A minor character actor who appeared in literally hundreds of films,
actor Irving Bacon could always be counted on for expressing bug-eyed
bewilderment or cautious frustration in small-town settings with his
revolving door of friendly, servile parts - mailmen, milkmen, clerks,
chauffeurs, cab drivers, bartenders, soda jerks, carnival operators,
handymen and docs. Born September 6, 1893 in the heart of the Midwest
(St. Joseph, Missouri), he was the son of Millar and Myrtle (Vane)
Bacon. Irving first found work in silent comedy shorts at Keystone
Studios usually playing older than he was and, for a time, was a
utility player for
Mack Sennett in such
slapstick as
A Favorite Fool (1915). Irving made an easy adjustment when sound entered the pictures and
after appearing in the
Karl Dane and
George K. Arthur two-reel comedy shorts
such as
Knights Before Christmas (1930),
began to show up in feature-length films. He played higher-ups on
occasion, such as the Secretary of the Navy in
Million Dollar Legs (1932),
police inspector in
The House of Mystery (1934), mayor
in
Room for One More (1952),
and judge in
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958),
but those were exceptions to the rule. Blending in with the town crowd
was what Irving was accustomed to and, over the years, he would be
glimpsed in some of Hollywood's most beloved classics such as Capra's
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936),
San Francisco (1936),
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
and
A Star Is Born (1954). Trivia
nuts will fondly recall his beleaguered postman in the
Blondie (1938) film series that ran over
a decade.
Irving could also be spotted on popular '50s and '60s TV programs such
as the westerns
Laramie (1959) and
Wagon Train (1957), and "comedies
December Bride (1954) and
The Real McCoys (1957). He
can still be seen in a couple of old codger roles on
I Love Lucy (1951). One was as a
marriage license proprietor and the other as
Vivian Vance's doting dad from Albuquerque,
to whom she paid a visit on her way to Hollywood with the Ricardos.
Irving died on February 5, 1965, having clocked in over 400 features.
The Dick Van Dyke Show(1961)as Man Customer
Overland Trail(1960)as Storekeeper
Riverboat(1959)as Zack Mannion
Laramie(1959)as Tooey
Maverick(1957)as Andrews, Employee, Honest Donald McFadden
The Big Cat(1949)
Great Performances(1971)as The Head Waiter (clip from You Can't Take it With You (1938))
AFI Life Achievement Award(1973)as Actor 'You Can't Take It with You', Truck Driver
Hollywood and the Stars(1963)as Mr. Lake (clip from Sing, Bing, Sing (1933))
The Bigelow Theatre(1950)as Sergeant O'Flynn
