From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Sawyer gained acting experience in the Pasadena Playhouse. Popular roles that he portrayed included Sergeant Biff O'Hara in the Rin Tin Tin television program, a film, and on radio. On Stories of the Century in 1954, he portrayed Butch Cassidy, a role which he repeated in the 1958 episode "The Outlaw Legion" of the syndicated western series Frontier Doctor starring Rex Allen, with Doris Singleton and Michael Ansara as fellow guest stars. Sawyer also appeared on ABC's, Maverick, Sugarfoot, Peter Gunn, and Surfside 6 as well as NBC's Bat Masterson.
Sawyer died April 21, 1982, in Ashland, Oregon from liver cancer. He was 75. His interment was in Oregon.
Known For
Gilda
(1946)
Casey
The Killing
(1956)
Mike O'Reilly
How the West Was Won
(1962)
Riverboat Officer (uncredited)
The Public Enemy
(1931)
Pool Player (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
(1939)
The Sergeant
Sergeant York
(1941)
Sergeant Early
North to Alaska
(1960)
Land Commissioner
The Grapes of Wrath
(1940)
Bookkeeper
The Informer
(1935)
Bartly Mulholland
The Outlaw
(1943)
Charley Woodruff
The Petrified Forest
(1936)
Jackie
They Died with Their Boots On
(1941)
Sgt. Doolittle
Jimmy the Gent
(1934)
Mike (uncredited)
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Kitzmiller
It Came from Outer Space
(1953)
Frank Daylon
Riding Shotgun
(1954)
Tom Biggert
Full Filmography
Acting
The Public Enemy
(1931)
Pool Player (uncredited)
Maker of Men
(1931)
Bennett the Monroe Coach (uncredited)
Huddle
(1932)
Slater
Arsène Lupin
(1932)
Leroux (uncredited)
Eskimo
(1933)
Sergeant Hunt (uncredited)
College Humor
(1933)
Tex Roust
The Stranger's Return
(1933)
Thresher
Ace of Aces
(1933)
Captain Daly
Son of a Sailor
(1933)
Slug
Three-Cornered Moon
(1933)
Head Lifeguard
College Coach
(1933)
Holcomb
Golden Harvest
(1933)
Farmhand (uncredited)
Saturday's Millions
(1933)
Coach
Sing and Like it
(1934)
Gunner - Hood
Gridiron Flash
(1934)
Coach Eversmith
The Case of the Howling Dog
(1934)
Carl Trask (uncredited)
Jimmy the Gent
(1934)
Mike (uncredited)
Looking for Trouble
(1934)
Max Stanley
The Bands Plays On
(1934)
Mr. Thomas
Death on the Diamond
(1934)
"Dunc" Spencer
College Rhythm
(1934)
Spud Miller
Prescott Kid
(1934)
Marshal Willoughby
The Informer
(1935)
Bartly Mulholland
Special Agent
(1935)
Rich - Chief Henchman
Little Big Shot
(1935)
Doré's Henchman
Frisco Kid
(1935)
Slugs Crippen (as Joseph Sawyer)
Moonlight on the Prairie
(1935)
Luke Thomas
Car 99
(1935)
Whitey, burly henchman
Broadway Gondolier
(1935)
'Red'
Man of Iron
(1935)
Crawford
The Arizonian
(1935)
Henchman Keeler
Sequoia
(1935)
Forest Ranger (uncredited)
The Whole Town's Talking
(1935)
Mannion's Thug (uncredited)
I Found Stella Parish
(1935)
Chuck (as Joseph Sawyer)
The Walking Dead
(1936)
'Trigger' Smith
The Petrified Forest
(1936)
Jackie
Special Investigator
(1936)
Jim Plummer
The Accusing Finger
(1936)
Father Reed, chaplain
Murder with Pictures
(1936)
Inspector Tom Bacon
Big Brown Eyes
(1936)
Jack Sully
Two in a Crowd
(1936)
Bonelli's Henchman
The Country Doctor
(1936)
Joe, the Logger Lifting Log (uncredited)
Great Guy
(1936)
Joe Burton
High Tension
(1936)
Terry Madden
Freshman Love
(1936)
Coach Kendall
And Sudden Death
(1936)
Police Sgt. Sanborn
Crash Donovan
(1936)
Henchman (uncredited)
Pride of the Marines
(1936)
Tennessee
The Leathernecks Have Landed
(1936)
Sgt. Regan
Rose Bowl
(1936)
Announcer
A Son Comes Home
(1936)
First Truck Driver
Black Legion
(1937)
Cliff Summers
Behind the Criminal
(1937)
Red Manders
The Lady Fights Back
(1937)
Swede Jannsen
Reported Missing
(1937)
'Brad' Martin
They Gave Him a Gun
(1937)
Doyle - Gangster (uncredited)
A Dangerous Adventure
(1937)
Dutch
San Quentin
(1937)
'Sailor Boy' Hansen
Navy Blues
(1937)
Chips
Midnight Madonna
(1937)
Wolfe
Stolen Heaven
(1938)
Bako
Always in Trouble
(1938)
Buster Mussendorfer
Passport Husband
(1938)
Duke Selton
Tarzan's Revenge
(1938)
Olaf Punch
Heart of the North
(1938)
Red Crocker
Gambling Ship
(1938)
Tony Garzoni
The Storm
(1938)
Kelly
The Roaring Twenties
(1939)
The Sergeant
I Stole a Million
(1939)
Billings
