James Flavin
Acting
🎂 1906-05-14
American character actor whose career lasted nearly half a century. James Wilson Flavin Jr. was the son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English extraction and a mother, Katherine, whose father was an Irish immigrant. (Thus Flavin, well-known in Hollywood as an "Irish" type, was only one-quarter Irish.) Flavin was born and raised in Portland, Maine (a fact that may have enrichened his later working relationship with director John Ford, also a Portland native). He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, but (contrary to some sources) did not graduate. Instead he dropped out and returned to Portland where he drove a taxi. Then as now, summer stock companies flocked to Maine each year, and in 1929 he was asked to fill in for an actor. He did well with the part and the company manager offered him $150 per week to go with the troupe back to New York. Flavin accepted and by the spring of 1930 was living in a rooming house at 108 W. 87th Street in Manhattan. Flavin didn't manage to crack Broadway at this time (his Broadway debut would not occur for another thirty-nine years, in the 1971 revival of "The Front Page," in which Flavin played Murphy and briefly took over the lead role of Walter Burns from star Robert Ryan). He worked his way across the country in stock productions and tours, arriving in Los Angeles around 1932. He quickly made the transition to movies, landing the lead in his very first film, a Universal serial, The Airmail Mystery (1932). He also landed his leading lady, marrying the serial's female star Lucile Browne that same year. However, the serial marked virtually the last time that Flavin would play the lead in a film. Thereafter, he was restricted almost exclusively to supporting characters, many of them without so much as a name. He specialized in uniformed cops and hard-bitten detectives, but played chauffeurs, cabbies, and even a 16th-century palace guard with aplomb. Flavin appeared in nearly four hundred films between 1932 and 1971, and in almost a hundred television episodes before his final appearance, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976). Flavin died of a heart ailment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on April 23, 1976. His widow Lucile died seventeen days later. They were survived by their son, William James Flavin, subsequently a professor at the United States Army War College. James and Lucile Brown Flavin were buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Cast credits(322)
1958
Hogan
1954
1962 Policeman
1959
Truck Driver
1959
1955
Immigration Officer
1951
Sergeant Wilcox
1962
Mr. Swanson
1952
Lt. Poston
1964
John Dolan
1961
Officer Danny Robin
1963
1961
Dan Mulcahy
1955
1960
Fire Chief Hawkins
1963
Joe Felix
1955
Tony - The Doorman
1955
Dan
1955
Police Capt. Daniel Box
1956
Sam Cooper
1957
Steve
1950
Heineman
1950
Detective
1950
1969
Col. Flynn
1955
Moose
1961
1954
1960
1951
Dock Policeman
1940
Joe Kelly
1952
1960
1952
1954
Patrolman (uncredited)
1963
1962
Mate Briggs
1933
Arnie Kellwin
1961
Gavin Marshall
1957
Turnkey
1939
1960
1960
1953
MacNamara
1953
Deputy Mason
1953
Sgt. Danny Doofle
1953
Detective (uncredited)
1945
1952
Guard (uncredited)
1940
SP Commander
1951
Demolition Man (uncredited)
1941
Hoatley - First Carnival Owner (uncredited)
1947
Perry
1952
Ft. Robinson Sergeant of the Guard (uncredited)
1964
