Grant Mitchell  

Biography

Stage and screen veteran Grant Mitchell (born John Grant Mitchell, Jr.) is best remembered for his portrayals of harangued husbands, bemused dads, and bilious executives in films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born June 17, 1874, in Columbus, Ohio, and a Yale post graduate at Harvard Law, Mitchell gave up his law practice to become an actor, making his stage debut at age 27. He appeared in many leads on Broadway in such plays as "It Pays to Advertise", "The Champion", "The Whole Town's Talking", and "The Baby Cyclone", the last which was specially written for him by George M. Cohan. Mitchell's screen career officially got off the ground with the advent of sound, though he did appear in a couple silent films. He appeared primarily in "B" films, though had a rare lead in the now forgotten Father Is a Prince (1940). From time to time, however, he enjoyed being a part of "A" quality classic films such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Laura (1944), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Unmarried, he died at age 82 on May 1, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, USA.