Oscar Actors: Morris, Chester–Background, Career, Awards

Chester Morris Career Summary:

John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901–September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Chester Morris is best remembered for portraying Boston Blackie, a criminal-turned-detective, in the Boston Blackie film series of the 1940s.

Chester Morris was born John Chester Brooks Morris in New York City, one of four surviving children of Broadway stage actor William Morris and stage comedian Etta Hawkins.

His siblings were screenwriter-actor Gordon Morris (1898–1940), actor Adrian Morris (1907–1941), and actress Wilhelmina Morris (1902–1971). Another brother, Lloyd Morris (1892–1902), had died young.

Morris dropped out of school and began his Broadway career at 15, opposite Lionel Barrymore in The Copperhead.

He made his film debut in the silent comedy-drama An Amateur Orphan (1917).

After appearing in several Broadway productions in the early 1920s, Morris joined his parents, sister, and two brothers, Gordon and Adrian, on the vaudeville circuit.

From 1923, they performed William Morris’ original sketch called “All the Horrors of Home,” which premiered at the Palace Theatre, New York, then on the Keith-Orpheum circuit for two years, including Proctor’s Theatre, Mount Vernon, New York, and culminating in Los Angeles in 1925.

Morris returned to Broadway with The Home Towners (1926) and Yellow (1927).

Spotted by Talent Agent:

While appearing in the 1927 play “Crime,” he was spotted by a talent agent and was signed to a film contract.

Morris made his sound debut in the 1929 film Alibi, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

He followed with roles in Woman Trap (1929), The Case of Sergeant Grischa (1930) and The Divorcee, starring Norma Shearer in 1930.

Later that year, Morris was cast as one of the leads (with Wallace Beery and Robert Montgomery) in the MGM prison drama, The Big House.

For the next two years, he worked steadily for United Artists and MGM.

He was cast opposite Jean Harlow in the 1932 comedy-drama, Red-Headed Woman.

By the mid- to late 1930s, Morris’ popularity had begun to wane and he was cast as the lead actor in such B-movies as Smashing the Rackets (1938) and Five Came Back (1939).

In 1941, Morris’ career was revived when he was cast as criminal-turned-detective Boston Blackie. Morris appeared in 14 Boston Blackie films for Columbia Pictures, beginning with Meet Boston Blackie. He reprised the role of Boston Blackie for the radio series in 1944.

During World War II, Morris performed magic tricks in over 350 USO shows. He had been practicing magic since the age of 12 and was considered a top amateur magician.

While appearing in the Boston Blackie series, Morris continued to play roles in Pine-Thomas films for Paramount Pictures.

After appearing in 1949’s Boston Blackie’s Chinese Venture, the final Boston Blackie film, Morris retired from films.

During the 1950s, he focused mainly on TV and theatre, returning to Broadway in 1954 in the comedy The Fifth Season.

Morris also appeared in guest spots for the anthology series Cameo Theatre, Lights Out, Tales of Tomorrow, Alcoa Premiere, Suspense, Danger, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Web, Phillip Morris Playhouse, Studio One, and Kraft Television Theatre.

He briefly returned to films in 1955 with a role in the prison drama Unchained, followed by a role in the 1956 sci-fi horror film The She-Creature.

In 1960, he had recurring role as Detective Lieutenant Max Ritter in the CBS summer replacement series, Diagnosis: Unknown. The series lasted a year, after which Morris appeared in the NBC TV film A String of Beads.

In November 1960, he returned to Broadway as Senator Bob Munson in the stage adaptation of the 1959 novel Advise and Consent. Morris remained with the production until it closed, in May 1961. In October, he reprised his role for the touring production.

In the early to mid-1960s, Morris appeared in guest spots for the dramas Route 66, The Defenders, and Dr. Kildare.

In 1965, he replaced Jack Albertson in the Broadway production of The Subject Was Roses.  He reprised his role for the touring production in 1966.

In 1968, Morris starred opposite Barbara Britton in the touring production of Where Did We Go Wrong?

After the production wrapped, he returned to his home in Manhattan, where his health began to decline. Morris was later diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Despite his declining health, Morris began work on what was his last film role, as Pop Weaver in the biopic The Great White Hope (1970). The film was released after his death.

After filming wrapped, Morris joined the stage production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Overdose

On September 11, 1970, Lee R. Yopp, the producer and director of Caine, was scheduled to have lunch with Morris. After Yopp could not reach Morris by phone at his motel, he went to Morris’ room, where he found the actor’s body lying on the floor. The county coroner attributed Morris’ death to overdose of barbiturates.

Morris was married twice. He first married Suzanne Kilbourne on Nov 8, 1926. They had two children, John Brooks and Cynthia. Kilbourne was granted an interlocutory divorce in November 1939 which was finalized on November 26, 1940.

