Oothout Zabriskie Whitehead (March 1, 1911 – July 29, 1998) was an American stage and film character actor. He was born in New York City and attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Called "O.Z." or "Zebby", he also authored several volumes of biographical sketches of early members of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

especially in the West after he moved ( "pioneered" as a Baháʼí) to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1963.

Film, TV and theatre actor

Whitehead first appeared on Broadway in Martin Beck Theatre performing in '' The Lake'' (1933) in 55 performances from December 1933 to February 1934 (which was Katharine Hepburn's first Broadway leading role) and 11 other plays by 1939. Hepburn encouraged his early career. O. Z. Whitehead was one of the last surviving members of John Ford's "stock company" of character actors. Along with

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

, Donald Meek, Ward Bond,

Ben Johnson Ben, Benjamin or Benny Johnson may refer to: In sports Association football * Ben Johnson (footballer, born 2000), English footballer * Ben Johnson (soccer) (born 1977), American soccer player Other codes of football *Ben Johnson (Australian foot ...

, Harry Carey, Jr. et al., Whitehead was one of the many actors regularly employed by Ford to breathe life into even the smallest roles in his films. His best-known part was that of Al in Ford's 1940 adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...

''. Whitehead's film debut was in '' The Scoundrel'' (1935) by Ben Hecht, and

Charles MacArthur Charles Gordon MacArthur (November 5, 1895 – April 21, 1956) was an American playwright, screenwriter and 1935 winner of the Academy Award for Best Story. Life and career MacArthur was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the sixth of seven chil ...

which won a 1936

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for Best Original Story Whitehead most famously played Al Joad (

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

's younger brother) in John Steinbeck's '' Grapes of Wrath'' (1940) which was nominated for, and won, several Oscars. Whitehead starred as Clarence in a stage production of ''

Life with Father ''Life with Father'' is a 1939 play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, adapted from a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day. The Broadway production ran for 3,224 performances over 401 weeks to become the ...

'' with Lillian Gish among a total of more than 50 films and TV series episodes performances. Whitehead's first TV episode was ''The Arrow and the Bow'' in ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'' in 1953 and continued in other shows like '' Gunsmoke'' (1958’s “Lynching Man” where he is lynched), '' Bonanza'' (1960), and two episodes of '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1960–61). In 1961 he made a guest appearance on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' as murderer Harry Beacom in "The Case of the Cowardly Lion." Shortly thereafter Whitehead moved to Ireland and participated in theatre arts there. In 1966 he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the

Dublin Theatre Festival The Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe's oldest specialised theatre festival. It was founded by theatre impresario Brendan Smith in 1957 and has, with the exception of two years, produced a season of international and Irish theatre each autumn. ...

for his performance in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's '' Hughie'', a part he was to reprise at the Peacock until 1989. In 1983 he played the role of American Ambassador David Gray in the RTÉ television drama ''

Caught in a Free State ''Caught in a Free State'' was a dramatised television series made by RTÉ in 1983. This four-part series was about German spies in neutral Ireland during World War II, known in Ireland as " The Emergency". Production The series was written by ...

'', set in neutral Ireland during World War II. His final role was as the narrator/Voice in the Irish horror film ''Biological Maintenance Department'' (1997). Following his move to Ireland he established the "O. Z. Whitehead Award" supporting theatre in 1966, the first year including Dr. Michael McDonnell, for his play ''All Gods Die on Friday''. Other winners have been Ivy Bannister, Aodhan Madden, and Francis Harvey.

Personal life

As a child, Whitehead was fascinated by films and the theatre. He decided to make acting his career after his father took him to see Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan in ''

The Kid The Kid or The Kids may refer to: Fictional characters * The kid (''Blood Meridian''), a character in Cormac McCarthy's 1985 novel ''Blood Meridian'' * The Kid (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film series * The Kid (''The Stand'' ...

'' in 1921. After years on the stage, in film and on television, Whitehead struggled in the Hollywood studio system and became dissatisfied with the roles he was given. A pacifist during World War II, Whitehead first heard of the

in 1949. At his first informational meeting on the religion, Whitehead heard well-known researcher Marzieh Gail. Whitehead joined the religion in late 1950 and gave public talks on the religion throughout that decade, such as at World Religion Day observances and other occasions.* * * * Whitehead went on a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

to Baháʼí's spiritual and administrative center in

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

in 1955, and attended the first

Baháʼí World Congress The Baháʼí World Congress is a large gathering of Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís from across the world that is called irregularly by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baháʼís. There have only been two conferences of this ...

in London in 1963. That same year, Whitehead pioneered to

, while also taking on theatrical opportunities in the city. He was elected to the

Local Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...

of Dublin and the National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland following its formation in 1972, and served in that role for 15 years. From about 1973 through the end of his life, Whitehead devoted much of his time to the concerns of the religion. The results of this work included the authoring of three books collecting biographies of early Baháʼí adherents, which were published during his 60s. Whitehead also supported the Irish Actors' Equity and the Screen Actors' Guild, and served on the executive committee of the Irish branch of the international writers' club,

PEN A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity wh ...

Death

Whitehead died of cancer in Dublin in 1998, at the age of 87.

