Charles Cahill Wilson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 28, 1894
- Died
- January 7, 1948
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Charles Cahill Wilson (July 29, 1894 – January 7, 1948) was an American screen and stage actor. He appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the late 1920s to late 1940s. Born in New York City in 1894, the white-haired, burly actor was often typecast as an earnest police officer, newspaper editor or principal. He appeared in over 250 films between 1928 and 1948, mostly playing small supporting roles with a few sentences. Charles Wilson began his acting career at the theatre, including roles in six Broadway plays between 1918 and 1931. In 1928, he directed the Hollywood comedy Lucky Boy (1928), where he also made his film debut. According to the Internet Movie Database, Lucky Boy was Wilson's only film as a director. His most notable role was probably Clark Gable's "wonderfully aggravated" newspaper boss in Frank Capra's comedy It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards in 1935. He was also cast in small roles in other Capra movies such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Shortly before his death, Wilson appeared as the boss of the Three Stooges in the two-reel comedy Crime on Their Hands (1948).
Filmography
Commotion on the Ocean 1956
as J.L. Cameron - Managing Editor (archive footage)
Crime on Their Hands 1948
as J.L. Cameron
Blazing Across the Pecos 1948
as Mayor Ace Brockway
Big Town Scandal 1948
as Editor of the Chronicle (uncredited)
Key Witness 1947
as Warden (uncredited)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 1947
as Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- Meet Mr. Mischief
Meet Mr. Mischief 1947
as Harry's Boss
It's a Wonderful Life 1946
as Charlie (uncredited)
Gas House Kids 1946
as Inspector Shannon
Blonde for a Day 1946
as Chief of Police Will Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
Larceny in Her Heart 1946
as Chief Gentry (as Charles Wilson)
Passkey to Danger 1946
as Police Sergeant
Crime of the Century 1946
as Police Lieutenant
Road to Utopia 1946
as Official Policeman (uncredited)
Scarlet Street 1945
as Watchman (uncredited)
Week-End at the Waldorf 1945
as Hi Johns
A Gun in His Hand 1945
as Chief of Police (uncredited)
Two O'Clock Courage 1945
as Brant - City Editor (uncredited)
The Missing Juror 1944
as Mac Ellis (uncredited)
Crime by Night 1944
as District Attorney Hyatt
Hey, Rookie 1944
as Sam Jonas
Silver Spurs 1943
as Mr. Hawkins
Batman 1943
as Captain Arnold
Gentleman Jim 1942
as Gurney (uncredited)
The Secret Code 1942
as Desk Sgt. Cullen
Escape from Crime 1942
as C.L. Reardon - Managing Editor (as Charles Wilson)
Dr. Broadway 1942
as District Attorney McNamara
This Gun for Hire 1942
as Police Captain
Lady Gangster 1942
as Detective
Rings on Her Fingers 1942
Actor
The Man Who Returned to Life 1942
as Inspector Mensil
Blondie Goes to College 1942
as Police Sergeant
The Officer and the Lady 1941
as Police Captain Hart
Dressed to Kill 1941
as Newspaper Editor
Out of the Fog 1941
Actor
Broadway Limited 1941
as Detective (as Charles Wilson)
Federal Fugitives 1941
as Bruce Lane
Meet John Doe 1941
as Charlie Dawson
The Face Behind the Mask 1941
as Chief O'Brien
Charter Pilot 1940
as Owen
Lady with Red Hair 1940
as George Martin (uncredited)
Tin Pan Alley 1940
as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Knute Rockne All American 1940
as Gambler (uncredited)
City for Conquest 1940
as Bill - Man Behind MacPherson at Fight (uncredited)
Public Deb No. 1 1940
as Sergeant
They Drive by Night 1940
as Mike Williams (uncredited)
Millionaires in Prison 1940
as R.J. Reynolds, Sunday Editor (uncredited)
Girl in 313 1940
as Vincent Brady, Commissioner of Police
Sandy Is a Lady 1940
as Sergeant
Gangs of Chicago 1940
Actor
He Married His Wife 1940
as Warden
Invisible Stripes 1939
as Arresting Officer (uncredited)
The Return of Doctor X 1939
as Det. Kincaid
The Roaring Twenties 1939
as Policeman (uncredited)
Smashing the Money Ring 1939
as Capt. Kilrane
Here I Am a Stranger 1939
as Managing Editor
Hotel for Women 1939
as Albert
The Cowboy Quarterback 1939
as Coach Hap Farrell
The House of Fear 1939
as Police Chief
Rose of Washington Square 1939
as Mike Cavanaugh
Fighting Thoroughbreds 1939
as Spencer Bogart
Angels with Dirty Faces 1938
Actor
The Spider's Web 1938
as Chase
The Night Hawk 1938
as Lonigan
Hold That Co-ed 1938
as Coach Burke
Tenth Avenue Kid 1938
as Commissioner
Gateway 1938
as Inspector
When Were You Born 1938
as Inspector Jim C. Gregg
Prison Farm 1938
as Reardon
Little Miss Thoroughbred 1938
as Becker
State Police 1938
as Captain Halstead
