Jack Carson
Photoplayd Industry Rating
Not enough rated films yet to compute a weighted score.
Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Elmer "Jack" Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born, American film actor, with a film career spanning the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Though he was primarily used in supporting roles for comic relief, his work in films such as Mildred Pierce (1945) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) displayed his mastery of "straight" dramatic actor roles as well. He worked for RKO and MGM (cast opposite Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy), but most of his memorable work was for Warner Bros. His trademark character was the wisecracking know-it-all, typically and inevitably undone by his own smug cockiness. Carson initially landed bit roles at RKO Radio Pictures in films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. An early standout role for Carson was as a mock-drunk undercover G-Man opposite Richard Cromwell in Universal Pictures's anti-Nazi action drama entitled Enemy Agent. This led to contract-player status with Warner Brothers shortly thereafter. While there, he was teamed with Dennis Morgan in a number of films, supposedly to compete with Paramount's popular Bing Crosby - Bob Hope Road to … pictures. Most of his work at Warner Brothers was limited to light comedy work with Morgan, and later Doris Day (who in her autobiography would credit Carson as one of her early Hollywood mentors). Critics generally agree that Carson's best work was in Mildred Pierce (1945), where he played the perpetually scheming Wally Fay opposite Joan Crawford in the title role. Also in 1945, he played the role of Harold Pierson, the second husband of Louise Randall, played by Rosalind Russell, in Roughly Speaking. Another role which won accolades for him was as publicist Matt Libby in A Star is Born (1954). One of his last film roles was as the older brother "Gooper" in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). His TV appearances, extending into the early 1960s, included The Martha Raye Show, The Guy Mitchell Show, and The Polly Bergen Show in 1957; Alcoa Theatre and Bonanza (Season 1, Ep.9: "Mr. Henry Comstock") in 1959; Thriller ("The Big Blackout") in 1960; and The Twilight Zone (Season 2, Ep. 14: "The Whole Truth") in 1961. On February 8, 1960, Carson received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television and radio industry. The television star is located at 1560 Vine Street, the radio star is at 6361 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1983, after his death, Jack Carson was inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Artists Hall of Fame along with his film pal, Dennis Morgan, who was also from Wisconsin.
Known for
Credits
Mildred Pierce (1945)
as Wally Fay
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
as Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
as Sweeney Farrell (uncredited)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
as Gooper
A Star Is Born (1954)
as Matt Libby
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
as Chuck
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
as Officer Patrick O'Hara
Stage Door (1937)
as Mr. Milbanks
The Tarnished Angels (1957)
as Jiggs
Destry Rides Again (1939)
as Jack Tyndall
Vivacious Lady (1938)
as Waiter Captain
Phffft (1954)
as Charlie Nelson
Bright Leaf (1950)
as Chris Malley
Breakdowns of 1942 (1942)
as Self
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987)
as Self (archive footage)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
as Walter Lawrie
The Hard Way (1943)
as Albert Runkel
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
as Allen Brice
The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
as Hugo Barnstead
You Only Live Once (1937)
as Attendant in First Gas Station
Love Crazy (1941)
as Ward Willoughby
Stand-In (1937)
as Tom Potts
The Tattered Dress (1957)
as Sheriff Nick Hoak
