James Flavin
Age: N/A | From: Portland, Maine, USA
Person Details
Birthday:
Aliases: James William Flavin Jr. , James Flaven , Jim Flavin
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Portland, Maine, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 173
TV Involvements: 21
Most Famous Work
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.
Most Famous Work
Climax!
(1954) Hogan
The Twilight Zone
(1959) Truck Driver
Dr. Kildare
(1961) John Dolan
The Millionaire
(1955) Dan Mulcahy
Burke's Law
(1963) Officer Danny Robin
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
(1957) Sam Cooper
Mr. Novak
(1963) Fire Chief Hawkins
Death Valley Days
(1952) PerryActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | President Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| Capt. Toomey | ||
| 1969 | N/A | |
| 1967 | Clarence Duntz | |
| Lieutenant | ||
| 1966 | N/A | |
| 1965 | Lt. Flynn | |
| 1964 | Ft. Robinson Sergeant of the Guard (uncredited) | |
| Lt. Poston | ||
| 1963 | Fire Chief Hawkins | |
| Officer Danny Robin | ||
| 1962 | Sergeant Wilcox | |
| N/A | ||
| 1961 | Moose | |
| John Dolan | ||
| Arnie Kellwin | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1960 | N/A | |
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1959 | 1962 Policeman | |
| Truck Driver | ||
| 1958 | Police Capt. Michael J. Shanahan (uncredited) | |
| Mooney | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1957 | Wool Buyer | |
| Gavin Marshall | ||
| Tim Riley | ||
| Sam Cooper | ||
| Secret Service Chief | ||
| Mr. Bradbury | ||
| Jake Morgan | ||
| 1956 | N/A | |
| Police Chief Martin | ||
| Timmy | ||
| 1955 | N/A | |
| Joe Felix | ||
| Tony - The Doorman | ||
| Dan | ||
| N/A | ||
| Col. Marshall | ||
| Attorney Michael X. Flanders | ||
| Military Policeman | ||
| Dan Mulcahy | ||
| 1954 | Hogan | |
| N/A | ||
| Col. Tarant | ||
| Doctor | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1953 | Kelly | |
| Al Bragg | ||
| MacNamara | ||
| Deputy Mason | ||
| Sgt. Danny Doofle | ||
| N/A | ||
| First Policeman in Bank | ||
| Coach Buck Holman | ||
| Longinus | ||
| Harry (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| Callahan | ||
| Texas Rangers Capt. Sturdivant | ||
| 1952 | Conductor | |
| N/A | ||
| Perry | ||
| Mr. Swanson | ||
| Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) | ||
| Mike - Bartender (uncredited) | ||
| Lieutenant-Colonel at End | ||
| Petty Officer (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1951 | Captain Kimble | |
| General Charles Lee | ||
| Immigration Officer | ||
| N/A | ||
| O'Leary, Manhattan Police Chief (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| Commander Rogers | ||
| Henry Gibbs | ||
| Prosecuting Attorney | ||
| Capt. Worth | ||
| SP Commander | ||
| Longinus | ||
| 1950 | Steve | |
| Heineman | ||
| Andrews | ||
| Police Lt. Brewster | ||
| Lt. Phillips | ||
| Guard | ||
| Railroad Workman | ||
| Secret Service Chief | ||
| Gen. Brevort (uncredited) | ||
| 1949 | Guard Capt. Peter Butler | |
| Police Sergeant Briggs | ||
| Brophy | ||
| Schultz | ||
| Stan Caldwell | ||
| Insp. Wellman | ||
| N/A | ||
| Det. Lt. Boylan | ||
| Policeman in Park (Uncredited) | ||
| 1948 | Lt. Sam Wilson | |
| Sergeant Major | ||
| Kerrigan | ||
| Sgt. Oliphant | ||
| Police Inspector Thorndyke | ||
| Traffic Cop (uncredited) | ||
| Lieutenant Mitchell | ||
| Guard (uncredited) | ||
| 1947 | Villager (uncredited) | |
| Hoatley - First Carnival Owner (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman | ||
| Policeman Reardon (uncredited) | ||
| Pat Johnson | ||
| Captain Danforth | ||
| Police Sergeant Patella | ||
| First Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Det. Lt. 'Mac' Hennessey (uncredited) | ||
| District Attorney | ||
| 1946 | Shake Thomas | |
| Col. Walsh | ||
| Bellamy | ||
| Woods | ||
| Police Detective #1 | ||
| Police Insp. Cardona | ||
| Joe | ||
| Turnkey (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Investigator (uncredited) | ||
| Detective Sgt. McFarland (uncredited) | ||
| Subway Conductor (Uncredited) | ||
| Chief Bosun Mate Gurney | ||
| 1945 | Officer Johnny Tracy | |
| Detective (uncredited) | ||
| H.R. Jarvis | ||
| Radio Cop | ||
| Captain (uncredited) | ||
| Police Officer (uncredited) | ||
| Guard | ||
| Major at Kweilin Airbase (uncredited) | ||
| 1944 | Marine Sergeant (uncredited) | |
| Det. McEveety (uncredited) | ||
| Bank Security Guard (Uncredited) | ||
| Sgt. Wiggins | ||
| Policeman | ||
| Man in Subway (uncredited) | ||
| Captain of Mobile Guard | ||
| 1943 | Train Conductor | |
| Radio Policeman (Uncredited) | ||