Motorcycle Cop (voice) (uncredited)
1942
Lt. Sam Wilson
1948
Paddy (uncredited)
1939
Deputy Sheriff
1941
Police Capt. Michael J. Shanahan (uncredited)
1958
Det. McEveety (uncredited)
1944
Clarence Duntz
1967
First Mate on Yacht (uncredited)
1932
Col. Walsh
1946
1958
Tim Riley
1957
Police Detective #1
1946
Military Policeman
1955
1966
Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)
1952
Coach Buck Holman
1953
Policeman (uncredited)
1943
Captain Kimble
1951
General Charles Lee
1951
Policeman (uncredited)
1939
Det. Lt. Boylan
1949
Buck (uncredited)
1941
Villager (uncredited)
1947
Orderly About to Give Bath (uncredited)
1941
1952
Jailer (uncredited)
1938
Coard Guard Man on Road (uncredited)
1939
First Policeman (uncredited)
1947
Capt. Toomey
1976
Moving Man
1941
Railroad Workman
1950
Kerrigan
1948
Gen. Brevort (uncredited)
1950
Col. Marshall
1955
Longinus
1951
Second Mate Briggs (archive footage)
2005
Police Dispatcher
1942
Mike - Bartender (uncredited)
1952
Mountie
1940
Schultz
1949
Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
1944
Grogin
1940
Brophy
1949
Burly Man (Uncredited)
1938
Laundry Truck Driver (uncredited)
1945
Keenan - Detective Grilling Eddie (uncredited)
1942
Traffic Cop (uncredited)
1948
1953
Callahan
1953
Maj. A.M. Bagley
1943
Conductor
1952
American Senator (uncredited)
1943
Guard
1950
Police Sergeant Patella
1947
Kelly
1953
Sergeant
1941
Railroad Detective #2 (uncredited)
1942
Officer Johnson
1941
Detective (uncredited)
1941
State Trooper (uncredited)
1937
Girl's Father (uncredited)
1942
1951
Policeman in Accident Car (uncredited)
1938
Truck Driver
1940
Abilene Fight Announcer
1941
Guard
1938
Clancy (uncredited)
1940
Doorman (uncredited)
1942
Hotel Guest in Room 625 (uncredited)
1941
First Policeman in Bank
1953
Policeman (uncredited)
1943
Policeman
1941
Cop (uncredited)
1943
Shake Thomas
1946
Man in Subway (uncredited)
1944
Secret Service Chief
1957
Palace Guard (uncredited)
1934
Sergeant
1939
Parking Attendant at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited)
1940
Court Attendant (uncredited)
1940
Radio Cop
1945
Federal Agent (uncredited)
1943
Policeman Reardon (uncredited)
1947
H.R. Jarvis
1945
Wool Buyer
1957
Detective (uncredited)
1936
Mr. Bradbury
1957
Supply Sergeant (uncredited)
1940
Policeman
1943
Officer Johnny Tracy
1945
George Corbett (uncredited)
1942
Policeman
1936
1st Lt. Bill Gardner
1943
Freighter Officer
1935
Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
1939
Third FBI Director
1940
Policeman
1944
McRafferty
1940
Secret Service Chief
1950
Capt. Luddy
1942
Woods
1946
Texas Rangers Capt. Sturdivant
1953
Army Sergeant (uncredited)
1940
Officer Simmons (uncredited)
1939
Al Bragg
1953
Police Lt. Bardette
1941
Bellamy
1946
Tomassetti
1941
Policeman in Park (Uncredited)
1949
Doctor
1954
Agent with Jean (uncredited)
1935
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
1976
Police Inspector Thorndyke
1948
Subway Conductor (Uncredited)
1946
Cafe Customer
1940
Striker (uncredited)
1938
Sgt. Oliphant
1948
1949
Timmy
1956
Hotel Porter (uncredited)
1940
District Attorney
1947
Policeman
1939
Police Interrogator
1939
Det. Lt. 'Mac' Hennessey (uncredited)
1947
Captain (uncredited)
1945
Lt. Phillips
1950
Doorman (uncredited)
1939
Petty Officer (uncredited)
1952
Lieutenant
1967
Train Conductor
1943
Captain O'Brien (Uncredited)
1943
Major at Kweilin Airbase (uncredited)
1945
George Mitchell
1939
Thomas
1942
