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Charles Russell (actor)

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Charles Russell
Charles Russell with actress Mary Anderson in Behind Green Lights (1946)
Born(1918-03-31)March 31, 1918
DiedJanuary 18, 1985(1985-01-18) (aged 66)
Occupation(s)Actor, producer
Years active1943–1950 (as actor)
Spouse
(m. 1947; div. 1950)
Children1[1]

Charles Russell (March 31, 1918 – January 18, 1985) was an American movie and radio actor who appeared in 17 movies between 1943 and 1950.[citation needed] He was also a television producer who worked in Hollywood and Australia.

Acting career

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Born in New York City, Russell made his debut in an uncredited part as a ball player in Ladies' Day (1943). His last film was Chinatown at Midnight (1949).[2] He originated the role of insurance investigator Johnny Dollar in the CBS Radio series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in 1949, playing the role until being replaced by Edmond O'Brien in 1950.[3][4]

Russell married fellow 20th Century-Fox contract player Nancy Guild in 1947,[5] and they had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1949. They divorced in 1950.[1]

Producer

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Russell moved into television producing working on shows such as The Untouchables and Naked City.

He worked for a number of years in Australia at the ABC.[6] John Cameron, head of drama at the ABC in the 1970s, said Russell "was a man of great talents, who had developed a drinking problem to help him cope with the pressures of Network American television. He was winning his battle, but still had bad spells. He gave the ABC a great shot in the arm, and built a degree of professionalism in its drama filming that continued to pay dividends long after he returned to America."[7] Russell died in Beverly Hills, California.

Filmography as Actor

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Year Title Role Notes
1943 Ladies' Day Ball Player Uncredited
1943 Bombardier Instructor
1944 The Purple Heart Lt. Kenneth Bayforth
1945 Captain Eddie Sgt. Jim Reynolds
1946 Behind Green Lights Arthur Templeton
Johnny Comes Flying Home Miles Carey
Wake Up and Dream Lieutenant Coles
1947 The Late George Apley Howard Boulder
Beyond Our Own Peter Rogers
1948 Give My Regards to Broadway Arthur Waldron Jr.
Canon City Tolley
Night Wind Ralph Benson
Inner Sanctum Harold Dunlap
Trouble Preferred Lt. Rod Brooks
1949 Tucson Gregg Johnson
Mary Ryan, Detective Detective Baker Uncredited
Chinatown at Midnight Fred Morgan
1950 Breakthrough U.S. Soldier Uncredited, (final film role)

Select Producing Credits

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Nancy Guild – The Private Life and Times of Nancy Guild. Nancy Guild Pictures". www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  2. ^ Clive Hirschhorn. The Columbia story. Crown, 1990.
  3. ^ John Dunning (1976). Tune in yesterday. Prentice-Hall, 1976. ISBN 9780139326165.
  4. ^ John Dunning. On the air: the encyclopedia of old-time radio. Oxford University Press, 1998. p. 742.
  5. ^ Hopper, Hedda. "Nancy Guild Announces Engagement to Actor Charles Russell". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  6. ^ Jeffrey, Tom (18 April 2002). "Oral History Tom Jeffrey" (Interview). Interviewed by Nigel Giles. National Film and Sound Archive.
  7. ^ Cameron, John. "Autobiography of John Cameron".
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