
Walter Baldwin
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter S. Baldwin Jr. (January 2, 1889 − January 27, 1977) was a prolific character actor whose career spanned five decades and 150 film and television roles, and numerous stage performances.
Baldwin was born in Lima, Ohio from a theatrical family and served in the First World War.
He was probably best known for playing the father of the handicapped sailor in The Best Years of Our Lives. He was the first actor to portray "Floyd the Barber" on The Andy Griffith Show.
Prior to his first film roles in 1939, Baldwin had appeared in more than a dozen Broadway plays.
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He played Whit in the first Broadway production of Of Mice and Men, and also appeared in the original Grand Hotel in a small role, as well as serving as the production's stage manager. He originated the role of Bensinger, the prissy Chicago Tribune reporter, in the Broadway production of The Front Page.
In the 1960s he had small acting roles in television shows such as Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. He continued to act in motion pictures, and one of his last roles was in Rosemary's Baby.
Baldwin was known for playing solid middle class burghers, although sometimes he gave portrayals of eccentric characters. He played a customer seeking a prostitute in The Lost Weekend and the rebellious prison trusty Orvy in Cry of the City. Walter Baldwin was featured in a lot of John Deere Day Movies from 1949-59 where he played the farmer Tom Gordon. In this series of Deere Day movies over a decade he helped to introduce many new pieces of John Deere farm equipment year-by-year. In each yearly movie he would be shown on his in A Tom Gordon Family Film where he would be buying new John Deere farm equipment or a new green and yellow tractor.A picture of Walter Baldwin playing Tom Gordon can be found on page 108 of Bob Pripp's book John Deere Yesterday & Today
Hal Erickson writes in Allmovie: "With a pinched Midwestern countenance that enabled him to portray taciturn farmers, obsequious grocery store clerks and the occasional sniveling coward, Baldwin was a familiar (if often unbilled) presence in Hollywood films for three decades."
Known for
Rosemary's BabyMr. Wees (uncredited)7.8
The Best Years of Our LivesMr. Parrish7.7
The Lost WeekendMan from Albany (uncredited)7.6
The Strange Love of Martha IversDempsey (uncredited)7.1
The Desperate HoursGeorge Patterson7.0
Christmas in ConnecticutHerb, the Sheriff (uncredited)7.0
The Andy Griffith ShowFloyd Lawson7.6
The Harder They FallBoxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)7.2
Cheyenne AutumnJeremy Wright (uncredited)6.7
DragonwyckTom Wilson (uncredited)6.6
They Died with Their Boots OnSettler (uncredited)6.7
GunsmokeOld Man6.7
Filmography
The 80 most recent of 111 credits.
- 1970Nanny and the ProfessorSeries (1 episode)
- 1968LancerSeries (1 episode)
- 1968Rosemary's BabyFilm: Mr. Wees (uncredited)
- 1967MannixSeries: Luther (1 episode)
- 1965Green AcresSeries: Grandpappy Miller (2 episodes)
- 1965My Mother the CarSeries (1 episode)
- 1964Cheyenne AutumnFilm: Jeremy Wright (uncredited)
- 1963Petticoat JunctionSeries: Grandpappy Miller (9 episodes)
- 1963The FugitiveSeries: Mr. Weaver (1 episode)
- 1963The DakotasSeries (1 episode)
- 1962Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young ManFilm: Conductor (uncredited)