State Trooper
1937
Chief Bosun Mate Gurney
1946
Flavin - Federal Agent (uncredited)
1935
Joe
1946
Harry (uncredited)
1953
Death Row Guard (uncredited)
1940
O'Leary, Manhattan Police Chief (uncredited)
1951
Merchant Marine School Lieutenant-Commander (uncredited)
1943
Policeman (uncredited)
1939
Justice Department Agent
1938
Cop (uncredited)
1940
Cab Driver
1937
Flavin, Mate of the Quincy (uncredited)
1945
Detective (uncredited)
1934
Police Officer (uncredited)
1945
Policeman Guarding Entrance (uncredited)
1939
Sheriff Bud Connolly (uncredited)
1941
Sheriff Bud Connolly
1941
Detective Sgt. McFarland (uncredited)
1946
Insp. Wellman
1949
Guard
1945
Pilot (uncredited)
1938
Sergeant Major
1948
Detective
1936
Lt. Flynn
1965
Billy (Uncredited)
1933
Police Lieutenant Schaeffer
1942
Commander Rogers
1951
Capt. Worth
1951
2st Military Policeman (uncredited)
1935
Doorman
1939
Captain of Mobile Guard
1944
Detective McCormick
1937
Police Chief Martin
1956
Army Captain (uncredited)
1938
Wilcox
1934
Policeman
1942
Roaring 90's Club Doorman (uncredited)
1940
Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
1941
Lieutenant-Colonel at End
1952
Process Server
1942
Det. Mack McCue
1933
Annabella's Brother
1940
Bank Security Guard (Uncredited)
1944
Policeman
1940
Investigator (uncredited)
1946
Detective
1937
Marine Who Likes Painting (uncredited)
1937
Guard
1940
Pat Johnson
1947
Dr. Spitzy Calahan (uncredited)
1937
Chauffeur (uncredited)
1935
Frank Busch
1933
Flannigan
1934
Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
1941
Kidnapper
1938
2nd Cop
1938
Longinus
1953
Ranch Foreman
1940
Turnkey (uncredited)
1946
Egan (Uncredited)
1942
Gas Station Attendant
1938
Police Sergeant Briggs
1949
Guard (uncredited)
1939
Sgt. Wiggins
1944
Fluger
1939
Radio Policeman (Uncredited)
1943
George - Witness (uncredited)
1938
Policeman
1936
Patrolman Johnson
1940
Det. Carvin
1940
Army Assistant Coach (uncredited)
1940
Agent Arresting Julie (uncredited)
1935
Detective
1940
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
1932
Policeman
1940
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1939
Informant on Telephone
1935
Policeman
1947
Policeman at Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)
1935
Police Insp. Cardona
1946
Guard Capt. Peter Butler
1949
Lieutenant Mitchell
1948
Plebe Hockey Coach
1938
Immigration Guard (uncredited)
1941
Detective
1935
Reporter (uncredited)
1932
Mac - Policeman (uncredited)
1935
Joe Trosper
1942
Henry Gibbs
1951
Ed
1935
Police Lt. Brewster
1950
Dowling
1940
Policeman (uncredited)
1946
Bill Seaver
1937
Storm Swenson
1940
Col. Tarant
1954
Jack's Friend (uncredited)
1938
Captain Danforth
1947
Police Announcer (uncredited)
1939
Prison Guard In Library (uncredited)
1940
Prosecuting Attorney
1951
Driver
1937
Detective
1940
Attorney Michael X. Flanders
1955
Stan Caldwell
1949
Police Sgt. Jerry
1939
Man in Manhole (uncredited)
1936
Bill Figg
1934
Jenks - Chauffeur (uncredited)
1938
Fireman
1933
Doorman (uncredited)
1940
Cop (uncredited)
1938
Detective Sgt. Berkovich
1938
Policeman (uncredited)
1937
Andrews
1950
Guard (uncredited)
1948
Don Lindsay
1932
Detective Hayes
1938
Lieutenant (uncredited)
1935
Officer (uncredited)
1939
Cmdr. Kalin
1943
Sanders
1939
Policeman
1935
Policeman Kelly
1941
Det. Bill O'Malley
1937
Mooney
1958
Holt Larkins
1934
Corporal Randall McKenna
1932
Bob Lee
1932
Jake Morgan
1957
Brandhma
1935
Buck Miller
1940
Judd Harrison
1954