James Flavin
Biography
American character actor whose career lasted nearly half a century. James Wilson Flavin Jr. was the son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English extraction and a mother, Katherine, whose father was an Irish immigrant. (Thus Flavin, well-known in Hollywood as an "Irish" type, was only one-quarter Irish.) Flavin was born and raised in Portland, Maine (a fact that may have enrichened his later working relationship with director John Ford, also a Portland native). He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, but (contrary to some sources) did not graduate. Instead he dropped out and returned to Portland where he drove a taxi. Then as now, summer stock companies flocked to Maine each year, and in 1929 he was asked to fill in for an actor. He did well with the part and the company manager offered him $150 per week to go with the troupe back to New York. Flavin accepted and by the spring of 1930 was living in a rooming house at 108 W. 87th Street in Manhattan. Flavin didn't manage to crack Broadway at this time (his Broadway debut would not occur for another thirty-nine years, in the 1971 revival of "The Front Page," in which Flavin played Murphy and briefly took over the lead role of Walter Burns from star Robert Ryan). He 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 in his very first film, a Universal serial, The Airmail Mystery (1932). He also landed his leading lady, marrying the serial's female star Lucile Browne that same year. However, 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 them without so much as a name. He specialized in uniformed cops and hard-bitten detectives, but played chauffeurs, cabbies, and even a 16th-century palace guard with aplomb. Flavin appeared in nearly four hundred films between 1932 and 1971, and in almost a hundred television episodes before his final appearance, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976). Flavin died of a heart ailment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on April 23, 1976. His widow Lucile died seventeen days later. They were survived by their son, William James Flavin, subsequently a professor at the United States Army War College. James and Lucile Brown Flavin were buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Personal info
Gender
Male
Birthday
1906-05-14
Place of birth
Portland, Maine, USA
Images
Cast
King Kong
1933
7.60
Manpower
1941
6.70
Confidentially Connie
1953
5.30
Youth Will Be Served
1940
1.00
The Most Dangerous Game
1932
6.91
My Girl Tisa
1948
0.00
Blondie Hits the Jackpot
1949
6.50
One Way Ticket
1935
5.00
Armored Car Robbery
1950
6.51
Here Come the Marines
1952
6.00
Three Loves Has Nancy
1938
3.80
Night Passage
1957
6.40
Mannequin
1938
5.86
The Devil's Henchmen
1949
6.00
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
1946
7.06
Desert Fury
1947
6.00
Nora Prentiss
1947
6.10
Nobody Lives Forever
1946
6.20
Charlie Chan at the Race Track
1936
7.10
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars
1953
5.40
Wild Is the Wind
1957
6.58
Destination Murder
1950
5.10
The Savage Horde
1950
5.80
McKenna of the Mounted
1932
0.00
Alexander's Ragtime Band
1938
6.70
Cloak and Dagger
1946
6.50
Cheyenne Autumn
1964
6.70
Born to Be Wild
1938
7.00
The Shanghai Cobra
1945
5.75
Hot News
1953
5.00
Footsteps in the Night
1957
5.46
Fingers at the Window
1942
5.50
Mighty Joe Young
1949
6.37
Kathleen
1941
5.00
Homicide
1949
5.30
In Cold Blood
1967
7.49
Wild Gold
1934
5.00
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
1947
6.98
Belle Starr
1941
5.60
Man on the Flying Trapeze
1935
6.00
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
1939
5.27
Dragonfly Squadron
1954
6.00
Francis in the Haunted House
1956
5.10
The Murder Man
1935
6.90
Rendezvous
1935
4.31
Sailor Beware
1952
6.20
The Naked Street
1955
6.09
God Is My Co-Pilot
1945
6.90
How to Behave
1936
7.50
So Proudly We Hail
1943
5.50
Reap the Wild Wind
1942
6.40
I Dood It
1943
3.50
The Missing Lady
1946
4.64
Riot Squad
1933
3.30
Flamingo Road
1949
7.00
Law and Order
1976
0.00
Never Say Goodbye
1956
6.47
Prison Warden
1949
1.00
Abroad with Two Yanks
1944
6.00
Hold That Hypnotist
1957
5.10
Murder on the Waterfront
1943
5.00
Wives Under Suspicion
1938
5.00
Boys' Ranch
1946
6.50
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
1939
4.90
Girls Can Play
1937
4.00
O. Henry's Full House
1952
6.72
They All Come Out
1939
5.60
Apache Ambush
1955
6.00
Follow the Sun
1951
6.20
The Brand of Hate
1934
4.50
We Go Fast
1941
6.20
Convicts at Large
1938
0.00
Irish Luck
1939
5.80
Hello, Sister!
