From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950) was an American character actor in films and on stage.
He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California.
He worked in vaudeville, teaming with Walter Catlett at some point. He appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including the original 1919 musical Irene and the long-running 1948 musical As the Girls Go.
He made his film debut in San Francisco Nights (1928). Over the next few years he established himself as a supporting actor, and although many of his roles were small and received no film credit, he played more substantial roles in films such as I Cover the Waterfront (1933) and Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933). By the mid-1930s, he was appearing in more prestigious productions, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), Wife vs. Secretary (1936) and A Letter to Three Wives (1949). He continued playing small, often comical roles until the end of his life, mostly as downtrodden or henpecked little men. His last performance was in Stella (1950); he knew he did not have long to live and collapsed twice on set, but was determined to see it through. By the end of his life, he had appeared in more than 180 films.
He died following an operation at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was survived by his wife Florence and a daughter.
Known For
Captain Blood
(1935)
Dr. Bronson
A Letter to Three Wives
(1949)
Mr. Manleigh
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Barber Doyle
Black Angel
(1946)
Jake
Horror Island
(1941)
Professor Jasper Quinley
The Kansan
(1943)
Josh Hudkins
Zenobia
(1939)
Mr. Dover
Our Wife
(1941)
Shipboard Passenger (uncredited)
Wife vs. Secretary
(1936)
Joe Farnsworth
Full Filmography
Acting
San Francisco Nights
(1928)
Tommie
Sympathy
(1929)
William Maxwell
The Poor Fish
(1930)
Harry
The Wall Street Mystery
(1931)
Martin Hill
Headline Shooter
(1933)
Happy
No Marriage Ties
(1933)
Smith
Picture Snatcher
(1933)
James Peters - Drunken Reporter (uncredited)
Goodbye Again
(1933)
Mr. Clayton
I Cover the Waterfront
(1933)
One Punch McCoy
The Devil's Mate
(1933)
Parkhurst
Bureau of Missing Persons
(1933)
Mr. Harris (uncredited)
Private Detective 62
(1933)
Harcourt S. Burns
Mary Stevens, M.D.
(1933)
Alf Simmons
From Headquarters
(1933)
Muggs Manton
My Woman
(1933)
Mr. Miller
State Fair
(1933)
Professor Fred Coin (Uncredited)
Convention City
(1933)
Wendell Orchard
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
(1933)
Peanuts Dinwiddie
The Mayor of Hell
(1933)
Mr. Gorman
Havana Widows
(1933)
Mr. Otis, Invincible Insurance
Too Much Harmony
(1933)
Piano Tuner
Merry Wives of Reno
(1934)
Derwent
Mandalay
(1934)
Purser (uncredited)
Harold Teen
(1934)
Pop
Madame du Barry
(1934)
Professor de la Vauguyon
A Very Honorable Guy
(1934)
Benny
Jimmy the Gent
(1934)
Fake Worthingham
Hi, Nellie!
(1934)
Fullerton
A Modern Hero
(1934)
Henry Mueller
Fashions of 1934
(1934)
Inventor on Ship (uncredited)
I Am a Thief
(1934)
Daudet
Moulin Rouge
(1934)
Drunk
The Firebird
(1934)
Emile, Brandt's Valet
Easy to Love
(1934)
Hotel desk clerk
Wonder Bar
(1934)
Drunk (uncredited)
Now I'll Tell
(1934)
Freddie Stanton
A Lost Lady
(1934)
Robert
Housewife
(1934)
George Wilson
Kansas City Princess
(1934)
Alderman Sam Warren
The St. Louis Kid
(1934)
Richardson
The Key
(1934)
Homer, Tennant's Aide
Dark Hazard
(1934)
George Mayhew
I've Got Your Number
(1934)
Happy Dooley
I Sell Anything
(1934)
Stooge
Page Miss Glory
(1935)
Joe Bonner
I Live for Love
(1935)
Townsend
We're in the Money
(1935)
Max
Bordertown
(1935)
Harry
A Dream Comes True
(1935)
Himself (uncredited)
Don't Bet on Blondes
(1935)
Philbert O. Slemp
While the Patient Slept
(1935)
Eustace Federie
Wings in the Dark
(1935)
Mac
A Midsummer Night's Dream
(1935)
Philostrate
Captain Blood
(1935)
Dr. Bronson
Dr. Socrates
(1935)
Stevens
Broadway Gondolier
(1935)
Music Critic Gilmore
Cain and Mabel
(1936)
Milo
Sing Me a Love Song
(1936)
Mr. Barton (uncredited)
