Charles Grapewin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles E. Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville performer and a stage and film character actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Uncle Henry in the 1939 film classic The Wizard of Oz.
Born in Xenia, Ohio, Grapewin first worked as an aerialist and trapeze artist in a traveling circus before turning to acting. He performed on stage with various stock companies and wrote stage plays as a vehicle for himself. His sole Broadway theatre credit was the short-lived play It's Up To You John Henry in 1905.
Grapewin began in silent films around the turn of the century. During his long career, Grapewin appeared in more than one hundred films, including The Grapes of Wrath and Tobacco Road. In the early 1940s, he had a recurring role as Inspector Queen in the Ellery Queen film series.
Grapewin married actress Anna Chance (1875-1943) in 1896 and they remained a devoted couple until her death some 47 years later [1].
Grapewin died in Corona, California at age 86 and was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. [2]
[edit] Additional film credits
- Hell's House (1932)
- Alice Adams (1935)
- The Petrified Forest (1936)
- Libeled Lady (1936)
- Captains Courageous (1937)
- Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
- They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
[edit] References
- ^ "Mrs. Charles Grapewin", New York Times, September 12, 1943. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
- ^ "Charles Grapewin Is Dead at 86", New York Times, February 3, 1956. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
