James William Flavin Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose stage, film, and television career lasted some forty years.
Early life Flavin was born in Portland, Maine,<ref> Although biographic accounts relate he began his stage career in Maine, some obituaries (including The New York Times''') appear to mistakenly claim he was born in Portland, Oregon.</ref> the son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English origins and a mother, Katherine, whose father was an Irish immigrant. He graduated from Portland High School in 1923. He then enrolled at the United States Military Academy (West Point), where he played football, but did not graduate.
Career
Summer stock companies flocked to Maine each year, and in 1929 Flavin was asked to fill in for an actor. He did well with the part and the company manager offered him $150 per week to accompany the troupe back to New York. Flavin accepted and by the spring of 1930, he resided in a rooming house at 108 W. 87th Street in Manhattan.United States Census records for 1930, New York, New York
Flavin worked his way across the country in stock productions and tours, arriving in Los Angeles around 1932. He quickly made the transition to movies, landing the lead role in his very first film, a Universal serial, The Airmail Mystery (1932). He married his costar in that film, Lucile Browne, that same year. The serial marked virtually the last time that Flavin would play the lead in a film. Thereafter, he was restricted almost exclusively to supporting characters, many of whom were unnamed. He specialized in uniformed cops and hard-bitten detectives, but also played chauffeurs, cabbies, and even a 16th-century palace guard.
Flavin appeared in nearly four hundred films between 1932 and 1971. He appeared in almost one hundred television episodes, including the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice, starring Jackie Cooper, several episodes as police Detective Sawyer, who was being driven nuts by Gracie Allen on The Burns and Allen Show, and three times as a sheriff on the western aviation adventure series, Sky King, before his final appearance, as U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976), a dramatization of the shooting down in 1960 by the former Soviet Union of the U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
Flavin portrayed Sam Cooper in the 1958 episode, "The Ed Church Case", of the CBS crime drama series, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring David Janssen. In 1959, he guest starred as Big Dan Girod in the episode, "Invitation to a Murder", on the ABC/WB detective series, Bourbon Street Beat, starring Andrew Duggan. In 1960, Flavin appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "A Passage for Trumpet".
From 1960 to 1962, Flavin was cast as Robert Howard in 33 episodes of the ABC/Warner Brothers drama series, The Roaring 20s, starring with Dorothy Provine, Donald May, Rex Reason, John Dehner, Gary Vinson, and Mike Road.
From 1960 to 1962, Flavin appeared three times on the CBS sitcom, Pete and Gladys, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. He also had a recurring role on CBS' talking-horse sitcom Mister Ed as Mr. Kramer, the stable owner. Flavin portrayed Fire Chief Hawkins in the 1964 episode, "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt", on the NBC education drama series, Mr. Novak, starring James Franciscus.
Flavin made his Broadway debut in the 1969 revival of The Front Page, in which he played Murphy and briefly took over the lead role of Walter Burns from Robert Ryan.
