Wheaton Chambers

James Wheaton Chambers (October 13, 1887 - January 31, 1958) was an American actor during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Prolific, he appeared in over 200 films and television series during his career.

Wheaton Chambers
Publicity photo of Chambers
Born
James Wheaton Chambers

(1887-10-13)October 13, 1887
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
DiedJanuary 31, 1958(1958-01-31) (aged 70)
Hollywood, California, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1935—58

Early years

Chambers was born on October 13, 1887, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[1] to a Philadelphia Main Line family.[2]

He graduated from Princeton University in 1909.[3] with a bachelor of arts degree.[2] While there, he was captain of a championship swimming team.[3] In 1909, he went to China to work with marines and soldiers of the Legation Guards as part of Princeton's YMCA work in Peking.[4] After he had to leave because of the Chinese Revolution, he worked for the Associated Press.[2]

Career

Chambers gained early acting experience with the Henry Duffy Players.[2]

He made his film debut in the small role of a servant in the 1935 film The Florentine Dagger.[5] Over the next 23 years he would appear in almost 150 feature films.[6] Some of his more notable roles include: as Dr. Allen in Marshal of Laredo (1945), one of the series of Red Ryder films;[7] as Lewis Havener in the 1946 fantasy-horror film The Flying Serpent;[8] as Jasper Braydon in Stagecoach to Denver, a 1946 western directed by R. G. Springsteen;[9] as Doctor William R. James in the 1951 film noir The Prowler, starring Van Heflin;[10] as Sam Wilkins in the 1952 western Wagons West, starring Rod Cameron;[11] and as Doc Runyon in the western The Peacemaker (1956).[12]

Other notable films in which Chambers appeared include: the 1936 biopic, The Story of Louis Pasteur, starring Paul Muni;[13] as a lawyer in Cecil B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind (1942), starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard;[14] as a reporter in the 1943 version of the classic, Phantom of the Opera, starring Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, and Claude Rains;[15] in the Abbott and Costello comedy, Abbott and Costello in Hollywood;[16] Michael Curtiz' 1945 classic, Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, and Zachary Scott;[17] in the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, State Fair (1945), starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews;[18] the 1945 romantic comedy Lover Come Back, starring George Brent and Lucille Ball;[19] Curtiz' 1946 biopic about Cole Porter, Night and Day, starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith;[20] the classic film noir Lady in the Lake (1947), starring and directed by Robert Montgomery;[21] the 1948 classic version of The Three Musketeers, starring Gene Kelly, Lana Turner and June Allyson;[22] the 1949 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical The Barkleys of Broadway;[23] DeMille's 1950 epic, Samson and Delilah, starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature;[24] the science fiction classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal;[25] Elia Kazan's classic East of Eden, starring Julie Harris, James Dean (in his first major screen role), and Raymond Massey;[26] and the 1956 classic western The Fastest Gun Alive, starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain and Broderick Crawford.[27]

In addition to his feature film work, Chambers also appeared in several film shorts, and film serials. The serials in which he appeared include: as Dr. Humphrey in Drums of Fu Manchu (1940);[28] as Boswell in Adventures of Red Ryder (1940),[29] as Professor Benjamin in The Purple Monster Strikes (1945);[30] as Wilson in The Crimson Ghost (1946);[31] and in the featured role of Caleb Baldwin in Son of Zorro (1947).[32]

Chambers' debut on the small screen was in the featured role of Father Batista in the eighth episode of the classic television western, The Lone Ranger, in 1949.[33] Other television shows he appeared on include: two episodes of The Roy Rogers Show in 1952, in different roles;[34][35] as a member of the Kryptonian council on the first episode of Adventures of Superman;[36] on two episodes (in different roles) of Hopalong Cassidy in 1952-53;[37] as Papa Dodger in the premiere episode of the situation comedy Willy in September 1954;[38] as Mr. Kennedy in a December 1954 episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show;[39] and a February 1957 episode of the crime drama, Dragnet.[40]

Chambers' last performance was in a small role in the 1958 film, Gunman's Walk, starring Van Heflin and Tab Hunter. Chambers had worked on the film in December 1957, and it was released in July, 1958, six months after his death.[37][41]

Death

On January 31, 1958, Chambers died after a brief illness. He was 70 years old and was survived by a sister.[2]

References
  1. Hess, Earl J.; Dabholkar, Pratibha A. (2014). The Cinematic Voyage of THE PIRATE: Kelly, Garland, and Minnelli at Work. University of Missouri Press. p. 207. ISBN 9780826273185. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  2. "J. Wheaton Chambers, Veteran Actor, Dies". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. February 5, 1958. p. Part III-Page 24.
  3. "The Men Who Did the Work". The Princeton Alumni Weekly. Princeton University. February 11, 1914. p. 381. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. The Princeton Work in Peking. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  5. "The Florentine Dagger: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  6. "Wheaton Chambers: Filmography". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  7. "Marshal of Laredo: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  8. "The Flying Serpent: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  9. "Stagecoach to Denver: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  10. "The Prowler: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  11. "Wagons West: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  12. "The Peacemaker: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  13. "The Story of Louis Pasteur: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  14. "Reap the Wild Wind: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  15. "Phantom of the Opera: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  16. "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  17. "Mildred Pierce: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  18. "State Fair: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  19. "Lover Come Back: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  20. "Night and Day: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  21. "Lady in the Lake: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  22. "The Three Musketeers: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  23. "The Barkleys of Broadway: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  24. "Samson and Delilah: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  25. "The Day the Earth Stood Still: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  26. "East of Eden: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  27. "The Fastest Gun Alive: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  28. "Drums of Fu Manchu (1940)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  29. "Adventures of Red Ryder (1940)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  30. "The Purple Monster Strikes (1945)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  31. "The Crimson Ghost (1946)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  32. "Son of Zorro (1947)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  33. "The Lone Ranger: Season 1, Episode 8, The Renegades (3 Nov. 1949)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  34. "The Roy Rogers Show: Season 1, Episode 3, The Set-Up (20 Jan. 1952)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  35. "The Roy Rogers Show: Season 1, Episode 2, Doc Stevens' Traveling Store (6 Jan. 1952)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  36. "Adventures of Superman: Season 1, Episode 1, Superman on Earth (19 Sep. 1952)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  37. "Wheaton Chambers (1887–1958)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  38. Television Obscurities: Willy Accessed October 30, 2020
  39. "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: Season 5, Episode 12, Harry Morton's Alumni Banquet (20 Dec. 1954)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  40. "The Dragnet: Season 6, Episode 21, The Big Game (21 Feb. 1957)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  41. "Gunman's Walk: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
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