Walter Baldwin
Born
January 1, 1889
Died
January 27, 1977 (88 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Lima, Ohio, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter S. Baldwin Jr. (January 2, 1889 − January 27, 1977) was a prolific character actor whose career spanned five decades and 150 film and television roles, and numerous stage performances.
Baldwin was born in Lima, Ohio from a theatrical family and served in the First World War.
He was probably best known for playing the father of the handicapped sailor in The Best Years of Our Lives. He was the first actor to portray "Floyd the Barber" on The Andy Griffith Show.
Prior to his first film roles in 1939, Baldwin had appeared in more than a dozen Broadway plays. He played Whit in the first Broadway production of Of Mice and Men, and also appeared in the original Grand Hotel in a small role, as well as serving as the production's stage manager. He originated the role of Bensinger, the prissy Chicago Tribune reporter, in the Broadway production of The Front Page.
In the 1960s he had small acting roles in television shows such as Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. He continued to act in motion pictures, and one of his last roles was in Rosemary's Baby.
Baldwin was known for playing solid middle class burghers, although sometimes he gave portrayals of eccentric characters. He played a customer seeking a prostitute in The Lost Weekend and the rebellious prison trusty Orvy in Cry of the City. Walter Baldwin was featured in a lot of John Deere Day Movies from 1949-59 where he played the farmer Tom Gordon. In this series of Deere Day movies over a decade he helped to introduce many new pieces of John Deere farm equipment year-by-year. In each yearly movie he would be shown on his in A Tom Gordon Family Film where he would be buying new John Deere farm equipment or a new green and yellow tractor.A picture of Walter Baldwin playing Tom Gordon can be found on page 108 of Bob Pripp's book John Deere Yesterday & Today
Hal Erickson writes in Allmovie: "With a pinched Midwestern countenance that enabled him to portray taciturn farmers, obsequious grocery store clerks and the occasional sniveling coward, Baldwin was a familiar (if often unbilled) presence in Hollywood films for three decades."
Known For
Nanny and the Professor
(1 episode)
1970
Lancer
(1 episode)
1968
Rosemary's Baby
Mr. Wees (uncredited)
1968
Mannix
Luther · (1 episode)
1967
Green Acres
Grandpappy Miller · (2 episodes)
1965
My Mother the Car
(1 episode)
1965
Cheyenne Autumn
Jeremy Wright (uncredited)
1964
Petticoat Junction
Grandpappy Miller · (9 episodes)
1963
The Fugitive
Mr. Weaver · (1 episode)
1963
The Dakotas
(1 episode)
1963
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Conductor (uncredited)
1962
Wild in the Country
Mr. Spangler (uncredited)
1961
The Andy Griffith Show
Floyd Lawson · (1 episode)
1960
Oklahoma Territory
Ward Harlan
1960
Lawman
(1 episode)
1958
Casey Jones
Conductor · (1 episode)
1957
Wagon Train
Eddie Blake (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1957
You Can't Run Away from It
1st Proprietor
1956
The Fastest Gun Alive
Man Who Warns Vinny (uncredited)
1956
The Harder They Fall
Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)
1956
Glory
Doc Brock
1956
The Desperate Hours
George Patterson
1955
Screen Director's Playhouse
Farmer Everett · (1 episode)
1955
Frontier
Briggs · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Old Man · (1 episode)
1955
Interrupted Melody
Jim Owens
1955
Stranger on Horseback
Vince Webb
1955
The Millionaire
Dr. Frank Kenston · (1 episode)
1955
Destry
Henry Skinner
1954
Lassie
(1 episode)
1954
Living It Up
Isaiah Jackson
1954
The Long, Long Trailer
Uncle Edgar
1954
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
George · (1 episode)
1953
Ride, Vaquero!
Adam Smith
1953
Scandal at Scourie
Michael Hayward
1953
General Electric Theater
Spivak · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Henry Clayburn · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Johnson · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
(1 episode)
1953
Carrie
Mr. Meeber - Carrie's Father
1952
The Winning Team
Pa Alexander (uncredited)
1952
I Want You
George Kress Sr.
1951
The Racket
Sgt. Sullivan
1951
Storm Warning
Coroner Bledsoe
1951
Rough Riders of Durango
Cricket Adams
1951
The Jackpot
Watch Buyer (uncredited)
1950
Cheaper by the Dozen
Jim Bracken (uncredited)
1950
Thieves' Highway
Officer Riley (uncredited)
1949
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass
Doc Purdy
1949
Come to the Stable
Claude Jarman (uncredited)
1949
Special Agent
Pop Peters (uncredited)
1949
The Gay Amigo
Editor Stoneham
1949
Cry of the City
Orvy
1948
Rachel and the Stranger
Gallus
1948
The Man from Colorado
Stagecoach driver
1948
Return of the Bad Men
Muley Wilson
1948
Hazard
Superintendent
1948
Winter Meeting
Mr. Castle
1948
Albuquerque
Judge Fred Martin
1948
Mourning Becomes Electra
Amos Ames
1947
The Unsuspected
Judge Maynard
1947
Framed
(uncredited)
1947
The Best Years of Our Lives
Mr. Parrish
1946
Sister Kenny
Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
1946
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Dempsey (uncredited)
1946
The Bride Wore Boots
Mr. Hodges (uncredited)
1946
Dragonwyck
Tom Wilson (uncredited)
1946
Young Widow
Miller (Uncredited)
1946
The Lost Weekend
Man from Albany (uncredited)
1945
Why Girls Leave Home
Wilbur Harris
1945
Rhythm Round-Up
Jed Morton
1945
Christmas in Connecticut
Herb, the Sheriff (uncredited)
1945
Murder, He Says
Vic Hardy (uncredited)
1945
Scared Stiff
Deputy with Rifle (Uncredited)
1945
Trail to Vengeance
Bart Jackson
1945
Bring on the Girls
Henry (uncredited)
1945
Faces in the Fog
Doan, Jury Foreman
1944
The Missing Juror
Town Sheriff (Uncredited)
1944
I'm from Arkansas
Attorney
1944
The Mark of the Whistler
Fireman (uncredited)
1944
Dark Mountain
Uncle Sam Bates
1944
Wilson
Wilson Campaign Orator (uncredited)
1944
Reckless Age
Music Conductor
1944
The Ghost That Walks Alone
Deputy Sheriff
1944
Happy Land
Jake Hibbs (uncredited)
1943
The Kansan
Judge Lorrimer
1943
A Stranger in Town
Tom Cooney
1943
After Midnight with Boston Blackie
Diamond Ed Barnaby
1943
Reconnaissance Pilot
George Newton
1943
Eyes Aloft
Pa
1943
For Me and My Gal
Bill (uncredited)
1942
The Incredible Stranger
Doctor Peabody (uncredited)
1942
Powder Town
Jerry the Nitrate Technician (uncredited)
1942
Syncopation
1942
Scattergood Rides High
Martin Knox
1942
In This Our Life
Worker (uncredited)
1942
The Remarkable Andrew
Hugo French
1942
The Man Who Returned to Life
Homer-the Barber
1942
Look Who's Laughing
Bill
1941
They Died with Their Boots On
Settler (uncredited)
1941
Miss Polly
Lem Wiggins
1941
All That Money Can Buy
Hank (uncredited)
1941
The Devil Commands
Seth Marcy
1941
Arizona
Man Who Declares for the South
1940
Angels Over Broadway
Rennick (uncredited)
1940
Cafe Hostess
Jones
1940
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
Finch (uncredited)
1939
Those High Grey Walls
Mr. Mason (uncredited)
1939
Peaceful Relations
Mr. Brown
1936