Sally, Irene and Mary 1938
as Covered Wagon Cafe Manager
Daughter of Shanghai 1937
as Schwartz (uncredited)
The Adventurous Blonde 1937
as Mortimer Gray
That’s My Story 1937
as Cummings
Partners in Crime 1937
as Inspector Simpson
Life Begins in College 1937
as Tom Burke
Broadway Melody of 1938 1937
as Horse Auctioneer (uncredited)
One Mile from Heaven 1937
as Fletcher
Roaring Timber 1937
as Sam Garvin
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop 1937
as Hamilton Burger
Night Key 1937
as Police Capt. Wallace (uncredited)
Midnight Court 1937
as Police Chief
Murder Goes to College 1937
as Police Inspector Simpson
The Great O'Malley 1937
as Policeman Chiding School Bus Driver (uncredited)
They Wanted to Marry 1937
as Clark
You Only Live Once 1937
as Police Inspector (uncredited)
Woman in Distress 1937
as Editor Herbert Claxton
Find the Witness 1937
as Charley Blair (uncredited)
Mind Your Own Business 1936
as Detective
Legion of Terror 1936
as Colonel McCollum (as Charles Wilson)
The Magnificent Brute 1936
as Murphy
Murder with Pictures 1936
as Assistant Editor (uncredited)
Down the Stretch 1936
as Tex Reardon
The Gentleman from Louisiana 1936
as Diamond Jim Brady
- I'd Give My Life
I'd Give My Life 1936
as Warden
Grand Jury 1936
as City Editor
36 Hours to Kill 1936
as F.B.I. Chief
Earthworm Tractors 1936
as H.J. Russell
Satan Met a Lady 1936
as Detective Pollock
Show Boat 1936
Actor
The Mine with the Iron Door 1936
as Pitkins
Panic on the Air 1936
as Fitzgerald
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 1936
as County Hospital Guard (uncredited)
Big Brown Eyes 1936
as Prosecuting Attorney (Uncredited)
The Country Doctor 1936
as George the Boat Captain (uncredited)
The Return of Jimmy Valentine 1936
as Kelley
Strike Me Pink 1936
as Hardie
Hitch Hike Lady 1935
as Mike - a Racketeer
White Lies 1935
as Defense Attorney (uncredited)
We're Only Human 1935
as Editor of The Daily Star
Show Them No Mercy! 1935
as Clifford
Mary Burns, Fugitive 1935
as G-Man at dancehall
Music Is Magic 1935
as Decker - Theatre Manager (uncredited)
The Case of the Lucky Legs 1935
as Police Officer Ricker
Waterfront Lady 1935
as Jim McFee aka Mac
The Public Menace 1935
as First Detective
Smart Girl 1935
as Morgan (uncredited)
After the Dance 1935
as Chief of Police
The Glass Key 1935
as District Attorney Edward J. Farr
The Nitwits 1935
as Police Captain Jennings
Murder in the Fleet 1935
as Commander Brown (Uncredited)
Air Hawks 1935
as Newspaper editor
Men of the Hour 1935
as Harper
The Case of the Curious Bride 1935
as Ferry Captain (uncredited)
Baby Face Harrington 1935
as City Editor (uncredited)
Four Hours to Kill! 1935
as Taft
The Perfect Clue 1935
as District Attorney
Car 99 1935
as Trooper Captain Ryan
The Great Hotel Murder 1935
as Anthony Wilson
The Gilded Lily 1935
as Managing Editor
Here Is My Heart 1934
as Captain Dodge (uncredited)
Murder in the Clouds 1934
as Lackey
Men of the Night 1934
as Benson
The St. Louis Kid 1934
as Mr. Harris
Port of Lost Dreams 1934
as Warden
Embarrassing Moments 1934
as Attorney
The Human Side 1934
as Furniture Buyer (uncredited)
The Dragon Murder Case 1934
as Det. Hennessey
Name the Woman 1934
as Joel Walker
The Circus Clown 1934
as Sheldon
The Hell Cat 1934
as Graham
Fog Over Frisco 1934
as Detective Sergeant O'Hagen
Affairs of a Gentleman 1934
as Inspector Quillan
I Believed in You 1934
as Magistrate
It Happened One Night 1934
as Joe Gordon
The 9th Guest 1934
as Burke (Uncredited)
Cross Country Cruise 1934
as Detective (Uncredited)
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen 1934
as Chief of Police
Shadows of Sing Sing 1933
Actor
Havana Widows 1933
as Mr. Timberg
Female 1933
as Private Detective Falihee (Uncredited)
College Coach 1933
as Charles Hauser
The Kennel Murder Case 1933
as Detective Hennessy (uncredited)
No Marriage Ties 1933
as Red Moran, City Desk Editor
Mary Stevens, M.D. 1933
as Walter Rising
Disgraced! 1933
as Thompson, Assistant District Attorney
The Mayor of Hell 1933
as Wilson (uncredited)
Private Detective 62 1933
as Club Bartender (Uncredited)
Gold Diggers of 1933 1933
as Deputy (uncredited)
Elmer, the Great 1933
as Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
Hard to Handle 1933
as Jailer (uncredited)
The Trans-Atlantic Mystery 1932
as Detective Doyle (uncredited)
- The Campus Mystery
The Campus Mystery 1932
as Detective Reardon
Hot News Margie 1931
as Newspaper Editor (uncredited)
My Sin 1931
as Guest in Pool Party
Stolen Heaven 1931
as Detective
Insurance 1930
as Doctor (uncredited)
Getting a Ticket 1930
as Motorcycle Cop
Acquitted 1929
as Nelson
Song of Love 1929
as Traveling Salesman
Broadway Scandals 1929
as Jack
Lucky Boy 1929
Director
Credits from TMDB.