Arthur Housman

Arthur Housman
Housman in 1925
Born	(1889-10-10)October 10, 1889 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	April 8, 1942(1942-04-08) (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active	1912–1941
Spouse(s)	Florence Nightingale Housman (née Banta, formerly Morse)

Arthur Housman (October 10, 1889 – April 8, 1942) was an American actor in films during both the silent film era and the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Career

In 1917, he was working at the Mayfair Film Corporation. During World War One, he served briefly in the Naval Reserve Force as a Fireman, 3rd class.

Initially a leading man, Housman later became known as Hollywood's most familiar comic drunkard in films of the 1930s, usually playing cameo parts in features but with better opportunities in short films. His best remembered roles were in several Laurel and Hardy films, notably Scram!, Our Relations and (in the title role) The Live Ghost. Housman was thought to have an offscreen drinking problem, as well, but he continued appearing in films until his death. His final role (again playing a drunk) was in the low-budget exploitation film Escort Girl made in 1941.

Death

Housman died of pulmonary tuberculosis at age 52.

Selected filmography

• What Happened to Mary (1912, Short) - Principal Comedian
• Jack's Joke (1913, Short) - Ned Brown, His Chum

• It May Be You (1915)
• The Simp and the Sophomores (1915)
• Pennington's Choice (1915)
• Hypno and Trance (1915)
• Red, White and Blue Blood (1917)
• Brown of Harvard (1918)
• With Neatness and Dispatch (1918)
• Back to the Woods (1918)
• The Gay Lord Quex (1919)
• The End of the Road (1919)
• A Fool and His Money (1920)
• The Flapper (1920)
• The Point of View (1920)
• The Road of Ambition (1920)
• The Blooming Angel (1920)
• Is Life Worth Living? (1921)
• Room and Board (1921)
• The Way of a Maid (1921)
• The Fighter (1921)
• Worlds Apart (1921)
• The Snitching Hour (1922)
• Love's Masquerade (1922)
• Shadows of the Sea (1922)
• Why Announce Your Marriage? (1922)
• The Prophet's Paradise (1922)
• Wife in Name Only (1923)
• Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model (1924)
• The Masked Dancer (1924)
• The Bat (1926)
• The Midnight Kiss (1926)
• Early to Wed (1926)
• Love Makes 'Em Wild (1927)
• Rough House Rosie (1927)
• Sunrise (1927)
• Publicity Madness (1927)
• The Singing Fool (1928)
• Sins of the Fathers (1928)
• Queen of the Night Clubs (1929)
• Times Square (1929)
• Fast Company (1929)
• Song of Love (1929)
• The Squealer (1930)
• Officer O'Brien (1930)
• The Girl of the Golden West (1930)
• Anybody's Blonde (1931)
• Scram! (1932)
• No More Orchids (1932)
• Stepping Sisters (1932)
• Movie Crazy (1932)
• The Intruder (1933)
• Her Bodyguard (1933)
• Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934)
• The Live Ghost (1934)
• Here Is My Heart (1934)
• Punch Drunks (1934)
• Sing, Sister, Sing (1935) (Short Subject)
• The Fixer Uppers (1935)
• Our Relations (1936)
• With Love and Kisses (1936)
• Racing Blood (1936)
• Youth Takes a Fling (1938)
• The Flying Deuces (1939)
• Go West (1940) as Drunk in Saloon (uncredited)
• Billy The Kid (1941)
• Escort Girl (1941)

External links

• Arthur Housman at IMDb
• Arthur Housman at the TCM Movie Database
• Arthur Housman at Find a Grave