Job Actor
Years active 1902-1948
Known for Harangued husbands, bad-tempered executives
Top Roles Caretaker, Samuel Breckenbridge, Egeus, Father to Hermia, Sen. MacPherson, Wellington Carruthers
Top GenresComedy, Drama, Romance, Musical, Crime, Mystery
Top TopicsBook-Based, Pre-Code Cinema, Based on Play
Top Collaborators (Producer), (Producer), (Producer), (Producer)
Shares birthday with Ralph Bellamy, Russell Simpson, James Shigeta  see more..

Grant Mitchell Overview:

Character actor, Grant Mitchell, was born on Jun 17, 1874 in Columbus, OH. Mitchell appeared in over 25 plays on Broadway from 1902 to 1938 (including The Whole Town's Talking and All the King's Men) and more than 125 films between 1930 and 1948. His best known films include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), My Sister Eileen (1942), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), and It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947). Mitchell died at the age of 82 on May 1, 1957 in Los Angeles, CA .

MINI BIO:

Grant Mitchell turned to drama only after having tried his hand at newspaper reporting and law. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Mitchell worked briefly as a reporter and practiced law for three years before studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Although he made his Broadway stage debut in 1902 (Julius Caesar), Mitchell did not make a dent in cinema until the early 30's, when talkies were beginning to shake up the movie industry. In Hollywood, his high forehead and 'disarmingly bland' face won him comic roles as vague, well-meaning little men. Occasionally he also submerged his comic bent to portray bland-looking fiends.

(Source: available at Amazon The Movie Makers [please note: the book has some data errors which have been corrected in this article by CMH]).

THREE INTERESTING HISTORICAL FACTS:

1) Grant Mitchell's father was American Civil War Union Army General John Grant Mitchell.

2) Grant Mitchell's Great Uncle was President Rutherford B. Hayes.

3) Grant Mitchell's Great Great Great Grandfather was Ezekiel Hayes, a Connecticut militia captain during the American Revolutionary War.

To read more about these fun facts, click here.

HONORS and AWARDS:

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BlogHub Articles:

All in the Family: Character Actor , Civil War General John and President Rutherford B. Hayes

By Annmarie Gatti on Jun 17, 2014 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

’s Family: a Quick American History Lesson Veteran Character Actor appeared in over 120 films throughout the 1930s and 1940s playing his share of husbands, dads, businessmen, bank clerks and school principals. Some of his most memorable ‘A-film’ roles i... Read full article


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Grant Mitchell Quotes:

Edward 'Eddie' Smith: [Walking in and putting $22 on the table after selling his car] Here, Dad.
Mr. James Smith: Wha... ? Where'd this come from?
Edward 'Eddie' Smith: Oh, I sold my car. I was tired of it anyway. You know me - have a thing a little while... get sort of fed up with it.
[Opening the refrigerator]
Edward 'Eddie' Smith: I guess I'm like my cousin Hugo.
[Turning and looking at his father]
Edward 'Eddie' Smith: Hey, you're not sore at me, are you, Pop?
Mr. James Smith: [Gettig up and walking toward Eddie] No matter what you ever do, Edward, you'll never make me feel as proud of you as I have this minute.


Paula Kendall: Crazy youngsters.
Burton Williams: As one old graybeard to another, what do you do for rheumatism?


Paula Kendall: Now behave yourself or I'll come and chaperone.
Clarice Kendall Andrews Cormack: Oh, why don't you, Paula?
Burton Williams: Go ahead, Paula. If you swung from a chandelier once in your life, maybe you'd forget this trip to the islands.


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Performed on Broadway from 1902-38.

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