Al Bridge was an American character actor, a fixture both in Westerns and in the comedies of Preston Sturges.
Although frequently billed as Alan Bridge, he was born Alfred Morton Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1891 (not as Alford Bridge in 1890, as his tombstone erroneously states).
Following service as a corporal in the U.S. Army infantry in the first World War, Bridge joined a theatrical troupe. He dabbled in writing and in 1930 sold a script to a short film, Her Hired Husband (1930). He followed this with a B-Western script, God's Country and the Man (1931), in which he made his film debut as an actor.
For the next quarter century, he managed the atypical achievement of maintaining a career in both B-Westerns and in bigger dramatic and comedy features. Ten films for director Preston Sturges represent probably his most familiar contribution to Hollywood history. Bridge also appeared frequently on television until his death in 1957 at 66.
Known For
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Sheriff (uncredited)
The Little Foxes
(1941)
Dawson (uncredited)
T-Men
(1947)
Agent in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Dead End
(1937)
Policeman in Drina's Apartment (Uncredited)
The Awful Truth
(1937)
Motor Cop (uncredited)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Senator Dwight (uncredited)
Jezebel
(1938)
New Orleans Sheriff (uncredited)
They Were Expendable
(1945)
Lieutenant Colonel (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
(1939)
Ship Captain (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
(1942)
Conductor
Marie Antoinette
(1938)
Official in Passport Office (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
(1942)
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Palmyra Townsman (uncredited)
I Married a Witch
(1942)
Second Prison Guard (uncredited)
The Lady Eve
(1941)
First Steward (uncredited)
A Night at the Opera
(1935)
Immigration Inspector (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
Galloping Thru
(1931)
Sandy Thompson
The Ridin' Fool
(1931)
Nikkos (as Al Bridges)
God's Country and the Man
(1931)
Livermore
The Greater Love
(1931)
Deputy Bill Gaines
Police Court
(1932)
The Wyoming Whirlwind
(1932)
Steve Cantrell
Blonde Venus
(1932)
Bouncer (uncredited)
The Devil Horse
(1932)
Henchman Curley Bates
Broadway to Cheyenne
(1932)
Al
South of Santa Fe
(1932)
Henchman Wooly
The Hurricane Express
(1932)
The Station Agent
Slightly Married
(1932)
Tenant
The Forty-Niners
(1932)
Squaw O'Hara
The Spirit of the West
(1932)
Tom Fallon
Million Dollar Legs
(1932)
Secret Emissary #3 (uncredited)
The Cowboy Counsellor
(1932)
Sheriff Matt Farraday
The Thirteenth Guest
(1932)
Policeman (Uncredited)
A Man's Land
(1932)
Steve - Rustler
When a Man Rides Alone
(1933)
Montana Slade
The Cheyenne Kid
(1933)
Denver Ed
Fighting With Kit Carson
(1933)
Reynolds
Fighting Texans
(1933)
Gur Durkin
Drum Taps
(1933)
Lariat Smith
The Lone Avenger
(1933)
Burl Adams
Black Beauty
(1933)
Hack Driver
Sucker Money
(1933)
George Hunter
Son of the Border
(1933)
Tupper
Mystery Mountain
(1934)
Tom Henderson
Honor of the Range
(1934)
Townsman (uncredited)
The Curtain Falls
(1934)
Mover
Alibi Racket
(1935)
Chief Inspector August Wilmer
Confidential
(1935)
Hanover - Walsh's Henchman
Diamond Jim
