Osgood Perkins

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This article is about an actor. For his actor grandson, see Oz Perkins.
Osgood Perkins
The-Front-Page-1928-2-B.jpg
Perkins as Walter Burns in The Front Page (1928)
Born
James Ridley Osgood Perkins

(1892-05-16)May 16, 1892
West Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 1937(1937-09-21) (aged 45)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
OccupationActor
Years activeunknown–1935
Spouse(s)
Janet Esselstyn Rane
​
​
(m. 1922)​
ChildrenAnthony Perkins
RelativesOz Perkins (grandson)
Elvis Perkins (grandson)

James Ridley Osgood Perkins (May 16, 1892 – September 21, 1937) was an American actor.[1]

Life and career[]

Perkins was born in West Newton, Massachusetts, son of Henry Phelps Perkins Jr., and his wife, Helen Virginia (née Anthony).[2] His maternal grandfather was wood engraver Andrew Varick Stout Anthony.[3] He was a graduate of Harvard College.[4]

Perkins made his Broadway debut in 1924 in the George S. Kaufman – Marc Connelly play Beggar on Horseback. In the next 12 years, he would appear in 24 Broadway productions, including The Front Page and Uncle Vanya.

Despite his success as a leading man in the theatre, Hollywood viewed him as a character actor. He appeared in 12 silent films, including Puritan Passions, before moving to talkies such as Scarface and Gold Diggers of 1937.

"The best actor I ever worked with was Osgood Perkins," Louise Brooks told Kevin Brownlow. "You know what makes an actor great to work with? Timing. You don't have to feel anything. It's like dancing with a perfect dancing partner. Osgood Perkins would give you a line so that you would react perfectly. It was timing -- because emotion means nothing." Brooks and Perkins appeared together in Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (1926).

On September 21, 1937, Osgood died of a heart attack in his bathtub shortly after playing "Susan and God".[5]

Osgood Perkins was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.[6]

Personal life[]

Perkins married Janet Esselstyn Rane in 1922. They had one child, actor Anthony Perkins.

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1922 The Cradle Buster Crack 'Spoony' Film Debut
1923 Puritan Passions Dr. Nicholas
1924 Grit Boris Giovanni Smith
1925 Wild, Wild Susan M. Crawford Dutton
1926 Love 'Em and Leave 'Em Lem Woodruff
1927 High Hat The Assistant Director
Knockout Reilly Spider Cross
1929 Syncopation Hummel
Mother's Boy Jake Sturmberg
1931 Tarnished Lady Ben Sterner
1932 Scarface John "Johnny" Lovo
1934 Madame DuBarry Duc de Richelieu
Kansas City Princess Marcel Duryea - French Private Eye
The President Vanishes Harris Brownell
Secret of the Chateau Martin
1935 I Dream Too Much Paul Darcy
1936 Gold Diggers of 1937 Morty Wethered
1937 A Star Is Born Otto Final Film (Uncredited)

References[]

  1. ^ Great Stars of the American Stage; in Historic Photographs, p.85 c.1983 edited by Stanley Appelbaum ISBN 0-486-24555-1
  2. ^ Winecoff, Charles (2009). Split File: The Life of Anthony Perkins. Diane Pub Co. p. 10. ISBN 078819870X.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2016-11-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Monahan, Kaspar (October 9, 1932). "The Show Shops". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 31. Retrieved November 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. ^ "Osgood Perkins, 45, Actor, Dies in Bath". Canada Gazette. 22 September 1937 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame." The New York Times, March 3, 1981.

External links[]

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