| 1st Lt. Bill Gardner | ||
| Cmdr. Kalin | ||
| Captain O'Brien (Uncredited) | ||
| Federal Agent (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Merchant Marine School Lieutenant-Commander (uncredited) | ||
| American Senator (uncredited) | ||
| Maj. A.M. Bagley | ||
| Cop (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman | ||
| 1942 | Policeman | |
| George Corbett (uncredited) | ||
| Egan (Uncredited) | ||
| Capt. Luddy | ||
| Thomas | ||
| Process Server | ||
| Motorcycle Cop (voice) (uncredited) | ||
| Police Lieutenant Schaeffer | ||
| Keenan - Detective Grilling Eddie (uncredited) | ||
| Girl's Father (uncredited) | ||
| Railroad Detective #2 (uncredited) | ||
| Joe Trosper | ||
| Police Dispatcher | ||
| 1941 | Hotel Guest in Room 625 (uncredited) | |
| Moving Man | ||
| Policeman Kelly | ||
| Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited) | ||
| Detective (uncredited) | ||
| Abilene Fight Announcer | ||
| Immigration Guard (uncredited) | ||
| Police Lt. Bardette | ||
| Sergeant | ||
| Orderly About to Give Bath (uncredited) | ||
| Tomassetti | ||
| Buck (Uncredited) | ||
| Officer Johnson | ||
| Sheriff Bud Connolly | ||
| Sheriff Bud Connolly (uncredited) | ||
| Deputy Sheriff | ||
| Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman | ||
| Demolition Man (uncredited) | ||
| 1940 | Army Sergeant (uncredited) | |
| Buck Miller | ||
| Dock Policeman | ||
| Dowling | ||
| Mountie | ||
| Army Assistant Coach (uncredited) | ||
| Detective | ||
| Detective | ||
| Annabella's Brother | ||
| Cop (uncredited) | ||
| Cafe Customer | ||
| Truck Driver | ||
| Policeman | ||
| Doorman (uncredited) | ||
| Ranch Foreman | ||
| Third FBI Director | ||
| Hotel Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Parking Attendant at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman | ||
| Det. Carvin | ||
| Grogin | ||
| Storm Swenson | ||
| Prison Guard In Library (uncredited) | ||
| Roaring 90's Club Doorman (uncredited) | ||
| McRafferty | ||
| Guard (uncredited) | ||
| Guard | ||
| Patrolman Johnson | ||
| Death Row Guard (uncredited) | ||
| Clancy (uncredited) | ||
| Supply Sergeant (uncredited) | ||
| Court Attendant (uncredited) | ||
| 1939 | Sergeant | |
| Policeman | ||
| Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman Guarding Entrance (uncredited) | ||
| Fluger | ||
| Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Police Sergeant (uncredited) | ||
| Officer (uncredited) | ||
| Police Sgt. Jerry | ||
| Sanders | ||
| Officer Simmons (uncredited) | ||
| Turnkey | ||
| Paddy (uncredited) | ||
| Guard (uncredited) | ||
| George Mitchell | ||
| Doorman | ||
| Police Interrogator | ||
| Police Announcer (uncredited) | ||
| Doorman (Uncredited) | ||
| Cavalry Captain (uncredited) | ||
| 1938 | Plebe Hockey Coach | |
| 2nd Cop | ||
| Detective Sgt. Berkovich | ||
| Policeman in Accident Car (uncredited) | ||
| Justice Department Agent | ||
| Jack's Friend (uncredited) | ||
| Jailer (uncredited) | ||
| George - Witness (uncredited) | ||
| Guard | ||
| Jenks - Chauffeur (uncredited) | ||
| Army Captain (uncredited) | ||
| Pilot (uncredited) | ||
| Cop (uncredited) | ||
| Gas Station Attendant | ||
| Kidnapper | ||
| Striker (uncredited) | ||
| Burly Man (Uncredited) | ||
| Detective Hayes | ||
| 1937 | State Trooper | |
| Marine Who Likes Painting (uncredited) | ||
| Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Driver | ||
| Dr. Spitzy Calahan (uncredited) | ||
| Det. Bill O'Malley | ||
| Detective | ||
| Bill Seaver | ||
| Detective McCormick | ||
| State Trooper (uncredited) | ||
| Cab Driver | ||
| 1936 | Policeman | |
| Detective (uncredited) | ||
| Detective | ||
| Man in Manhole (uncredited) | ||
| 1935 | Ed | |
| 2st Military Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Lieutenant (uncredited) | ||
| Agent Arresting Julie (uncredited) | ||
| Chauffeur (uncredited) | ||
| Mac - Policeman (uncredited) | ||
| Informant on Telephone | ||
| Policeman at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited) | ||
| Detective | ||
| Flavin - Federal Agent (uncredited) | ||
| Agent with Jean (uncredited) | ||
| Freighter Officer | ||
| Brandhma | ||
| 1934 | Holt Larkins | |
| Palace Guard (uncredited) | ||
| Flannigan | ||
| Detective (uncredited) | ||
| Bill Figg | ||
| Wilcox | ||
| 1933 | Billy (Uncredited) | |
| Frank Busch | ||
| Det. Mack McCue | ||
| Fireman | ||
| Mate Briggs | ||
| 1932 | Don Lindsay | |
| First Mate on Yacht (uncredited) | ||
| Undetermined Role (uncredited) | ||
| Corporal Randall McKenna | ||
| Reporter (uncredited) | ||
| Bob Lee | ||
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
