Osgood Perkins

James Ridley Osgood Perkins (May 16, 1892 – September 21, 1937) was an American actor.[1]

This article is about an actor. For his actor grandson, see Oz Perkins.

Osgood Perkins
Perkins as Walter Burns in The Front Page (1928)
Born	James Ridley Osgood Perkins (1892-05-16)May 16, 1892 West Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 21, 1937(1937-09-21) (aged 45) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	unknown–1935
Spouse(s)	Janet Esselstyn Rane ( m. 1922)
Children	Anthony Perkins
Relatives	Oz Perkins (grandson) Elvis Perkins (grandson)

Life and career

Perkins was born in West Newton, Massachusetts, son of Henry Phelps Perkins Jr., and his wife, Helen Virginia (née Anthony).[2] His maternal grandfather was wood engraver Andrew Varick Stout Anthony.[3] He was a graduate of Harvard College.[4]

Perkins made his Broadway debut in 1924 in the George S. Kaufman – Marc Connelly play Beggar on Horseback. In the next 12 years, he would appear in 24 Broadway productions, including The Front Page and Uncle Vanya.

Despite his success as a leading man in the theatre, Hollywood viewed him as a character actor. He appeared in 12 silent films, including Puritan Passions, before moving to talkies such as Scarface and Gold Diggers of 1937.

"The best actor I ever worked with was Osgood Perkins," Louise Brooks told Kevin Brownlow. "You know what makes an actor great to work with? Timing. You don't have to feel anything. It's like dancing with a perfect dancing partner. Osgood Perkins would give you a line so that you would react perfectly. It was timing -- because emotion means nothing." Brooks and Perkins appeared together in Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (1926).

On September 21, 1937, Osgood died of a heart attack in his bathtub shortly after playing "Susan and God".[5]

Osgood Perkins was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.[6]

Personal life

Perkins married Janet Esselstyn Rane in 1922. They had one child, actor Anthony Perkins.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1922	The Cradle Buster	Crack 'Spoony'	Film Debut
1923	Puritan Passions	Dr. Nicholas
1924	Grit	Boris Giovanni Smith
1925	Wild, Wild Susan	M. Crawford Dutton
1926	Love 'Em and Leave 'Em	Lem Woodruff
1927	High Hat	The Assistant Director
	Knockout Reilly	Spider Cross
1929	Syncopation	Hummel
	Mother's Boy	Jake Sturmberg
1931	Tarnished Lady	Ben Sterner
1932	Scarface	John "Johnny" Lovo
1934	Madame DuBarry	Duc de Richelieu
	Kansas City Princess	Marcel Duryea - French Private Eye
	The President Vanishes	Harris Brownell
	Secret of the Chateau	Martin
1935	I Dream Too Much	Paul Darcy
1936	Gold Diggers of 1937	Morty Wethered
1937	A Star Is Born	Otto	Final Film (Uncredited)

References

1. Great Stars of the American Stage; in Historic Photographs, p.85 c.1983 edited by Stanley Appelbaum ISBN 0-486-24555-1
2. Winecoff, Charles (2009). Split File: The Life of Anthony Perkins. Diane Pub Co. p. 10. ISBN 078819870X.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2016-11-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. Monahan, Kaspar (October 9, 1932). "The Show Shops". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 31. Retrieved November 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Osgood Perkins, 45, Actor, Dies in Bath". Canada Gazette. 22 September 1937 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame." The New York Times, March 3, 1981.

External links

• Osgood Perkins at the Internet Broadway Database
• Osgood Perkins on IMDb
• Osgood Perkins portrait gallery NY Public Library