Death Flavin died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on April 23, 1976, after suffering a heart attack. His widow, Lucile Browne Flavin, died 17 days later. The couple is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.Hayward (California) Daily Review, 25 April 1976
Selected filmography The Airmail Mystery (1932) as Bob Lee McKenna of the Mounted (1932) as Corporal Randall McKenna Back Street (1932) as Reporter (uncredited) Okay, America! (1932) as Minor Role (uncredited) The Most Dangerous Game (1932) as First Mate on Yacht (uncredited) The All American (1932) as Don Lindsay Air Mail (1932) as Man with Radio Report (uncredited) Hot Pepper (1933) as Second Policeman (uncredited)
King Kong (1933) as Second Mate Briggs Hello, Sister! (1933) as Fireman Riot Squad (1933) as Detective Mack McCue Ship of Wanted Men (1933) as Frank Busch Only Yesterday (1933) as Billy (uncredited) Beloved (1934) as Wilcox The Big Race (1934) as Bill Figg The Crosby Case (1934) as Detective O'Shea (uncredited) Affairs of a Gentleman (1934) as Donovan (uncredited) Wild Gold (1934) as Detective (uncredited) Now I'll Tell (1934) as Cop on Beach (uncredited) Baby Take a Bow (1934) as Flannigan The Affairs of Cellini (1934) as Palace Guard (uncredited) Gift of Gab (1934) as Alumni President (uncredited) Wake Up and Dream (1934) as Cop (uncredited) The Brand of Hate (1934) as Holt Larkins Bright Eyes (1934) as Bob, Pilot (uncredited) Society Doctor (1935) as Detective Ewing (uncredited) After Office Hours (1935) as Police Detective (uncredited) Secrets of Chinatown (1935) as Brandhma Death Flies East (1935) as Co-Pilot (uncredited) Captain Hurricane (1935) as Freighter Officer (uncredited) Straight from the Heart (1935) as Policeman (uncredited) G Men (1935) as Agent with Jean (uncredited) Public Hero No. 1 (1935) as Flavin, Federal Agent (uncredited) People Will Talk (1935) as First Reporter (uncredited) Chinatown Squad (1935) as Detective (uncredited) Silk Hat Kid (1935) as Gangster (uncredited) The Murder Man (1935) as Policeman at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited) The Daring Young Man (1935) as Informant on Telephone (uncredited) Woman Wanted (1935) as Mac, Policeman (uncredited) Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935) as Henry, Chauffeur (uncredited) Special Agent (1935) as Agent Arresting Julie (uncredited) Shipmates Forever (1935) as Instructing Officer (uncredited) Rendezvous (1935) as 2nd Military Policeman (uncredited) Remember Last Night? (1935) as Policeman (uncredited) One Way Ticket (1935) as Ed The Littlest Rebel (1935) as Yankee Guard (uncredited) Magnificent Obsession (1935) as Chauffeur (uncredited) Song and Dance Man (1936) as Taxi Driver (uncredited) Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936) as Detective at Headquarters (uncredited) Straight from the Shoulder (1936) as Policeman (uncredited) My Man Godfrey (1936) as Detective #2 (uncredited) They Met in a Taxi (1936) as Policeman (uncredited) The Luckiest Girl in the World (1936) as Policeman Two in a Crowd (1936) as Policeman (uncredited) The Magnificent Brute (1936) as Hunkie Partner (uncredited) Born to Dance (1936) as Ship's Officer (uncredited) Mysterious Crossing (1936) as Plainclothesman (uncredited) Dangerous Number (1937) as Cab Driver (uncredited) You Only Live Once (1937) as State Trooper (uncredited) Let's Get Married (1937) as Dolan (uncredited) Midnight Taxi (1937) as Detective McCormick (uncredited) Motor Madness (1937) as Miller (uncredited) I Promise to Pay (1937) as Bill Seaver That I May Live (1937) as Policeman (uncredited) San Quentin (1937) as Guard Announcing Jailbreak (uncredited) The League of Frightened Men (1937) as Joe This Is My Affair (1937) as Prison Guard (uncredited) Angel's Holiday (1937) as Detective (uncredited) Married Before Breakfast (1937) as Police Passenger (uncredited) Girls Can Play (1937) as Bill O'Malley Fit for a King (1937) as Ship's Officer (uncredited) Big City (1937) as Comet Cab Driver (uncredited) My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937) as Dr. Spitzy Calahan (uncredited) Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) as Detective (uncredited) Dangerously Yours (1937) as Driver (uncredited) Hot Water (1937) as Policeman (uncredited) Live, Love