David Wayne

David Wayne

Known for
Acting
Born
January 30, 1914, Traverse City - Michigan - USA
Died
February 9, 1995
Movies
57

David Wayne (January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.

Wayne was born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen Matilda (née Mason) and John David McMeekan. He grew up in Bloomingdale, Michigan. Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and the first ever Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. While appearing in the play, he and co-star Albert Sharpe were recruited by producer David O. Selznick to play Irish characters in the film Portrait of Jennie (1948).

It was in 1948 as well that Wayne became one of those fortunate 50 applicants (out of approximately 700) granted membership in New York's newly formed Actors Studio. He was awarded a second Tony for Best Actor in a Play for The Teahouse of the August Moon and was nominated as Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time. He originated the role of Ensign Pulver in the classic stage comedy Mister Roberts and also appeared in Say, Darling, After the Fall, and Incident at Vichy.

Best-Known Movies

Filmography

2005Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony AwardsGrandpère Bonnard (segment "The Happy Time") (archive footage)
1987Poker AliceAmos
1987The SurvivalistDub Daniels
1986Masters of Photography - Edward SteichenNarrator (voice)
1984Finders KeepersStapleton
1979An American Christmas CarolMerrivale
1979The Prize FighterPop Morgan
1979The Girls in the OfficeBen Nayfack
1978The Gift of LoveO'Henry and Narrator
1978Lassie: The New BeginningAmos
1978Murder at the Mardi GrasMickey Mills
1977In the Glitter PalaceNate Redstone
1976That's Entertainment, Part II(archive footage)
1975The Apple Dumpling GangT.R. Clydesdale
1975Tubby the TubaPee-Wee the Piccolo (voice)
1975Ellery Queen: Too Many SuspectsInsp. Richard Queen
1975It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!Dr. Abner Sedgwick
1974The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number OneMaynard Richards
1974The Front PageRoy Bensinger
1974Return of the Big CatGrandpa Jubal
1974Huckleberry FinnThe Duke
1972The CatcherArmand Faber
1971Mooch Goes to HollywoodDavid Wayne (uncredited)
1971The African ElephantNarrator
1971The Andromeda StrainDr. Charles Dutton
1970The Boy Who Stole the ElephantColonel Rufus Ryder
1970With These HandsNarrator
1969Arsenic and Old LaceTeddy Brewster
1963Marilynarchive footage
1961The Big GambleSamuel Brennan
1961Anatomy of an AccidentJohn Avery
1959The Last Angry ManWoodrow Thrasher
1959Sunday Showcase
1957The Three Faces of EveRalph White
1957The Sad SackCorporal Larry Dolan
1957The Jet-Propelled CouchDr. Kirk Allen
1956The Naked HillsTracy Powell
1955The Tender TrapJoe McCall
1954Hell and High WaterTugboat Walker
1953How to Marry a MillionaireFreddie Denmark
1953Down Among the Sheltering PalmsLt. Carl G. Schmidt
1953Tonight We SingSol Hurok
1953The I Don't Care GirlEd McCoy
1952O. Henry's Full HouseHorace (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
1952We're Not Married!Jeff Norris
1952Wait Till the Sun Shines, NellieBen Halper
1952With a Song in My HeartDon Ross
1951As Young as You FeelJoe Elliott
1951Up FrontJoe
1951MMartin W. Harrow
1950My Blue HeavenWalter Pringle
1950StellaCarl Granger
1950The Reformer and the RedheadArthur Maxwell
1949Adam's RibKip Lurie
1948Portrait of JennieGus O'Toole
1944Ditch and LivePilot of Ditching B-17
1940Stranger on the Third FloorCab Driver (uncredited)

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