On November 30, 1940, Morris married socialite Lillian Kenton Barker at the home of actor Frank Morgan. They had a son, Kenton, born in 1944. The couple remained married until Morris’ death in 1970.

Select theatre credits

Feb 18 – June 1918 The Copperhead Sam Carter Shubert Theatre, NYC
Sept 22 – Oct 1918 Thunder Sam Disbrow Criterion Theatre, New York City
Dec 12, 1921 – Apr 1922 The Mountain Man Carey Maxine Elliott Theatre, NYC
September 22 – October 1922 The Exciters Lexington Dalrymple Times Square Theater, New York City
January 23 – February 1923 Extra Wallace King Longacre Theatre, New York City
August 23 – October 1926 The Home Towners Waly Calhoon Hudson Theatre, New York City
Sep 21, 1926 – January 1927 Yellow Val Parker National Theatre, New York City
Feb 22 – August 1927 Crime Rocky Morse Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre, NYC
Feb 20 – May 1928 Whispering Friends Al Sheeler Hudson Theatre, NYC
Sep 26 – Oct 1928 Fast Life Chester Palmer Ambassador Theatre, NYC
Sep 5 – Oct 23, 1954 The Fifth Season Johnny Goodwin Cort Theatre, NYC
Touring to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago
Feb 27 – July 19, 1958 Blue Denim Major Bartley Playhouse Theatre, NYC
Nov 17, 1960-May 20, 1961 Advise and Consent Bob Munson Cort Theatre, NYC
September 7, 1965 – May 21, 1966 The Subject Was Roses John Cleary Helen Hayes Theatre, Henry Miller’s Theatre and Belasco Theatre, NYC

Select Filmography

1917 An Amateur Orphan Dick
1918 The Beloved Traitor Dan
1923 Loyal Lives Tom O’Hara
1925 The Road to Yesterday Extra at party

1929

Alibi, Chick Williams, Nominee, Best Actor Oscar

Fast Life Paul Palmer
Woman Trap Ray Malone
The Show of Shows Cast member

1930

Second Choice Don Warren Lost film
Playing Around Nickey Solomon
She Couldn’t Say No Jerry Casey Lost film
The Case of Sergeant Grischa Sgt. Grischa Paprotkin
The Divorcee, Ted

The Big House John Morgan

The Bat Whispers Detective Anderson

1931

Corsair John Hawkes

1932

Cock of the Air Lieutenant Roger Craig

The Miracle Man John Madison, also known as Doc

Sinners in the Sun Jimmie Martin

Red-Headed Woman Bill Legendre, Jr.

1933

Blondie Johnson Danny Jones
1933 Infernal Machine Robert Holden
1933 Tomorrow at Seven Neil Broderick
1933 Golden Harvest Chris Martin

1934 Gift of Gab Himself
1934 The Gay Bride Office Boy, also known as Jimmie Burnham
1934 Society Doctor Dr. Bill Morgan

1935

Public Hero No. 1 Jeff Crane
Pursuit Mitchell

1936

Three Godfathers Bob
Moonlight Murder Steve Farrell
Frankie and Johnnie Johnnie Drew

1937

I Promise to Pay Eddie Lang
Flight From Glory Smith
Sunday Night at the Trocadero Himself Short subject

1938

Law of the Underworld Gene Fillmore
Sky Giant Ken Stockton
Smashing the Rackets Jim Conway

1939

Pacific Liner Doc Craig
Blind Alley Hal Wilson
Five Came Back Bill Brooks
Thunder Afloat “Rocky” Blake

1940

The Marines Fly High Lt. Malone
Wagons Westward David Cook/Tim Cook

1941

Meet Boston Blackie Boston Blackie
No Hands on the Clock Humphrey Campbell
Confessions of Boston Blackie Boston Blackie

1942

Alias Boston Blackie Boston Blackie
I Live on Danger Jeff Morrell
Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood Boston Blackie
Wrecking Crew Duke Mason

1943

Tornado Pete Ramsey
After Midnight with Boston Blackie Boston Blackie
Aerial Gunner Foxy Pattis
The Chance of a Lifetime Boston Blackie

1944

Gambler’s Choice Ross Hadley
Secret Command Jeff Gallagher
One Mysterious Night Boston Blackie
Double Exposure Larry Burke

1945

Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion Boston Blackie
Boston Blackie’s Rendezvous Boston Blackie
A Close Call for Boston Blackie Boston Blackie

1946

The Phantom Thief Boston Blackie

1946

Boston Blackie and the Law Boston Blackie

1947

Blind Spot Jeffrey Andrews

1948

Trapped by Boston Blackie Boston Blackie

1949

Boston Blackie’s Chinese Venture, Boston Blackie

1955

Unchained Warden, Kenyon J. Scudder

1956

The She-Creature, Dr. Carlo Lombardi

1970

The Great White Hope, Pop Weaver (last film, posthumous)