Walter Pidgeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Pidgeon
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Pidgeon on Perry Mason (1963)
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| Born |
Walter Davis Pidgeon
September 23, 1897 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Died | September 25, 1984 (aged 87) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Education | University of New Brunswick |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1925–1977 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Edna Muriel Pickles
(m. 1919; died 1926)Ruth Walker
(m. 1931) |
| Children | 1 |
| 10th President of the Screen Actors Guild | |
| In office 1952–1957 |
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| Preceded by | Ronald Reagan |
| Succeeded by | Leon Ames |
Walter Davis Pidgeon (born September 23, 1897 – died September 25, 1984) was a famous actor from both Canada and the United States. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor, which is a top award in movies. These nominations were for his roles in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Madame Curie (1943).
Pidgeon also starred in many other popular films. Some of these include How Green Was My Valley (1941), Forbidden Planet (1956), and Funny Girl (1968). In 1960, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have done great things in entertainment. He also received a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1975. This award celebrates an actor's long and successful career.
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Early life and education
Walter Pidgeon was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. His mother, Hannah, was a homemaker. His father, Caleb, was a haberdasher, which means he sold men's clothing and accessories.
Walter went to local schools and then to the University of New Brunswick. There, he studied law and drama. His studies were stopped by World War I. He joined the army as a lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. He never fought in the war, though. He was badly hurt in an accident involving two gun carriages. He spent 17 months in a military hospital recovering. After the war, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts. He worked at a bank and also studied singing at the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Becoming an actor
While acting in plays for fun in Boston, Walter Pidgeon was noticed. He was recommended to Elsie Janis, a well-known producer, actor, and singer. She was looking for a male singer for her show. She hired him, and Walter moved to New York City in 1923.
He got a small role in a Broadway play called You Never Can Tell. This was his first professional acting job. His official Broadway debut was in Janis's 1925 show, Puzzles of 1925.
Walter's success in Elsie Janis's shows caused some problems between them. This led to him leaving her shows and deciding to go to Hollywood. His first movie was a silent film called Mannequin in 1925. He made several silent films in the 1920s.
Rise to fame
Walter was not happy with the movie roles he was getting. So, in 1928, he went back to New York to act in plays. But then, "talkies" came along! These were movies with sound. Walter's singing voice helped his movie career take off. He starred in colorful early musical films like Bride of the Regiment (1930) and Viennese Nights (1930). He continued to sing in movies through the 1930s. Later, he started acting in serious drama roles.
In 1937, he returned to movies as a dramatic actor. He often played important supporting roles in films like Saratoga (1937). One of his well-known roles was in Dark Command (1940). In this film, he played the bad guy against John Wayne.
His popularity grew a lot when he starred in How Green Was My Valley (1941). This movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture. He then starred with Greer Garson in many films. These included Mrs. Miniver (1942), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He was also nominated for Madame Curie (1943), again with Greer Garson. Their acting partnership continued through the 1940s and 1950s.
Walter Pidgeon kept making movies, including Forbidden Planet (1956). In the mid-1950s, he returned to Broadway after 20 years. He was in the musical play Take Me Along and was nominated for a Tony Award. He continued to make films, playing Admiral Harriman Nelson in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). His role as Florenz Ziegfeld in Funny Girl (1968) was very popular.
He also appeared in TV shows like Perry Mason in 1963. In 1965, he played the King in the TV musical Cinderella. Walter Pidgeon stopped acting in 1977. He became a United States citizen on December 24, 1943.
Political involvement
Walter Pidgeon was a member of the Republican Party. In 1944, he joined other famous people at a large rally in Los Angeles. This event supported the Republican candidates for president and vice president. It also supported the governor of California. The gathering had 93,000 people.
Personal life
Walter Pidgeon was married twice. In 1919, he married Edna Muriel Pickles. She sadly died in 1926 while giving birth to their daughter, also named Edna. In 1931, Walter married his secretary, Ruth Walker. They stayed married until he passed away.
Death
Walter Pidgeon died on September 25, 1984, in Santa Monica, California. He passed away two days after his 87th birthday. He had suffered from a series of strokes.
Walter Pidgeon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6414 Hollywood Blvd.
Images for kids
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Pidgeon with Teresa Wright and Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver (1942)
See also
In Spanish: Walter Pidgeon para niños
