Walter Connolly

Rotund American character actor Walter Connolly cornered the market on film portrayals of exasperated businessmen and newspaper men in the 1930s. A successful stage actor, Connolly refused all entreaties by Hollywood producers to enter films. His resistance was broken down a little by an appearance in the 1930 short Many Happy Returns, then he gave in altogether to Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn. Connolly made his feature-film debut in Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932), then appeared in The Bitter Tea of General Yen(1933), wherein he worked for Columbia's premiere director, Frank Capra. Connolly was featured in Capra's next two films, Broadway Bill (1934) and the Award-winning It Happened One Night (1934), then spent the rest of the 1930s bouncing between Columbia and the other major studios in meaty supporting roles--most enjoyably as the volcanic newspaper editor in David O. Selznick's Nothing Sacred (1937). Generally billed just below the title, Connolly was awarded star status when he essayed the title role in his final film, The Great Victor Herbert (1939).

Highest Rated Movies

Rating	Title	Credit	Box Office	Year
No Score Yet	Fifth Avenue Girl	Mr. Borden	—	1939
No Score Yet	The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn	The King	—	1939
No Score Yet	Land of Liberty	Actor	—	1939
No Score Yet	Four's a Crowd	John P. Dillingwell	—	1938
No Score Yet	Too Hot to Handle	Arthur 'Gabby' MacArthur, Union Newsreel chief	—	1938
No Score Yet	Penitentiary	Dist. Atty. Thomas Mathews	—	1938
No Score Yet	First Lady	Carter Hibbard	—	1937
100%	Nothing Sacred	Oliver Stone	—	1937
94%	The Good Earth	Uncle	—	1937
83%	Libeled Lady	Allenbury	—	1936
No Score Yet	The King Steps Out	Maximilian	—	1936
No Score Yet	The Music Goes 'Round	Hector Courtney	—	1936
No Score Yet	She Couldn't Take It (Woman Tamer)	Mr. Van Dyke	—	1935
No Score Yet	So Red the Rose	Malcolm Bedford	—	1935
100%	Broadway Bill	J.L. Higgins	—	1934
No Score Yet	The Captain Hates the Sea	Capt. Helquist	—	1934
No Score Yet	Lady by Choice	Judge Daly	—	1934
No Score Yet	Servants' Entrance	Viktor Nillson	—	1934
88%	Twentieth Century	Oliver Webb	—	1934
98%	It Happened One Night	Alexander Andrews	—	1934
71%	Man's Castle	Ira	—	1933
100%	Lady for a Day	Romero	—	1933
100%	The Bitter Tea of General Yen	Jones	—	1933
No Score Yet	No More Orchids	Bill Holt	—	1932
No Score Yet	Washington Merry-Go-Round	Sen. Wylie	—	1932