1933
5.79
Anchors Aweigh
1945
6.80
Mississippi Rhythm
1949
5.00
Lightning Carson Rides Again
1938
4.80
While New York Sleeps
1938
0.00
Massacre Canyon
1954
5.00
Operation Pacific
1951
6.00
The Eddie Cantor Story
1953
5.00
Oh! Susanna
1951
5.00
A Yank on the Burma Road
1942
4.00
The Affairs of Cellini
1934
4.92
The Devil's Pipeline
1940
6.00
Sleep, My Love
1948
6.30
Pot o' Gold
1941
5.50
They Met in a Taxi
1936
5.50
My Dear Miss Aldrich
1937
6.10
Midnight Taxi
1937
5.00
Live, Love and Learn
1937
5.10
Night Spot
1938
3.75
Blondie
1938
7.10
Woman Wanted
1935
6.30
Tell No Tales
1939
4.60
Everybody's Doing It
1938
5.00
According to Mrs. Hoyle
1951
5.00
Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
1942
6.50
The Airmail Mystery
1932
0.00
Back Street
1932
6.15
Start Cheering
1938
7.00
Carrie
1952
6.40
Broadway Melody of 1940
1940
6.70
Manhattan Heartbeat
1940
0.00
Jesse James
1939
6.50
Good Times
1967
5.10
The Ice Follies of 1939
1939
5.60
Union Pacific
1939
6.57
Rose of Washington Square
1939
5.80
They Shall Have Music
1939
6.20
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939
5.60
Each Dawn I Die
1939
6.80
Christmas Holiday
1944
6.40
Sergeant Madden
1939
6.00
Fast and Furious
1939
4.70
The Roaring Twenties
1939
7.50
A Stolen Life
1946
6.30
The Wild Man of Borneo
1941
6.50
Lucky Cisco Kid
1940
5.60
South of Pago Pago
1940
4.80
Secrets of Chinatown
1935
4.50
When Willie Comes Marching Home
1950
6.80
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
7.82
Bedtime Story
1941
5.50
Air Force
1943
6.50
Dangerously Yours
1937
3.50
You Can't Take It with You
1938
7.50
I Am the Law
1938
6.60
Miracle Money
1938
5.60
Unconquered
1947
6.30
Uncertain Glory
1944
6.80
Mildred Pierce
1945
7.61
Treat 'Em Rough
1942
6.00
The Daring Young Man
1935
0.00
Remember the Night
1940
7.30
Sentimental Journey
1946
6.40
The Fighting 69th
1940
5.50
Brother Orchid
1940
6.40
Dakota Lil
1950
5.00
Hold Back the Dawn
1941
6.70
Bungalow 13
1948
1.00
Laura
1944
7.63
Johnny Apollo
1940
6.80
Everybody's Baby
1939
0.00
Saboteur
1942
6.88
Ship of Wanted Men
1933
1.70
Thru Different Eyes
1942
0.00
The Night of January 16th
1941
5.00
When the Daltons Rode
1940
6.00
Ride on Vaquero
1941
4.20
North West Mounted Police
1940
6.35
Code of the Streets
1939
7.00
Baby Take a Bow
1934
5.60
Gateway
1938
6.50
Tin Pan Alley
1940
5.10
The Long Voyage Home
1940
6.60
One Touch of Venus
1948
6.50
Gentleman Jim
1942
7.15
Castle on the Hudson
1940
6.80
It All Came True
1940
5.80
Knute Rockne All American
1940
6.10
Florian
1940
1.00
The Golden Fleecing
1940
5.30
And One Was Beautiful
1940
6.20
Girl in 313
1940
5.44
Rhythm on the River
1940
6.80
The Ghost Breakers
1940
6.50
The Way of All Flesh
1940
4.10
The Great Profile
1940
6.30
Women Without Names
1940
4.10
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943
