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Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American character actor born in New York City, New York. Naish did many film roles, but they were eclipsed when he found fame in the title role of radio's Life with Luigi (1948–1953), which surpassed Bob Hope in the 1950 ratings.
Naish appeared on stage for several years before he began his film career. He began as a member of Gus Edwards's vaudeville troupe of child performers. In Paris after World War I, Naish formed his own song and dance act. He was traveling the globe from Europe to Egypt to Asia, when his China-bound ship developed engine problems, leaving him in California in 1926.
His uncredited bit role in What Price Glory (1926) launched his career in more than two hundred films. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the first for his role in the 1943 film Sahara, then for his performance in the 1945 film A Medal for Benny, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture. He notably played Boris Karloff's hunchback assistant in The House of Frankenstein in 1944.
He was of Irish descent, but never used his dialect skills to play Irishmen, explaining, "When the part of an Irishman comes along, nobody ever thinks of me." Instead, he portrayed myriad other ethnic groups on screen: Latino, Native American, East Asian, Polynesian, Middle Eastern/North African, South Asian, Eastern European, and Mediterranean. Besides his film roles, he often appeared on television later in his career. He spent many of his later years in San Diego studying philosophy and theology.
Naish was married (1929–1973) to actress Gladys Heaney (1907–1987). They had one daughter.
For his contributions to television and film, J. Carrol Naish has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6145 Hollywood Boulevard.
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Known For
Batman
(1943)
Tito Daka
Rio Grande
(1950)
Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan
Captain Blood
(1935)
Cahusac
Joan of Arc
(1948)
John, Count of Luxembourg, Joan's Captor
Sahara
(1943)
Giuseppe
Clash by Night
(1952)
Uncle Vince
Canadian Pacific
(1949)
Dynamite Dawson
Humoresque
(1947)
Rudy Boray
The Southerner
(1945)
Devers
Blood and Sand
(1941)
Garabato
Sitting Bull
(1954)
Sitting Bull
Beau Geste
(1939)
Rasinoff
That's Entertainment!
(1974)
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Gung Ho!
(1943)
Lieutenant C.J. Cristoforos
Rage at Dawn
(1955)
Simeon 'Sim' Reno
Ann Vickers
(1933)
Dr. Sorelle
Full Filmography
Acting
What Price Glory
(1926)
French Soldier (uncredited)
Good Intentions
(1930)
Charlie Hattrick
Cheer Up and Smile
(1930)
Gangster Robbing Pierre's (uncredited)
Scotland Yard
(1930)
Dr. Remur
Homicide Squad
(1931)
Hugo
Gun Smoke
(1931)
Mink Gordon
The Royal Bed
(1931)
Laker
Tonight or Never
(1931)
Radio Announcer
Surrender
(1931)
French Prisoner of War (uncredited)
The Finger Points
(1931)
"The Finger is on You" Phone Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Ladies of the Big House
(1931)
Witness Against Doremus (uncredited)
Big City Blues
(1932)
Bootlegger (uncredited)
The Mouthpiece
(1932)
Tony Rocco
The Hatchet Man
(1932)
Sun Yat Ming
Two Seconds
(1932)
Tony
Crooner
(1932)
Nick Meyer
The Kid from Spain
(1932)
Pedro
The Beast of the City
(1932)
Pietro Cholo
The Famous Ferguson Case
(1932)
Claude Wright
Tiger Shark
(1932)
Tony
The Conquerors
(1932)
Agitator
No Living Witness
(1932)
Nick
Ann Vickers
(1933)
Dr. Sorelle
Silent Men
(1933)
Jack Wilder
Havana Widows
(1933)
First Taxi Driver (uncredited)
The Devil's in Love
(1933)
Salazar
Central Airport
(1933)
Drunk in Wreck (uncredited)
Arizona to Broadway
(1933)
Tommy Monk
The Past of Mary Holmes
(1933)
Gary Kent
The Avenger
(1933)
Hanley
Elmer, the Great
(1933)
Jerry (as J. Carroll Naish)
The Whirlwind
(1933)
Injun
Captured!
