George Mathews (October 10, 1911 – November 7, 1984) was an American actor whose film career stretched from an uncredited appearance in Stage Door Canteen in 1943 to Going Home in 1971.
Biography
Mathews was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Matthews's stage career began during the Great Depression when he became manager of an Italian stock theater company. Although he knew no Italian and had no experience as a stage manager, he took the job to end his jobless status. At one point, the actor who portrayed the good cop in the play was sick, and Mathews was drafted to fill in for him. Mathews said that the impresario "thought I made such a good cop that he turned the role over to me permanently. That was the beginning of my acting career."
Mathews was often cast as heavies or hardened military types. He appeared in both the stage (1942–43) and film version (1944) of The Eve of St. Mark, as Sergeant Ruby. He also portrayed a comedic thug in Pat and Mike (1952). In a 1956 episode of The Phil Silvers Show, he played a brutish seargent nicknamed "The Beast", whose imposing stature and brawn gets cleverly outwitted by Bilko and his platoon.
He appeared on Broadway in the Garson Kanin-directed musical comedy Do Re Mi (1960–62), as Fatso O'Rear. He later appeared on Broadway in Catch Me If You Can in 1965.
In 1962, he appeared in Have Gun – Will Travel, Season 6, Episode 6. That same year, he played ex-fighter, “Champ”, in the Season 7 Episode 28 of Gunsmoke, “The Dealer”. He demonstrated his comedic talent in the short-lived television comedy series Glynis (1963), playing ex-cop Chick Rogers, who assists a mystery writer and amateur sleuth, played by Glynis Johns, in solving "whodunnits".
Perhaps his most memorable role was as the bully "Harvey" in 'The Bensonhurst Bomber' episode of The Honeymooners. He retired from the screen in 1972.
Personal life and death Mathews died from heart disease in Caesars Head, South Carolina, aged 73, in 1984."George Mathews, 73, Actor On Broadway And In Movies", The New York Times, November 13, 1984. He was married to stage actress Mary (Haynsworth) Mathews from 1951 until his death in 1984.Obituary of Mary H. Matthews, The Greenville News, May 7, 2011 (reprinted at legacy.com).
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1943 Stage Door Canteen Marine Sergeant with Ray Bolger Uncredited 1944 Up in Arms Blackie 1944 The Eve of St. Mark Sergeant Ruby 1944 Wing and a Prayer Dooley 1944 Wilson Army Sergeant Uncredited 1944 X Marks the Spot Guardian Angel Credited as "George Matthews" 1945 The Corn Is Green Trap Driver Uncredited1945 The Great John L. John Flood 1952 Pat and Mike Spec Cauley 1952 Sally and Saint Anne Father Kennedy 1952 Yankee Buccaneer Chief Petty Officer Link 1953 Last of the Comanches Romany O'Rattigan 1953 City Beneath the Sea Captain Meade aka Ralph Sorensen 1953 Act of Love Henderson 1954 The Great Diamond Robbery Duke Fargoh 1955 The Man with the Golden Arm Williams 1956 The Proud Ones Dillon 1956 The Last Wagon Sheriff Bull Harper 1956 The Phil Silvers Show MSgt. Quinton "The Beast" Benton 1957 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral John Shanssey 1958 The Buccaneer Pyke 1960 Heller in Pink Tights Sam Pierce 1962 The Hole Construction Worker (winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film)1971 Going Home Malloy (final film role)
Selected Television YearTitleRole Notes 1955 Death Valley Days Season 2, Episode 14, "Husband Pro-Tem" 1956 The Phil Silvers Show Beast Season 1, Episode 28 "Bilko and the Beast" 1956 The Honeymooners Harvey Episode "The Bensonhurst Bomber" 1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Sam Dunleavy Mac McGurk Season 1 Episode 15: "The Big Switch" as Sam Dunleavy Season 2 Episode 6: "Toby" as Mac McGurk 1959 The Rifleman Abel MacDonald Season 1, Episode 31, "The Angry Man" 1960 Have Gun - Will Travel Clerk Season 3, Episode 21 "The Night the Town Died" 1953 The Lone Ranger Bill Adams Episode "The Devil's Bog" 1961 Wanted Dead or Alive Krebs Season 3, Episode 20 "The Long Search" 1962 Gunsmoke Champ Season 7 Episode 28 “The Dealer” 1962 Car 54, Where are you? Season 2 Episode 9 "Toody Undercover" 1966 Dark Shadows Amos Fitch episode 89 airing Oct. 10
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