6.00
The Lost Spider Pit Sequence
2005
6.80
Angel on My Shoulder
1946
6.42
Rock Island Trail
1950
6.00
Easy to Wed
1946
6.20
Robin Hood Of Texas
1947
0.00
Chinatown Squad
1935
6.00
La Conga Nights
1940
7.50
Captain Hurricane
1935
4.50
Trouble Along the Way
1953
5.87
I Beheld His Glory
1953
0.00
Tough as They Come
1942
0.00
Four Mothers
1941
6.20
The Plunderers
1948
5.60
Western Union
1941
6.00
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1941
5.90
Star of Texas
1953
0.00
Texas
1941
6.50
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942
5.80
Johnny Rocco
1958
5.20
Shockproof
1949
6.40
Big Town Czar
1939
0.00
Big Town Girl
1937
6.00
Double Alibi
1940
4.00
New York Town
1941
10.00
Angel's Holiday
1937
5.50
Dangerous Number
1937
4.33
Shipmates Forever
1935
6.50
I Wake Up Screaming
1941
6.90
Million Dollar Mermaid
1952
6.40
Fighting Coast Guard
1951
6.50
Tars and Spars
1946
4.70
Once Upon a Time
1944
5.67
Song of the Thin Man
1947
6.80
Affectionately Yours
1941
4.00
Action in the North Atlantic
1943
7.10
The Big Race
1934
0.00
Corvette K-225
1943
6.10
Circumstantial Evidence
1945
4.80
Hot Water
1937
5.00
Something to Shout About
1943
5.80
Heaven Can Wait
1943
6.90
Mission to Moscow
1943
5.30
Rendezvous with Annie
1946
6.00
I Promise to Pay
1937
5.50
Murder, He Says
1945
6.60
Strange Affair
1944
6.20
Only Yesterday
1933
6.80
The Duke of West Point
1938
4.00
My Favorite Brunette
1947
6.63
Public Hero Number 1
1935
6.20
'G' Men
1935
6.60
Hollywood Canteen
1944
7.30
Special Agent
1935
6.20
Dishonored Lady
1947
5.70
Buck Privates
1941
6.70
It Ain't Hay
1943
6.40
Night in New Orleans
1942
3.60
Over 21
1945
5.20
Mister Roberts
1955
7.10
Private Affairs
1940
0.00
The Noose Hangs High
1948
6.80
Pot o' Gold
1941
5.50
You Only Live Once
1937
7.11
Riding High
1943
4.50
The Spider
1945
5.30
The Restless Breed
1957
5.20
My Man Godfrey
1936
7.55
Joe Palooka in the Knockout
1947
6.00
Rhubarb
1951
5.30
Young Widow
1946
4.56
Ziegfeld Girl
1941
6.44
Okay, America!
1932
5.30
Kid Glove Killer
1942
6.20
Beloved
1934
0.00
Queen of the Mob
1940
5.00
Mickey the Kid
1939
0.00
The All-American
1932
5.00
Swing Shift Maisie
1943
6.50
Secret Service Investigator
1948
6.00
The Velvet Touch
1948
6.20
Step by Step
1946
6.20
Nightmare Alley
1947
7.10
Hot Steel
1940
0.00
Test Pilot
1938
6.50
South Sea Sinner
1950
5.00
The Last Hurrah
1958
7.17
Return of the Dead
1954
5.00
The Luckiest Girl in the World
1936
7.50
Broadway
1942
5.50
Johnny Angel
1945
5.90
Straight from the Heart
1935
0.00
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
6.96
Hold That Blonde!
1945
6.00
As We Forgive
1952
0.00
When Tomorrow Comes
1939
5.10
Critic's Choice
1963
5.50
Fighter Attack
1953
4.50
Come Fill the Cup
1951
7.00
Too Hot to Handle
1938
5.75
The Strawberry Blonde
1941
6.88