Partial filmography

* '' The Scoundrel'' (1935) - Calhoun * '' M'Liss'' (1936) - Sheriff (uncredited) * ''

'' (1940) - Al Joad * ''

To the Shores of Tripoli ''To the Shores of Tripoli'' is a 1942 American Technicolor film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Randolph Scott. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. Its cinematography was nominated for an Ac ...

'' (1942) - Marine Recruit (uncredited) * '' My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947) - Mr. Puddy * ''

The Romance of Rosy Ridge ''The Romance of Rosy Ridge'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Roy Rowland, about a rural community bitterly divided during the aftermath of the American Civil War. It stars Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, and Janet Leigh in her film d ...

'' (1947) - Ninny Nat * '' The Pirate'' (1948) - Hurtada (uncredited) * ''

A Song Is Born ''A Song Is Born'' (also known as ''That's Life''), starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, is a 1948 Technicolor musical film remake of Howard Hawks' 1941 movie ''Ball of Fire'' with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This version was also d ...

'' (1948) - Professor Oddly * '' Road House'' (1948) - Arthur * ''

Family Honeymoon ''Family Honeymoon'' is a 1949 domestic comedy film made by Universal International, directed by Claude Binyon, and written by Dane Lussier, based on novel by Homer Croy. It was shot in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Plot Katie Armstrong ...

'' (1948) - Jess (uncredited) * ''

Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious child ...

'' (1949) - Mr. Billings * ''

One Way Street ''One Way Street'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Hugo Fregonese and starring James Mason, Märta Torén and Dan Duryea. The crime film takes place mainly in Mexico. Plot Dr. Frank Matson, a physician, steals $200,000 from t ...

'' (1950) - Gas Station Proprietor (uncredited) * ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' (1950) - Settler (uncredited) * '' The Scarf'' (1951) - Whoopie (uncredited) * '' The Hoodlum'' (1951) - Breckenridge * '' Comin' Round the Mountain'' (1951) - Zeke * '' Journey Into Light'' (1951) - Lippy * ''

FBI Girl ''FBI Girl'' is a 1951 American film noir crime film about a female FBI employee who becomes involved in government plot involving corruption and murder. The film was directed by William A. Berke, and stars Cesar Romero, George Brent and Audrey ...

'' (1951) - Chauncey - Undertaker * '' For Men Only'' (1952) - Prof. Bixby * ''

The San Francisco Story ''The San Francisco Story'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Robert Parrish and starring Joel McCrea and Yvonne De Carlo. The rough and tumble Barbary Coast of San Francisco is recreated with attention to detail, including Florence ...

'' (1952) - Alfey * ''

We're Not Married! ''We're Not Married!'' is a 1952 American anthology romantic comedy film directed by Edmund Goulding. It was released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson, while the story was adapted by Dwight Taylor from Gin ...

'' (1952) - Jeff's Postman (uncredited) * '' Beware, My Lovely'' (1952) - Mr. Franks * '' Feudin' Fools'' (1952) - Yancy Smith * ''The Body Beautiful'' (1953) - Oscar Blunt * '' The Last Hurrah'' (1958) - Norman Cass Jr. * '' Rally Round the Flag, Boys!'' (1958) - Isaac Goodpasture * ''

The Horse Soldiers ''The Horse Soldiers'' is a 1959 American adventure war western film set during the American Civil War directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, William Holden and Constance Towers. The screenplay by John Lee Mahin and Martin Rackin w ...

'' (1959) - Hoppy Hopkins * ''

Chartroose Caboose ''Chartroose Caboose'' is a 1960 American comedy film directed by William 'Red' Reynolds and written by Rod Peterson. The film stars Molly Bee, Ben Cooper, Edgar Buchanan, Michael McGreevey, O. Z. Whitehead and Slim Pickens. The film was releas ...

'' (1960) - J.B. King * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 19: "Not the Running Type") - Mr. Newton * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1961) (Season 6 Episode 36: "Final Arrangements") - Simms * ''

Two Rode Together ''Two Rode Together'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon th ...

'' (1961) - Lt. Chase * ''

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' () is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a 1953 short story written by ...

'' (1962) - Herbert Carruthers * ''

Panic in Year Zero! ''Panic in Year Zero!'' (a.k.a. ''End of the World'') is a 1962 American black-and-white survival science fiction film from American International Pictures. It was produced by Arnold Houghland and Lou Rusoff, directed by Ray Milland, who also ...

'' (1962) - Hogan - Grocery Store Owner * '' Summer Magic'' (1963) - Mr. Perkins * '' Ulysses'' (1967) - Alexander J. Dowie * ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' (1968) - Bishop of Durham * ''Philadelphia, Here I Come'' (1977) - Ben Burton * ''Diary of a Madman'' (1990) - Lunatic * ''Hello Stranger'' (1992) - Head Waiter * '' Ailsa'' (1994) - American tourist

Publications

* * * * He also wrote an autobiographical 35 page chapter in

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitehead, O.Z. St. Mark's School (Massachusetts) alumni Harvard University alumni American Bahá'ís Irish Bahá'ís American male film actors Irish male film actors American male stage actors Irish male stage actors American male television actors 1911 births 1998 deaths Converts to the Bahá'í Faith 20th-century Bahá'ís 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Irish male actors