Colleen
(1936)
Noggin
Stage Struck
(1936)
Wayne
Two Against the World
(1936)
Tippy Mantus
Love Begins at Twenty
(1936)
Jacob 'Jake' Buckley
Here Comes Carter
(1936)
Mel Winter
The Golden Arrow
(1936)
DeWolfe
The Lady Consents
(1936)
Mr. Yardley
Mysterious Crossing
(1936)
Ned J. Stebbins
Three Smart Girls
(1936)
Wilbur Lamb
Wife vs. Secretary
(1936)
Joe Farnsworth
Love Letters of a Star
(1936)
Chester Blodgett
The Mighty Treve
(1937)
Mr. Davis
Reported Missing
(1937)
'Ab' Steele
Carnival Queen
(1937)
Profesor Silva
The Great O'Malley
(1937)
Reporter Pinky Holden
Girl Overboard
(1937)
Joseph L. 'Joe' Gray
Night Key
(1937)
Petty Louie
Cowboy from Brooklyn
(1938)
Mr. "Pops" Jordan
How to Sub-Let
(1939)
Mr. Mustavas
Career
(1939)
Jim Bronson
The Covered Trailer
(1939)
E. L. Beamish
Reno
(1939)
Abe Compass
See Your Doctor
(1939)
Brother-in-Law
I Stole a Million
(1939)
Jenkins's Assistant
Rose of Washington Square
(1939)
Whitey Boone
That's Right - You're Wrong
(1939)
Dwight Cook
Tell No Tales
(1939)
Charlie Daggett
The House of Fear
(1939)
Minor Role
Naughty But Nice
(1939)
Clark's Piano Tuner (uncredited)
Idiot's Delight
(1939)
Frueheim
Never Say Die
(1939)
Druggist
Daughters Courageous
(1939)
Tourist (uncredited)
The Adventures of Jane Arden
(1939)
"Killer"
Zenobia
(1939)
Mr. Dover
A Child Is Born
(1939)
Mr. Herbert West
Chicken Wagon Family
(1939)
Henri Fippany
Four Wives
(1939)
Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
Love, Honor and Oh-Baby!
(1940)
Gimpy Darnell
Shooting High
(1940)
Clem Perkle
Home Movies
(1940)
Party Guest Wearing Bowtie (uncredited)
You Can't Fool Your Wife
(1940)
Potts
Public Deb No. 1
(1940)
Mr. Schlitz
The Ghost Comes Home
(1940)
Ambrose Bundy
Santa Fe Trail
(1940)
Barber Doyle
Hired Wife
(1940)
William
An Angel from Texas
(1940)
Mr. Robelink
Charter Pilot
(1940)
Horace Sturgeon
Street of Memories
(1940)
Mr. Foster
Stage to Chino
(1940)
J. Horatio Boggs
The Great Plane Robbery
(1940)
Homer Pringle
Reaching for the Sun
(1941)
Front Office Man
Thieves Fall Out
(1941)
David Tipton
Horror Island
(1941)
Professor Jasper Quinley
I Wanted Wings
(1941)
Mickey
Our Wife
(1941)
Shipboard Passenger (uncredited)
Down in San Diego
(1941)
Telegraph Clerk (uncredited)
Lady in a Jam
(1942)
Reporter
Land of the Open Range
(1942)
Pinky Gardner
Stand by for Action
(1942)
Carpenter's Mate 'Chips'
The Remarkable Andrew
(1942)
Teller / Witness
A Tragedy at Midnight
(1942)
Charles Miller
Jackass Mail
(1942)
Gospel Jones
Whistling in Dixie
(1942)
Mr. Panky
The Magnificent Dope
(1942)
Albert Gowdy
My Favorite Spy
(1942)
Jules
Her Cardboard Lover
(1942)
Arresting Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Taxi, Mister
(1943)
Police Fingerprint Man
The Human Comedy
(1943)
Drunk at Bar (uncredited)
The Man from Down Under
(1943)
Boots
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
(1943)
Clark
A Scream in the Dark
(1943)
Leo Stark
Gildersleeve on Broadway
(1943)
Homer
The Kansan
(1943)
Josh Hudkins
Pilot #5
(1943)
Boat Owner
Dangerous Blondes
(1943)
Edward E. 'Pop' Philpot
What a Woman
(1943)
Mailman (uncredited)
Louisiana Hayride
(1944)
Malcolm Cartwright
Kismet
(1944)
Moolah
Guest in the House
(1944)
Mr. Blossom
San Diego I Love You
(1944)
Mr. McGregor (uncredited)
Roughly Speaking
(1945)
The Teacher (uncredited)
I'll Remember April
(1945)
Joe Billings
Don Juan Quilligan
(1945)
Mr. Rostigaff
Cinderella Jones
(1946)
George
Faithful in My Fashion
(1946)
Mr. Wilson
Margie
(1946)
Mr. Angus MacDuff
Black Angel
(1946)
Jake
The Hoodlum Saint
(1946)
Antique Clock Dealer (uncredited)
Little Iodine
(1946)
Mr. Tremble
The Spider Woman Strikes Back
(1946)
Bill Stapleton
Easy Come, Easy Go
(1947)
Higgins
Driftwood
(1947)
Judge Beckett
Doctor Jim
(1947)
Mayor
Best Man Wins
(1948)
Amos
The Inside Story
(1948)
Mr. Mason
Up in Central Park
(1948)
Mayor Oakley
My Girl Tisa
(1948)
Sigmund
A Letter to Three Wives
(1949)
Mr. Manleigh
Stella
(1950)
Tim Gross
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(1975)
Self (archive footage)