Stuart Erwin

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Stuart Erwin
Erwin in Mr. Boggs Steps Out (1938)
Born	(1903-02-14)February 14, 1903 Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, U.S.
Died	December 21, 1967(1967-12-21) (aged 64) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Chapel of the Pines Crematory
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1922–1967
Spouse	June Collyer ​ (m. 1931)​
Children	2
Relatives	Bud Collyer (brother-in-law) Marian Shockley (sister-in-law)

Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television.

Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California.^[1] He attended Porterville High School and the University of California.^[2]

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Erwin began acting in college in the 1920s, having first appeared on stage. From there, he acted in stock theater in Los Angeles.^[2]

He broke into films in 1928 in Mother Knows Best. In 1934, he was cast as Joe Palooka in the film Palooka. In 1932, he co-starred with Bing Crosby in the comedy The Big Broadcast, where he played Texas oil tycoon Leslie McWhinney.

In 1936, he was cast in Pigskin Parade, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1940, he played Howie Newsome, the dairy delivery vendor, in the film adaptation of Our Town, based on the Thornton Wilder play.

In Walt Disney's Bambi, Erwin performed the voice of a tree squirrel. Later, Erwin appeared in the Disney films Son of Flubber and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones.

In 1946, Erwin starred in Phone Again Finnegan on CBS. He played an apartment house manager in the comedy-drama.^[3]

He also played various roles on Theater Guild on the Air, Lux Radio Theatre, The Old Gold Radio Theatre and Cavalcade of America.

In 1950, Erwin made the transition to television, in which he starred in Trouble with Father,^[4]: 1109 which was retitled The Stu Erwin Show, with his co-star and real-life wife June Collyer. In 1963–1964, he played Otto King on The Greatest Show on Earth.^[4]

Erwin guest-starred on Crossroads, Angel, Bonanza, The Donna Reed Show, Straightaway, Gunsmoke and Our Man Higgins.

Erwin made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Clem P. "Sandy" Sandover in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Double-Entry Mind" and Everett Stanton in the 1964 episode "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor".

Erwin guest-starred on Father Knows Best in the episode titled "Family Contest" in the role of Mr. Hensley and on The Andy Griffith Show, season 1, episode 8, portraying Tom Silby who was presumed dead, but returned to town after a two-year absence.

Erwin married actress June Collyer on July 22, 1931, in Yuma, Arizona.^[5] Together they had two children, including producer Stuart Erwin Jr. (1932–2014).^[6][7]

Erwin died of a heart attack on December 21, 1967, in Beverly Hills, California, at age 64. He was interred at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.^[8]

Erwin has a star at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in the Television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.^[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stuart Erwin.

• Stuart Erwin at IMDb
• Stuart Erwin at the Internet Broadway Database
• Stuart Erwin at Find a Grave