film), Marked Men'' (1940) – Doctor (uncredited)
* ''The Son of Monte Cristo'' (1940) – Minor Role (uncredited)
* ''Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (1940) – Stoner
* ''Back Street (1941 film), Back Street'' (1941) – Reporter (uncredited)
* ''Along the Rio Grande'' (1941) – Cattle Buyer (uncredited)
* ''Last of the Duanes (1941 film), Last of the Duanes'' (1941) – Texas Ranger (uncredited)
* ''Appointment for Love'' (1941) – Stoddard (uncredited)
* ''Holt of the Secret Service'' (1941, Serial) – Ship Captain (uncredited)
* ''Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.'' (1941, Serial) – Junction Heavy 1 / Marine Captain (uncredited)
* ''Billy the Kid Trapped'' (1942) – Judge Jack McConnell
* ''Riders of the West'' (1942) – Miller, the Banker
* ''Bowery at Midnight'' (1942) – Coroner (uncredited)
* ''A Double Life (1947 film), A Double Life'' (1947) – Steve (uncredited)
* ''A Life of Her Own'' (1950) – Party Guest (uncredited)
* ''Here Comes the Groom'' (1951) – Newsreel Director (uncredited)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGrail, Walter
1888 births
1970 deaths
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
People from Brooklyn
Male actors from New York City
20th-century American male actors
Film serial actors
Male Western (genre) film actors