(1933)
Cpl. Guarand
The Last Trail
(1933)
John Ross
Infernal Machine
(1933)
Bryan
Notorious But Nice
(1933)
Joe Charney
The World Gone Mad
(1933)
Ramon Salvadore
The Mystery Squadron
(1933)
Collins
The Mad Game
(1933)
Chopper Allen
No Other Woman
(1933)
Bonelli
The Defense Rests
(1934)
Monte Ballou
The Hell Cat
(1934)
Joe Morgan
Upperworld
(1934)
Lou Colima
Marie Galante
(1934)
French Sailor Painting Ship (uncredited)
Girl in Danger
(1934)
Russo
British Agent
(1934)
Commissioner of War Trotsky
Return of the Terror
(1934)
Steve Scola
The President Vanishes
(1934)
Anti-War Demonstrator (uncredited)
Sleepers East
(1934)
Carl Izzard
Murder in Trinidad
(1934)
Duval
One Is Guilty
(1934)
Jack Allen
Hell in the Heavens
(1934)
Sgt. Chevalier
Special Agent
(1935)
Joe Durell
Captain Blood
(1935)
Cahusac
Black Fury
(1935)
Steve Croner
Under the Pampas Moon
(1935)
Tito
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
(1935)
Grand Vizier
Confidential
(1935)
'Lefty' Tate
Behind the Green Lights
(1935)
Sam Dover
Little Big Shot
(1935)
Bert
Front Page Woman
(1935)
Robert Cardoza
Special Investigator
(1936)
Eddie Selton
Moonlight Murder
(1936)
André Bejac
Two in the Dark
(1936)
Burt Mansfield
The Leathernecks Have Landed
(1936)
Irenov
Absolute Quiet
(1936)
Pedro
Robin Hood of El Dorado
(1936)
Three Fingered Jack
Crack-Up
(1936)
Operative #77
The Charge of the Light Brigade
(1936)
Subahdar-Major Puran Singh
Ramona
(1936)
Juan Can
Anthony Adverse
(1936)
Major Doumet
Charlie Chan at the Circus
(1936)
Tom Holt
Exclusive Story
(1936)
Comos
Song of the City
(1937)
Mario
Border Cafe
(1937)
Rocky Alton
Daughter of Shanghai
(1937)
Frank Barden
We Who Are About to Die
(1937)
Nick Trotti
Think Fast, Mr. Moto
(1937)
Adram
The Grand Bounce
(1937)
Hoodlum (uncredited)
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back
(1937)
Mikhail Valdin
Hideaway
(1937)
Mike Clarke
Night Club Scandal
(1937)
Jack Reed - Gangster
Sea Racketeers
(1937)
Harry Durant
Thunder Trail
(1937)
Rafael Lopez
It May Happen to You
(1937)
Moxie
Prison Farm
(1938)
Noel Haskins
Bulldog Drummond in Africa
(1938)
Richard Lane
Tip-Off Girls
(1938)
Joseph Valkus
King of Alcatraz
(1938)
Steve Murkil
Hunted Men
(1938)
Henry Rice
Illegal Traffic
(1938)
Lewis Zomar
Her Jungle Love
(1938)
Kuasa
Hotel Imperial
(1939)
Kuprin
Beau Geste
(1939)
Rasinoff
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
(1939)
Richard Lane (Archive Footage)
We're in the Movies, Now!
(1939)
Himself
Undercover Doctor
(1939)
Dr. Bartley Morgan
Island of Lost Men
(1939)
Gregory Prin
King of Chinatown
(1939)
The Professor
Persons in Hiding
(1939)
Freddie 'Gunner' Martin
Golden Gloves
(1940)
Joe Taggerty
Queen of the Mob
(1940)
George Frost
Down Argentine Way
(1940)
Casiano
Typhoon
(1940)
Mekaike
Know For Sure
(1941)
Tony Madroni
Birth of the Blues
(1941)
Blackie
That Night in Rio
(1941)
Machado
Accent on Love
(1941)
Manuel Lombroso
Mr. Dynamite
(1941)
'The Professor'
Blood and Sand
(1941)
Garabato
The Corsican Brothers
(1941)
Lorenzo
Forced Landing
(1941)
Andros Banshek
A Gentleman at Heart
(1942)
Gigi
Dr. Broadway
(1942)
Jack Venner
Jackass Mail
(1942)
Signor Michel O'Sullivan
The Pied Piper
(1942)
Aristide Rougeron
Dr. Renault's Secret
(1942)
Noel
Sunday Punch
(1942)
Matt Bassler
Tales of Manhattan
(1942)
Burglar - Robber #1
The Man in the Trunk
(1942)
Reginald DeWinters
Behind the Rising Sun
(1943)
Reo Seki
Harrigan's Kid
(1943)
Jed Jerrett
Batman
(1943)
Tito Daka
Gung Ho!
