Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1889; died in 1967.
A sailor and a civil engineer before entering show business in burlesque in 1914, Bickford switched to the legitimate stage and made his Broadway debut in 1919. In 1929, he joined other stage performers lured to Hollywood by the advent of sound.
At first he played romantic leads, memorably as Greta Garbo’s seaman lover in “Anna Christy.” But he found his niche as a commanding character player, tackling supporting parts with his powerful screen presence.
Oscar Record
Bickford was nominated for an Oscar three times, always in the Supporting Actor category:
The Song of Bernadette (1943)
The Farmer’s Daughter (1947)
Johnny Belinda (1948)
He never
won the Oscar award, though his the stars of the above movies won the Best Actress Oscar.
Bickford co authored a play, The Cyclone Lover (1928). He wrote an autobiography, Bulls, Balls, Bicycles, and Actors (1965).
He co starred in The Virginian TV series.
