Jimmy Conlin
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Jimmy Conlin (October 14, 1884 – May 7, 1962) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 150 films in his 32-year career. Conlin was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1884, and his acting career started out in vaudeville, where he and his first wife Myrtle Glass played the Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuits billed as "Conlin & Glass", a song-and-dance team. They also starred together in two short films, Sharps and Flats (1928) and Zip! Boom! Bang! (1929) for Vitaphone.
Conlin made another comedy short without Glass in 1930 (A Tight Squeeze), but his film career started for good in 1933, and for the next 27 years, with the single exception of 1951, every year saw the release of at least one film in which Conlin appeared – at the height of his career, often more than a dozen of them. Recognizable by his small size and odd appearance, Conlin played all sorts of small roles and bit parts, many times not receiving an onscreen credit.
In the 1940s, Conlin was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in nine films written and directed by Sturges. His roles in Sturges' films were often sizable and often came with good billing. One of his best performances came in Sturges' The Sin of Harold Diddlebock in 1946, when he played "Wormy", the racetrack tout who convinces Harold Lloyd to have his first drink, setting off the events of the film. The loyalty between Sturges and Conlin ran both ways, and when the former golden boy of Hollywood fell on hard times, Conlin remained a friend, stayed in contact, and helped out in any way he could.
Conlin did not make many television appearances, but he did have a regular role as a bartender on Duffy's Tavern, a syndicated series from 1954. He made his final film in 1959, when he played a habitual criminal in Anatomy of a Murder.
Known for
The Man Who Found Himself
Nosey Watson
Torchy Blane in Panama
Botkin (as James Conlon)
The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
Magruder
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Pete the Hermit
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Little Thief
Two Sisters from Boston
Grandpa Chandler (uncredited)
A Shot in the Dark
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
No Place to Go
Rivers
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Wormy
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Coroner (uncredited)
The Remarkable Andrew
Private Henry Bartholowmew Smith
The Great McGinty
The Lookout - At Felgman's
Out of the Fog
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Mayor (uncredited)
Christmas in July
Arbuster (uncredited)
Broadway Musketeers
Hobart Skinner
Mourning Becomes Electra
Abner Small
The Lady Eve
Third Steward (uncredited)
The Inspector General
Turnkey (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
Mr. Asweld
Woman of the Year
Reporter at Bar (uncredited)
Anatomy of a Murder
Clarence Madigan
Edison, the Man
Waiter
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum
Tour Bus Barker
Knock on Any Door
Kid Fingers Carnahan (uncredited)
Sullivan's Travels
Trusty
Living on Love
Man with Monkey (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
Walton Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
On Dangerous Ground
Doc Hyman (uncredited)
Lost in a Harem
Arab Follower (uncredited)
Angels Over Broadway
Pawn Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Comet Over Broadway
Burlesque Comic (uncredited)
Operation Haylift
Ed North
Rose Marie
Joe - Piano Player (uncredited)
Captains Courageous
Martin (uncredited)
Blondes at Work
Coroner (uncredited)
Hard to Get
Dour Diner (uncredited)
City Limits
Napoleon, Second Hobo
And the Angels Sing
Messenger (uncredited)
Rolling Home
Grandpa Crawford
The Great Rupert
Joe Mahoney
Summer Storm
Man Mailing Letter (uncredited)
The Lady Is Willing
Bum (uncredited)
And Sudden Death
Mr. Tweets
Broadway
Newsman (uncredited)
Tulsa
Homer Triplette
Blue Skies
Jeffrey - Valet (uncredited)
Slightly Dangerous
Bartender at opera (uncredited)
The Bowery
Enlistee (uncredited)
The Gay Falcon
Bartender (uncredited)
Idiot's Delight
Stagehand
Madame Spy
Winston
The Bride Comes Home
Len Noble
It Happens Every Thursday
Matthew
Petticoat Larceny
Jitters
Prejudice
Young Joe
Sideshow
Johnny
Crashing Hollywood
Crisby
The Seven Little Foys
Stage Doorman
The Jazz Singer
Mr. Demming, Photographer
Hitler's Madman
Dvorak - the Shopkeeper
Prison Farm
Dave, the Grocer
My Little Chickadee
Squawk Mulligan - Bartender (uncredited)
Taxi, Mister
Disgruntled Former Baseball Player for Bay Ridge Turtles
It Happened Tomorrow
Boarding House Tenant (uncredited)
Florian
Stock Guard
Handy Andy
Henry (uncredited)
Calling Philo Vance
Dr. Doremus - Coroner
Hail the Conquering Hero
Judge Dennis
Second Chorus
Mr. Dunn
What, No Cigarettes
Uncle Wilbur
The Amazing Mr. Williams
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Dixie
Publisher (uncredited)
Footlight Parade
Uncle in 'Honeymoon Hotel' (uncredited)
Mannequin
Elevator Operator (Uncredited)
The Accusing Finger
(scene deleted)
The Town Went Wild
Lemuel Jones, Justice of the Peace
Swing Shift Maisie
Man at Meeting (Uncredited)
He Couldn't Say No
Ambulance Driver
Let's Make Music
Tim
Obliging Young Lady
Mr. McIntyre - Linda's Neighbor (uncredited)
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
Sightless
Over the Wall
Davis' Handler
It's a Joke, Son!
Senator Alexander P. Leeds
Whistle Stop
Al - the Barber
Bring on the Girls
Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Hazard
Manager, Nevada Rest Motel (uncredited)
Old Acquaintance
Frank - Photographer (uncredited)
The Adventurous Blonde
Dr. Bolger, coroner
The Hucksters
Blake - Blue Penguin Inn Proprietor
The Forest Rangers
Otto Hanson
College Humor
Dr. Mandel
King of the Lumberjacks
Jimmy, the Piano Player (uncredited)
The Way of All Flesh
Second Hobo
Nancy Drew... Reporter
Newspaper Morgue-Keeper (uncredited)
Two Girls on Broadway
Poem Vendor (uncredited)
The Shining Hour
Man Shaving on Plane (uncredited)
New York Town
Burt (uncredited)
$1,000 a Touchdown
Sheriff (uncredited)
Ridin' on a Rainbow
Joe
She Learned About Sailors
Irate Neighbor
Rose Bowl
Browning Hills
Cross Country Cruise
Sid
Cocoanut Grove
Motel Proprietor
Smashing the Rackets
Witness
Grand Slam
Oscar Smelt
Advice to the Lovelorn
Sharps and Flats
Self