Breakdowns of 1941 (1941)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Blues in the Night (1941)
as Leo Powell
Dangerous When Wet (1953)
as Windy Webbe
Arroyo (1955)
as Lamar Kendall
The Saint in New York (1938)
as Red Jenks
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
as Self
It's a Great Feeling (1949)
as Jack Carson
A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954)
as Self - Host
Shine on Harvest Moon (1944)
as The Great Georgetti
The Male Animal (1942)
as Joe Ferguson
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Carefree (1938)
as Connors
Next Time I Marry (1938)
as Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
John Loves Mary (1949)
as Fred Taylor
Mister Universe (1951)
as Jeff Clayton
Bob Hope's World of Comedy (1976)
as Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage)
City of Chance (1940)
as Narration - Prologue (voice)
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958)
as Captain Hoxie
Princess O'Rourke (1943)
as Dave Campbell
Fifth Avenue Girl (1939)
as Minnesota (uncredited)
One More Tomorrow (1946)
as Patrick 'Pat' Regan
The Good Humor Man (1950)
as Biff Jones
My Dream Is Yours (1949)
as Doug Blake
Romance on the High Seas (1948)
as Peter Virgil
I Don't Even Like Apple Pie... (1989)
as Self (Archive Footage)
Okay for Sound (1946)
Actor
Girl in 313 (1940)
as Police Lt. Pat O'Farrell
Breakdowns of 1944 (1944)
as Self
Typhoon (1940)
as Mate
King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961)
as Timothy W. 'Big Tim' O'Brien
Crashing Hollywood (1938)
as Dickson
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
as Self
So You Want to Be in Pictures (1947)
as Man Giving Directions (uncredited)
Larceny, Inc. (1942)
as Jeff Randolph
Always Together (1947)
as Bill (uncredited)
Ain't Misbehavin' (1955)
as Harold North
Navy Blues (1941)
as 'Buttons' Johnson
Shooting High (1940)
as Gabby Cross
The Time, The Place and The Girl (1946)
as Jeff Howard
The Escape (1939)
as Chet Warren
Everybody's Doing It (1938)
as Detective Lieutenant
April Showers (1948)
as Joe Tyme
Parole Fixer (1940)
as George Mattison
Night Spot (1938)
as Shallen
Two Guys from Milwaukee (1946)
as Buzz Williams
Sammy, the Way-Out Seal (1962)
as Harold Sylvester
Lucky Partners (1940)
as Frederick Harper
Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)
as (archive footage)
Love and Learn (1947)
as Jingles Collins
Music for Madame (1937)
as Assistant Director
The Bottom of the Bottle (1956)
as Hal Breckinridge
Three Men on a Horse (1957)
as Patsy
The Doughgirls (1944)
as Arthur Halstead
Red Garters (1954)
as Jason Carberry
Condemned Women (1938)
as Plainclothes Policeman
Who Killed Julie Greer? (1961)
as Fairchild
Law of the Underworld (1938)
as Henchman Johnny
I Take This Woman (1940)
as Joe
Go Chase Yourself (1938)
as Warren Miles
Wings for the Eagle (1942)
as Brad Maple
High Flyers (1937)
as Dave Hanlon
Having Wonderful Time (1938)
as Emil Beatty
She's Got Everything (1937)
as Ransome (uncredited)
Roughly Speaking (1945)
as Harold C. Pierson
The Honeymoon's Over (1939)
as Tom Donroy
The Road to Victory (1944)
as Jack Carson (uncredited)
Two Guys from Texas (1948)
as Danny Foster
Make Your Own Bed (1944)
as Jerry Curtis
The Kid From Texas (1939)
as Stanley Brown
Enemy Agent (1940)
as Ralph
Love Thy Neighbor (1940)
as Policeman
On Again—Off Again (1937)
as Cop
Too Many Wives (1937)
as Hodges
Maid's Night Out (1938)
as Rollercoaster Ride Attendant (uncredited)
This Marriage Business (1938)
as "Candid" Perry
The Bramble Bush (1960)
as Bert Mosley
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off (1938)
as Rochet
A Rented Riot (1937)
Actor
Queen of the Mob (1940)
as Agent Ross Waring
Harris in the Spring (1937)
as Taxicab Driver
Sandy Gets Her Man (1940)
as Policeman Tom Garrity
The Groom Wore Spurs (1951)
as Ben Castle
The Children of Alda Nuova (1962)
as Frankie Fane
Quick Money (1937)
as Coach Woodford
The Shining Future (1944)
as Self
Magnificent Roughnecks (1956)
as Bix Decker
Alias the Deacon (1940)
as Sullivan
Legion of Lost Flyers (1939)
as Larry Barrigan
Food and Magic (1943)
Actor