(1935)
Poker Player on Train
Melody Trail
(1935)
Matt Kirby
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
(1935)
Mitchell
Valley of Wanted Men
(1935)
Ranger Sergeant Parsons
Gallant Defender
(1935)
Salty Smith
The New Frontier
(1935)
Kit
North of Arizona
(1935)
George Tully
A Night at the Opera
(1935)
Immigration Inspector (uncredited)
Outlaw Rule
(1935)
Deputy Bat Lindstrom
The Murder Man
(1935)
Judge John C. Garfield (uncredited)
Transient Lady
(1935)
Sheriff Angel Verner
Rendezvous
(1935)
Sergeant (uncredited)
Alias Mary Dow
(1935)
Ditch-Digger (uncredited)
The Gay Deception
(1935)
Jail Attendant (uncredited)
Silent Valley
(1935)
Jim Farley
Public Enemy's Wife
(1936)
Swartzman
Ace Drummond
(1936)
Paul Wyckoff
The Lawless Nineties
(1936)
Steele
Fast Bullets
(1936)
Travis
Dodge City Trail
(1936)
Dawson
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
(1936)
Henchman Black
The Bridge of Sighs
(1936)
Ballistics Expert (uncredited)
Crash Donovan
(1936)
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
The Three Mesquiteers
(1936)
Alden Canfield
These Three
(1936)
Mrs. Walton's Chauffeur (uncredited)
They Met in a Taxi
(1936)
Detective
Trail Dust
(1936)
Babson
Call of the Prairie
(1936)
Sam Porter
Borderland
(1937)
Dandy Morgan
Woman Chases Man
(1937)
Process Server (uncredited)
Tim Tyler's Luck
(1937)
Capt. Trowbridge
Two Gun Law
(1937)
Kipp Faulkner
The Awful Truth
(1937)
Motor Cop (uncredited)
Wild West Days
(1937)
Steve Claggett, Henchman
Jungle Jim
(1937)
Slade
Springtime in the Rockies
(1937)
Briggs
They Won't Forget
(1937)
Mob Leader Outside Governor's Mansion (uncredited)
Dead End
(1937)
Policeman in Drina's Apartment (Uncredited)
You Only Live Once
(1937)
Guard (uncredited)
Western Gold
(1937)
Holman (as Alan Bridge)
Adventure in Sahara
(1938)
Cpl. Dronov
Two Gun Justice
(1938)
Sheriff (as Al Bridges)
Jezebel
(1938)
New Orleans Sheriff (uncredited)
Gunsmoke Trail
(1938)
Sheriff chasing Loma
Partners of the Plains
(1938)
Scar Lewis
Colorado Trail
(1938)
Mark Sheldon
Crime School
(1938)
Mr. Burke
Marie Antoinette
(1938)
Official in Passport Office (uncredited)
Little Miss Roughneck
(1938)
Sheriff
Born to Be Wild
(1938)
Kennedy - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
Thunder Afloat
(1939)
Fisherman (uncredited)
Devil's Island
(1939)
Captain of the Guards
Buck Rogers
(1939)
Dynamo Room Floor Guard
The Oklahoma Kid
(1939)
Would-Be Settler (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
(1939)
Ship Captain (uncredited)
The Phantom Creeps
(1939)
White Rose Sailor
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Senator Dwight (uncredited)
Sons of Liberty
(1939)
Prisoner (uncredited)
Blue Montana Skies
(1939)
Marshal
The Stranger from Texas
(1939)
Jeff Browning
The Man from Sundown
(1939)
Slick Larson
Romance of the Redwoods
(1939)
Boss Whittaker
Oklahoma Frontier
(1939)
Kentuck
Christmas in July
(1940)
Mr. Hillbeiner
Flowing Gold
(1940)
Highway Patrolman (uncredited)
The Courageous Dr. Christian
(1940)
Sheriff
My Little Chickadee
(1940)
Barfly Drinking Straight Whiskey (uncredited)
When the Daltons Rode
(1940)
Dark Command
(1940)
Slave Trader
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Palmyra Townsman (uncredited)
Winners of the West
(1940)
Captain
The Green Hornet Strikes Again!
