Dec 22, 2022
Judge Crowthers (Dick Elliott) in Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
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Judge Crowthers (Dick Elliott) in Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Peter Godfrey
December 22nd 2021
Obscure chub character actors of the 1930s.
Dick Elliott was an often used supporting player in the 1930s, appearing in 89 films. He amassed 380 career appearances throughout his career which included playing Mayor Pike in the first season of The Andy Griffith Show. He filmed 11 shows until his death in 1962.
Photos are from Annie Oakley (1935), The Big Game, shown with Billy Gilbert and Andy Devine (1936), Wanted Jane Turner (1936), Quick Money (1937), Start Cheering (1938), Under Western Skies (1938) and TheStory of Vernon and Irene Castle
DICK ELLIOTT
April 30, 1886
Richard Damon Elliott was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He became a character actor with nearly 250 appearances on his resume. He began performing in stock in 1931 and was on stage for nearly thirty years before his film debut, including appearing in the long-running hit, Abie's Irish Rose. Short and pudgy, with a high pitched voice, he was instantly recognizable.
His first film appearance (uncredited) was in 1933′s Central Airport directed by William A. Wellman. This was the same year Lucille Ball began her film career, as well, also in uncredited roles.
By 1938, Ball’s name was above the title, while Elliott was still playing uncredited character roles. This was the case with 1938′s Next Time I Marry for RKO.
The same billing was true for their second film together, Meet The People in 1944.
He made his TV debut as Officer Murphy (right) in “Dick Tracy”. He appeared in 11 episodes between 1950 and 1951.
He was reunited with Lucille Ball on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) filmed on February 16, 1954, and first aired on March 29, 1954. Along with Kay Wiley, Elliott played a tourist from Kansas who just happens to be on the viewing deck of the Empire State Building when Lucy and Ethel appear as women from Mars.
In “Lucy and Bob Hope” (ILL S6;E1) filmed on June 5, 1956, and first aired on October 1, 1956, Elliott (”Mr. Mustard”) is sitting in the Yankee Stadium box with Maxine Semon (”Miss Relish”). They both order hot dogs from Lucy with Bob Hope as their go-between.
Also in 1956, he appeared in Desilu’s “Cavalcade of America” in the episode “Pursuit of a Princess”.
From 1957 to 1959 he played the role of Stanley on four episodes of Desilu’s “December Bride”.
In 1957, he made three appearances on Desilu’s “The Real McCoys”, twice as Doc Thornton.
He is probably best remembered for playing Mayberry’s Mayor Pike on “The Andy Griffith Show,” which was filmed on the Desilu backlot. He played the character for eleven episodes between 1960 and 1962.
His final screen appearance was on an August 1963 episode of “The Third Man”. It was a posthumous appearance as Elliott died in December 1961 at age 75. According to his headstone, he was a husband and a father.
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