BERTON CHURCHILL
Information from IMDb
Date of Birth
9 December 1876,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of Death
10 October 1940,
New York City, New York, USA (uremic poisoning)
Height
5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Spouse
Harriet Gardner (? - 10 October 1940) (his death) 1 child
Trivia
One of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild.
Died just three days before he was to resume his stage career with the opening of "George Washington Slept Here" by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.
Radio star Harold Peary claimed he based much of his famous character "The Great Gildersleeve" on the pompous pretensions of Berton's film characterizations.
One of the earliest members of Actors Equity, he sat on the union's council. In 1919 he was in charge of the New York headquarters during the Equity strike.
In 1925, he helped found the Masquers club that led to him and five other actors to create the Screen Actors Guild in 1933.
Canadian-born stage and silent film player whose stentorian voice was perfect for talking pictures. He played sour-looking, well-dressed bankers, politicos and other business executive types, both honest and corrupt, with typical crust and blustery imperiousness.
Mini-Biography
Berton Churchill was a Canadian actor.
Born in Toronto, Ontario. As a young man interested in the theater, he appeared in stock companies as early as 1903 and later headed to New York City where he began an acting career that soon put him on the Broadway stage. There, he was one of the earliest members of Actors Equity and sat on the union's Council. In 1919 he was in charge of the New York headquarters during the Equity strike in which fellow Canadian and friend, actress Marie Dressler assumed a major part with him that led to her being blacklisted by the producers.
With the advent of filmmaking in New York Churchill appeared in several motion pictures, and in the 1920s, following the use of sound in film, he moved to Hollywood, California. There, his powerful stage voice and commanding presence landed him numerous supporting roles, usually as the stern or pompous character with such roles as a banker, a State Governor, or a land baron. Much in demand, in more than 125 films Churchill worked for some of the great directors such as Otto Preminger, John Ford, and Frank Capra. As well, he performed with many of the most famous stars of the day such as Bette Davis (The Cabin in the Cotton), Jeanette MacDonald, Tyrone Power, Edward G. Robinson, and Will Rogers. Churchill is perhaps best known for his role as Gatewood, the absconding banker in John Ford's highly acclaimed 1939 film Stagecoach, starring John Wayne.
In 1925, Churchill helped found the Masquers club that led to him and five other actors creating the Screen Actors Guild in 1933.
Churchill died in New York City, of uremic poisoning. His body was returned to the west coast to be interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Berton Churchill was a regular of the John Ford Stock Company
and made 5 movies with him
He appeared in 1 film starring Duke
as the banker Gatewood
Stagecoach (1939)...Gatewood