(1940)
Ship's Captain
Blazing Six Shooters
(1940)
Bert Karsin
Pioneers of the Frontier
(1940)
Marshal Larsen
The Lone Rider Rides On
(1941)
Bob Cameron
Sullivan's Travels
(1941)
The Mister
Fighting Bill Fargo
(1941)
Tom Houston
Law of the Range
(1941)
Jamison
Honolulu Lu
(1941)
Shooting Gallery Proprietor
Honky Tonk
(1941)
Townsman at Meeting House
The Lady from Cheyenne
(1941)
Mr. Matthews
The Little Foxes
(1941)
Dawson (uncredited)
The Lady Eve
(1941)
First Steward (uncredited)
Rawhide Rangers
(1941)
Rawlings
The Kid's Last Ride
(1941)
Bob Harmon / Jim Breeden
Badlands Of Dakota
(1941)
Plainview Lawman
Lady from Louisiana
(1941)
Captain of Police
I Married a Witch
(1942)
Second Prison Guard (uncredited)
Bad Men of the Hills
(1942)
Mace Arnold
The Man Who Returned to Life
(1942)
Meet the Stewarts
(1942)
Police Turnkey (uncredited)
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
(1942)
Trustee
A Man's World
(1942)
Captain Peterson
Pardon My Stripes
(1942)
Guard (uncredited)
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
(1942)
Man
The Palm Beach Story
(1942)
Conductor
The Talk of the Town
(1942)
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
In This Our Life
(1942)
Worker (uncredited)
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
(1943)
Matt Warner
Nobody's Darling
(1943)
Bum (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
(1943)
Mr. Johnson
Idaho
(1943)
Jailer
The Missing Juror
(1944)
Deputy Sheriff Ben (Uncredited)
Hail the Conquering Hero
(1944)
Political Boss
Saratoga Trunk
(1945)
Soule Gang Engineer (uncredited)
She Wouldn't Say Yes
(1945)
Conductor (uncredited)
Thunderhead - Son of Flicka
(1945)
Dr. Hicks
Charlie Chan in The Jade Mask
(1945)
Sheriff Mack
Salty O'Rourke
(1945)
Bartender (uncredited)
They Were Expendable
(1945)
Lieutenant Colonel (uncredited)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
(1945)
Cheap Charlie (uncredited)
Deadline at Dawn
(1946)
Detective Smiley (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Sheriff (uncredited)
Cross My Heart
(1946)
Detective Flynn
Alias Mr. Twilight
(1946)
Sam Bartlett
Below the Deadline
(1946)
Turner
Shadows Over Chinatown
(1946)
Captain Allen
The Falcon's Alibi
(1946)
Police Inspector Blake
Road to Utopia
(1946)
Ship Captain (uncredited)
Singin' in the Corn
(1946)
Honest John Richards
Robin Hood Of Texas
(1947)
Sheriff
T-Men
(1947)
Agent in Phone Booth (uncredited)
The Mighty McGurk
(1947)
Toothless Derelict (uncredited)
Black Gold
(1947)
Dr. Jonas - Veterinarian
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
(1947)
Wild Bill Hickock
Framed
(1947)
(uncredited)
Down to Earth
(1947)
Police Captain (uncredited)
The Fabulous Joe
(1947)
Florida Club Bartender
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
(1947)
Mr. Cudd (uncredited)
Silver River
(1948)
Sam Slade
Unfaithfully Yours
(1948)
House Detective
Quick on the Trigger
(1948)
Judge Kormac
Squadron of Doom
(1949)
Wyckoff
The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend
(1949)
Sheriff
The Devil's Henchman
(1949)
Elmer Hood
California Passage
(1950)
Conover
Hunt the Man Down
(1950)
Ulysses Grant Sheldon (uncredited)
Utah Wagon Train
(1951)
Sam Sickle
All That I Have
(1951)
John Biddle
Oh! Susanna
(1951)
Jake Ledbetter
In Old Amarillo
(1951)
Sheriff (uncredited)
The Last Musketeer
(1952)
Lem Shaver
Barbed Wire
(1952)
Homesteader McGraw
We're Not Married!
(1952)
Detective Magnus (uncredited)
Iron Mountain Trail
(1953)
Marshal
Jubilee Trail
(1954)
Mr. Turner (uncredited)
Hell's Outpost
(1954)
Banker (uncredited)
Born in Freedom: The Story of Colonel Drake
(1954)
Hotel Desk Clerk
Writing