(1943)
Lieutenant C.J. Cristoforos
Sahara
(1943)
Giuseppe
Calling Dr. Death
(1943)
Inspector Gregg
Good Morning, Judge
(1943)
Andre Bouchard
Enter Arsène Lupin
(1944)
Ganimard
Dragon Seed
(1944)
Japanese Kitchen Overseer
Waterfront
(1944)
Dr. Karl Decker
Voice in the Wind
(1944)
Luigi
Two-Man Submarine
(1944)
Dr. Augustus Hadley
The Whistler
(1944)
The Killer
Jungle Woman
(1944)
Dr. Carl Fletcher
The Monster Maker
(1944)
Dr. Igor Markoff
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
Daniel
A Medal for Benny
(1945)
Charley Martin
The Southerner
(1945)
Devers
Strange Confession
(1945)
Roger Graham
Getting Gertie's Garter
(1945)
Charles, the Butler
Star in the Night
(1945)
Nick Catapoli
Bad Bascomb
(1946)
Bart Yancy
It's Your America
(1946)
French Soldier (uncredited)
Carnival in Costa Rica
(1947)
Papa Rico Molina
The Fugitive
(1947)
A Police Informer
The Beast with Five Fingers
(1947)
Police Commissario Ovidio Castanio
Humoresque
(1947)
Rudy Boray
The Kissing Bandit
(1948)
Chico
Joan of Arc
(1948)
John, Count of Luxembourg, Joan's Captor
Canadian Pacific
(1949)
Dynamite Dawson
That Midnight Kiss
(1949)
Papa Donnetti
Please Believe Me
(1950)
'Lucky' Reilly
The Toast of New Orleans
(1950)
Nicky Duvalle
Annie Get Your Gun
(1950)
Chief Sitting Bull
Rio Grande
(1950)
Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan
Black Hand
(1950)
Louis Lorelli
Bannerline
(1951)
Frankie Scarbine
Across the Wide Missouri
(1951)
Looking Glass
The Mark of the Renegade
(1951)
Luis
Denver and Rio Grande
(1952)
Gil Harkness
Clash by Night
(1952)
Uncle Vince
Ride the Man Down
(1952)
Sheriff Joe Kneen
Woman of the North Country
(1952)
John Mulholland
Fighter Attack
(1953)
Bruno
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
(1953)
Socrates Houlis
Saskatchewan
(1954)
Batouche
Sitting Bull
(1954)
Sitting Bull
Hit the Deck
(1955)
Mr. Peroni
Desert Sands
(1955)
Sgt. Diepel
Violent Saturday
(1955)
Chapman, Bank Robber
New York Confidential
(1955)
Ben Dagajanian
Man On A Bus
(1955)
Mr Stein
Rage at Dawn
(1955)
Simeon 'Sim' Reno
The Last Command
(1955)
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana
Rebel in Town
(1956)
Bedloe Mason
Yaqui Drums
(1956)
Yacqi Jack
The Young Don't Cry
(1957)
Plug
This Could Be the Night
(1957)
Leon
Disneyland '59
(1959)
Self
Force of Impulse
(1961)
Antonio Marino
The Hanged Man
(1964)
Uncle Picaud
Curse of the Fly
(1965)
Logan Dolan
Doom of Dracula
(1966)
The Hunchback
Cutter's Trail
(1970)
Froteras
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
(1971)
Dr. Duryea alias Frankenstein
That's Entertainment!
(1974)
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
(1983)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Batmania: From Comics to Screen
(1989)
Dr. Daka (archive footage)
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
Daniel (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
(1994)
(archive footage)
The Many Faces of Dracula
(2000)
Daniel (archive footage)