Frontier Marshal
(1939)
Curley Bill
The Lady and the Mob
(1939)
Blinky Mack
Union Pacific
(1939)
Shamus (uncredited)
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
(1939)
Werner Renz
Sabotage
(1939)
Gardner
You Can't Get Away with Murder
(1939)
Red
The Man from Montreal
(1939)
Biff Anders (as Joseph Sawyer)
Inside Information
(1939)
Detective Grazzi
The Grapes of Wrath
(1940)
Bookkeeper
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Kitzmiller
The House Across the Bay
(1940)
Charlie
The Border Legion
(1940)
Jim Gulden
Lucky Cisco Kid
(1940)
Bill Stevens
Wildcat Bus
(1940)
Burke
King of the Lumberjacks
(1940)
Jigger
Dark Command
(1940)
Bushropp
The Long Voyage Home
(1940)
Davis
Women Without Names
(1940)
Principal Keeper Grimley
Melody Ranch
(1940)
Jasper Wildhack
Honeymoon Deferred
(1940)
Detective James
Sergeant York
(1941)
Sergeant Early
They Died with Their Boots On
(1941)
Sgt. Doolittle
Belle Starr
(1941)
John Cole
Down Mexico Way
(1941)
Allen
Tanks a Million
(1941)
Sgt. William Ames
The Lady from Cheyenne
(1941)
Sheriff 'Noisy' Burkett, Henchman
Down in San Diego
(1941)
Dutch
Swamp Water
(1941)
Hardy Ragan
You're in the Army Now
(1941)
Sergeant Madden
Last of the Duanes
(1941)
Bull Lossomer
Brooklyn Orchid
(1942)
Eddie Corbett
Hay Foot
(1942)
Sergeant Ames
About Face
(1942)
Sgt. William Ames
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
(1942)
Eddie Corbett
Fall In
(1942)
Sgt. Ames
Sundown Jim
(1942)
Ben Moffitt
Wrecking Crew
(1942)
Fred Bunce
A Letter From Bataan
(1942)
Roy - John's Brother-in-Law
The Outlaw
(1943)
Charley Woodruff
Hit the Ice
(1943)
Buster - Silky's Henchman
Tarzan's Desert Mystery
(1943)
Karl Straeder
Buckskin Frontier
(1943)
Brannigan
Taxi, Mister
(1943)
Eddie Corbett
Tornado
(1943)
Charlie Muscles
Yanks Ahoy
(1943)
Sgt. Ames
Alaska Highway
(1943)
Roughhouse
Prairie Chickens
(1943)
Albertson
Let's Face It
(1943)
Sgt. Wiggins
Cowboy in Manhattan
(1943)
Louie
Sleepy Lagoon
(1943)
Lumpy
Raiders of Ghost City
(1944)
Idaho Jones
Moon Over Las Vegas
(1944)
Joe
Hey, Rookie
(1944)
Sergeant
South of Dixie
(1944)
Ernest Hatcher
The Singing Sheriff
(1944)
Squint
The Naughty Nineties
(1945)
Bailey
Brewster's Millions
(1945)
Hacky Smith
High Powered
(1945)
Spike Kenny
Gilda
(1946)
Casey
Deadline at Dawn
(1946)
Babe Dooley
The Runaround
(1946)
Hutchins
Inside Job
(1946)
Police Capt. Thomas
Joe Palooka, Champ
(1946)
Lefty
G.I. War Brides
(1946)
Sgt. Frank Moraski
A Double Life
(1947)
Pete Bonner
Roses Are Red
(1947)
Police Lt. Rocky Wall
Big Town After Dark
(1947)
Monk
Christmas Eve
(1947)
Private Detective
Coroner Creek
(1948)
Frank Yordy
Half Past Midnight
(1948)
Det. Lt. Joe Nash
Here Comes Trouble
(1948)
Officer Ames
If You Knew Susie
(1948)
Zero Zantini
Fighting Father Dunne
(1948)
Steve Davis
Fighting Back
(1948)
Police Sergeant Scudder
The Untamed Breed
(1948)
Hoy Keegan
The Lucky Stiff
(1949)
Tony
Deputy Marshal
(1949)
Eli Cressett
Tucson
(1949)
Tod Bryant
The Gay Amigo
(1949)
Sergeant McNulty
Stagecoach Kid
(1949)
Thatcher
Kazan
(1949)
Sandz Jepson
Blondie's Hero
(1950)
Sergeant Gateson
Operation Haylift
(1950)
George Swallow
Curtain Call at Cactus Creek
(1950)
Jake
The Flying Missile
(1950)
Fuss Payne
The Traveling Saleswoman
(1950)
Cactus Jack
Comin' Round the Mountain
(1951)
Kalem McCoy
As You Were
(1951)
Sgt. Ames
Red Skies of Montana
(1952)
R. A. 'Pop' Miller
Mr. Walkie Talkie
(1952)
Sgt. Ames
Indian Uprising
(1952)
Sgt. Maj. Phineas T. Keogh
Deadline - U.S.A.
(1952)
Whitey Franks (uncredited)
It Came from Outer Space
(1953)
Frank Daylon
Johnny Dark
(1954)
Carl Svenson
Riding Shotgun
(1954)
Tom Biggert
Taza, Son of Cochise
(1954)
Sgt. Hamma
The Killing
(1956)
Mike O'Reilly
The Kettles in the Ozarks
(1956)
Bancroft Baines
The Challenge of Rin Tin Tin
(1958)
Sgt. 'Biff' O'Hara
North to Alaska
(1960)
Land Commissioner
How the West Was Won
(1962)
Riverboat Officer (uncredited)
Rin-Tin-Tin: Hero of the West
(1991)
Sgt. Biff O'Hara
Legends of the West
(1992)
Curley Bill in 'Frontier Marshall'
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey
(1995)
Frank Daylon (archive footage) (uncredited)
Writing
Production