and Learn (1937) as Marine Who Likes Painting (uncredited) Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937) as Timmie's Agent (uncredited) 45 Fathers (1937) as Policeman (uncredited) Big Town Girl (1937) as State Trooper (uncredited) Mannequin (1937) as Burly Man (uncredited) The Bad Man of Brimstone (1937) as Second Federal Marshal (uncredited) The Buccaneer (1938) as British Sergeant (uncredited) Everybody's Doing It (1938) as Detective Hayes (uncredited) Penitentiary (1938) as Doran (uncredited) Born to Be Wild (1938) as Striker (uncredited) Night Spot (1938) as Kidnapper (uncredited) Start Cheering (1938) as Gas Station Attendant (uncredited) Test Pilot (1938) as Pilot (uncredited) Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) as Army Captain (uncredited) Wives Under Suspicion (1938) as Jenks, Chauffeur (uncredited) Speed to Burn (1938) as Radio Car Policeman (uncredited) The Shopworn Angel (1938) as Guard Yelling 'Halt!' (uncredited) Gateway (1938) as Guard (uncredited) I Am the Law (1938) as George, Witness (uncredited) You Can't Take It with You (1938) as Jailer (uncredited) Three Loves Has Nancy (1938) as Jack's Friend (uncredited) Too Hot to Handle (1938) as Young Reporter (uncredited) Time Out for Murder (1938) as Police Sergeant at Roundup (uncredited) Lightning Carson Rides Again (1938) as Justice Department Agent The Arkansas Traveler (1938) as Trainman (uncredited) Five of a Kind (1938) as Policeman (uncredited) Blondie (1938) as Policeman in Accident Car (uncredited) Ride a Crooked Mile (1938) as Hack (uncredited) Convicts at Large (1938) as Detective Sergeant Berkovich While New York Sleeps (1938) as 2nd Cop (uncredited) The Duke of West Point (1938) as Plebe Hockey Coach #1 Swing, Sister, Swing (1938) as Pilot (scenes deleted) Sweethearts (1938) as Melody Theater Doorman (uncredited) Thanks for Everything (1938) as Policeman Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) as Homicide Division Desk Sergeant (uncredited) Jesse James (1939) as Cavalry Captain (uncredited) Pardon Our Nerve (1939) as Policeman (uncredited) The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939) as Doorman (uncredited) Sergeant Madden (1939) as Police Interrogator (uncredited) Everybody's Baby (1939) as Police Announcer (uncredited) Code of the Streets (1939) as Doorman The Lady's from Kentucky (1939) as Policeman (uncredited) Union Pacific (1939) as Paddy (uncredited) Big Town Czar (1939) as George Mitchell (uncredited) Rose of Washington Square (1939)Great Movie Musicals on DVD - A Classic Movie Fan's Guide by John Howard Reid - Google search with book preview as Guard (uncredited) Tell No Tales (1939) as Officer Simmons (uncredited) They Asked for It (1939) as Cop (uncredited) Unmarried (1939) as Oil Driller (uncredited) The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) as Turnkey (uncredited) 6,000 Enemies (1939) as Ring Announcer (uncredited) Mickey the Kid (1939) as Sanders They All Come Out (1939) as Officer (uncredited) Each Dawn I Die (1939) as Policeman (uncredited) They Shall Have Music (1939) as Police Sergeant (uncredited) Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939) as Sergeant Jerry When Tomorrow Comes (1939) as Coast Guard Man on Road (uncredited) Irish Luck (1939) as Hotel Detective Fluger Calling All Marines (1939) as Sergeant Smith Fast and Furious (1939) as Policeman Guarding Entrance (uncredited) The Roaring Twenties (1939) as Policeman (uncredited) Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939) as Policeman (uncredited) The Cisco Kid and the Lady (1939) as Sergeant O'Riley Remember the Night (1940) as Court Attendant (uncredited) The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as Guard (uncredited) The Fighting 69th (1940) as Supply Sergeant (uncredited) Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) as Bouncer (uncredited) Castle on the Hudson (1940) as Death Row Guard (uncredited) Framed (1940) as Cop (uncredited) Double Alibi (1940) as Patrolman Johnson (uncredited) Women Without Names (1940) as Guard (uncredited) Johnny Apollo (1940) as Guard in Library (uncredited) And One Was Beautiful (1940) as McRafferty, Jail Guard (uncredited) It All Came True (1940) as Roaring 90's Club Doorman (uncredited) Those Were the Days! (1940) as Policeman (uncredited)