- 1961Wild in the CountryFilm: Mr. Spangler (uncredited)
- 1960The Andy Griffith ShowSeries: Floyd Lawson (1 episode)
- 1960Oklahoma TerritoryFilm: Ward Harlan
- 1958LawmanSeries (1 episode)
- 1957Casey JonesSeries: Conductor (1 episode)
- 1957Wagon TrainSeries: Eddie Blake (uncredited) (1 episode)
- 1956You Can't Run Away from ItFilm: 1st Proprietor
- 1956The Fastest Gun AliveFilm: Man Who Warns Vinny (uncredited)
- 1956The Harder They FallFilm: Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)
- 1956GloryFilm: Doc Brock
- 1955The Desperate HoursFilm: George Patterson
- 1955Screen Director's PlayhouseSeries: Farmer Everett (1 episode)
- 1955FrontierSeries: Briggs (1 episode)
- 1955GunsmokeSeries: Old Man (1 episode)
- 1955Interrupted MelodyFilm: Jim Owens
- 1955Stranger on HorsebackFilm: Vince Webb
- 1955The MillionaireSeries: Dr. Frank Kenston (1 episode)
- 1954DestryFilm: Henry Skinner
- 1954LassieSeries (1 episode)
- 1954Living It UpFilm: Isaiah Jackson
- 1954The Long, Long TrailerFilm: Uncle Edgar
- 1953The Pepsi-Cola PlayhouseSeries: George (1 episode)
- 1953Ride, Vaquero!Film: Adam Smith
- 1953Scandal at ScourieFilm: Michael Hayward
- 1953General Electric TheaterSeries: Spivak, Henry Clayburn, Johnson (1 episode)
- 1952CarrieFilm: Mr. Meeber - Carrie's Father
- 1952The Winning TeamFilm: Pa Alexander (uncredited)
- 1951I Want YouFilm: George Kress Sr.
- 1951The RacketFilm: Sullivan
- 1951Storm WarningFilm: Coroner Bledsoe
- 1951Rough Riders of DurangoFilm: Cricket Adams
- 1950The JackpotFilm: Watch Buyer (uncredited)
- 1950Lux Video TheatreSeries: Mr. Brinker (1 episode)
- 1950Cheaper by the DozenFilm: Jim Bracken (uncredited)
- 1949Thieves' HighwayFilm: Officer Riley (uncredited)
- 1949Calamity Jane and Sam BassFilm: Doc Purdy
- 1949Come to the StableFilm: Claude Jarman (uncredited)
- 1949Special AgentFilm: Pop Peters (uncredited)
- 1949The Gay AmigoFilm: Editor Stoneham
- 1948Cry of the CityFilm: Orvy
- 1948Rachel and the StrangerFilm: Gallus
- 1948The Man from ColoradoFilm: Stagecoach driver
- 1948Return of the Bad MenFilm: Muley Wilson
- 1948HazardFilm: Superintendent
- 1948Winter MeetingFilm: Mr. Castle
- 1948AlbuquerqueFilm: Judge Fred Martin
- 1947Mourning Becomes ElectraFilm: Amos Ames
- 1947The UnsuspectedFilm: Judge Maynard
- 1947The Millerson CaseFilm: Link Hazen
- 1947FramedFilm: (uncredited)
- 1946The Best Years of Our LivesFilm: Mr. Parrish
- 1946Sister KennyFilm: Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
- 1946The Strange Love of Martha IversFilm: Dempsey (uncredited)
- 1946The Bride Wore BootsFilm: Mr. Hodges (uncredited)
- 1946DragonwyckFilm: Tom Wilson (uncredited)
- 1946Young WidowFilm: Miller (Uncredited)
- 1945The Lost WeekendFilm: Man from Albany (uncredited)
- 1945Why Girls Leave HomeFilm: Wilbur Harris
- 1945Rhythm Round-UpFilm: Jed Morton
- 1945Christmas in ConnecticutFilm: Herb, the Sheriff (uncredited)
- 1945Murder, He SaysFilm: Vic Hardy (uncredited)
- 1945Scared StiffFilm: Deputy with Rifle (Uncredited)
- 1945Trail to VengeanceFilm: Bart Jackson
- 1945Blonde RansomFilm: Sheriff
- 1945Bring on the GirlsFilm: Henry (uncredited)
- 1944Faces in the FogFilm: Doan, Jury Foreman
- 1944The Missing JurorFilm: Town Sheriff (uncredited)
- 1944I'm from ArkansasFilm: Attorney
- 1944The Mark of the WhistlerFilm: Fireman (uncredited)
Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.