--- name: "Allen Jenkins" canonical: "https://film.one/person/allen-jenkins" roles: ["Actor"] born: "8 April 1900" died: "20 July 1974" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-09-19T23:22:30.409854+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Allen Jenkins Actor. Born 8 April 1900 in Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA. Died 20 July 1974. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 8 April 1900, Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA - **Died:** 20 July 1974 - **Active:** 1932–1974 - **Also known as:** Alfred McGonegal, Allen Curtis Jenkins - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 80 (3), 1970s 60 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 71 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Romance 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $17m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Jenkins, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2424447, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420765/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30005 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*42nd Street*](https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md) (82) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Dead End*](https://film.one/film/dead-end.md) (73) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Allen Jenkins > A gloomy face, a voice from the side of the mouth, and forty years of crooks, coppers and stooges. Allen Jenkins never carried a film and rarely needed to; his job was to make the man beside him believable, and he was good at it. He is usually standing a little behind someone. In *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932) he is Barney Sykes, one of the lifers who tell Paul Muni how the camp works, and he does it without raising his voice or expecting thanks. The face is long and set, the delivery flat, and the effect is of a man who found out the score years ago and sees no reason to make a fuss about it now. That was the Jenkins manner, and he would spend the next four decades being asked for it. He came to acting late, after shipyard work and a spell as a stage mechanic, and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before going on stage in 1922. Broadway gave him *The Front Page* in 1928 and the job of replacing Spencer Tracy in *The Last Mile*. Films took him in 1931, and a Warner Bros. contract from 1932 settled the matter: he became one of the studio's stock of faces, wheeled out for gangster pictures, comedies and musicals alike. He is Mac Elroy in *42nd Street* (1933) and Hunk in *Dead End* (1937), alongside Humphrey Bogart. He could dance, which the studio occasionally remembered. The cost of being useful is that nobody thinks to use you differently. Jenkins was typed early as the comic roughneck or the dim thug, and the type followed him into smaller parts as he got older: Harry the elevator operator in *Pillow Talk* (1959), the voice of the put-upon Officer Dibble in *Top Cat* (1961 to 1962), a telegrapher in the 1974 film of *The Front Page*, the same play he had done on Broadway forty-six years before. That last one was released after his death, which gives the career a neatness he would probably have raised an eyebrow at. What he did well is easy to miss because it was designed to be. We were more moved by Barney Sykes than we expected, and it was because Jenkins refuses to ask for it: he lays out the rules of the chain gang the way another man would read a bus timetable, and the flatness is what tells you how long he has been there. Edward Ellis does the same beside him, and the two of them give the camp scenes a settled hopelessness that the film's speeches never manage. In *42nd Street* he is one face among many and we did not single him out, which is the other side of the same coin. A man built to hold up the middle of the frame can vanish into it. Start with *Fugitive*, where he is given something to do and does it without fuss. Then put on almost anything Warner Bros. made in the thirties and wait for the gloomy face at the edge of the shot. It will be there, and it will be working. ## Biography Allen Jenkins (born Allen Curtis Jenkins, also credited as Alfred McGonegal and Allen Curtis Jenkins) was an American character actor who worked in theatre, film and television. Born on 9 April 1900 in Staten Island, New York, he trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began his stage career in the 1920s, appearing in numerous Broadway productions including The Front Page (1928). He replaced Spencer Tracy in the Broadway play The Last Mile. In 1932 he signed with Warner Bros. and became a familiar face in films of the 1930s and 1940s, often cast as comic henchmen, stooges or policemen. His film credits include Barney Sykes in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) and Mac Elroy in 42nd Street (1933). He later voiced Officer Dibble in the animated series Top Cat (1961–1962) and appeared in television shows such as Hey, Jeannie! (1956–1957), I Love Lucy and Batman (1966). Jenkins died on 20 July 1974 in Santa Monica, California. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, catalog.afi.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *The Front Page* (1974), Fi1m 60, as Telegrapher — [page](https://film.one/film/the-front-page.md) - *Dead End* (1937), Fi1m 73, as Hunk — [page](https://film.one/film/dead-end.md) - *42nd Street* (1933), Fi1m 82, as Mac Elroy — [page](https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md) - *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932), Fi1m 85, as Barney Sykes — [page](https://film.one/film/i-am-a-fugitive-from-a-chain-gang.md) ## Complete filmography (140) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Front Page* (1974), as Telegrapher — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/the-front-page.md) - *Getting Away from It All* (1972), as Doorman - *Adam-12* (1968), series, as Jobey - *Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!* (1967), as Joe Bonney - *The Spy in the Green Hat* (1967), as Enzo 'Pretty' Stilletto - *Batman* (1966), series, as Little Al - *Honey West* (1965), series, as Gate Guard - *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as Enzo 'Pretty' Stilletto - *Bewitched* (1964), series, as Janitor - *I'd Rather Be Rich* (1964), as Fred - *Robin and the 7 Hoods* (1964), as Vermin - *For Those Who Think Young* (1964), as Col. Leslie Jenkins - *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963), as Cop (uncredited) - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor - *Top Cat* (1961), series, as Officer Dibble (voice) - *Pillow Talk* (1959), as Harry - *Wagon Train* (1957), series, as Mr. Gillespie - *Three Men on a Horse* (1957), as Harry - *Hey, Jeannie!* (1956), series, as Al Murray - *December Bride* (1954), series, Actor - *Studio 57* (1954), series, Actor - *The Duke* (1954), series, as Johnny - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, Actor - *The Abbott and Costello Show* (1952), series, as Retired Actors Home Man on Street - *The WAC from Walla Walla* (1952), as Mr. Redington - *Mr. & Mrs. North* (1952), series, Actor - *Four Star Playhouse* (1952), series, as Fingers - *Oklahoma Annie* (1952), as Lou - *Chained for Life* (1952), as Hinkley - *I Love Lucy* (1951), series, as Policeman - *Behave Yourself!* (1951), as Police Plainclothesman - *Crazy Over Horses* (1951), as Weepin' Willie - *Boston Blackie* (1951), series, Actor - *Let's Go Navy!* (1951), as CPO Mervin Longnecker - *Racket Squad* (1951), series, Actor - *Bodyhold* (1949), as Slats Henry - *The Big Wheel* (1949), as George - *The Inside Story* (1948), as Eddie - *The Senator Was Indiscreet* (1947), as Farrell - *Wild Harvest* (1947), as Higgins - *The Case of the Baby-Sitter* (1947), as Howard 'Harvard' Quinlan - *The Hat Box Mystery* (1947), as 'Harvard' - *Fun on a Weekend* (1947), as Joe Morgan - *Easy Come, Easy Go* (1947), as Nick - *Singin' in the Corn* (1946), as Glenn Cummings - *The Dark Horse* (1946), as Willis Trimble - *Meet Me on Broadway* (1946), as Deacon McGill - *Lady on a Train* (1945), as Danny (Waring chauffeur) - *Wonder Man* (1945), as Chimp - *Stage Door Canteen* (1943), as Allen Jenkins - *My Wife's an Angel* (1943), as Sam - *Three Cheers for the Girls* (1943), as Marine Sergeant in Chorus (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Eyes in the Night* (1942), as Marty - *They All Kissed the Bride* (1942), as Johnny Johnson - *Maisie Gets Her Man* (1942), as 'Pappy' Goodring - *The Falcon Takes Over* (1942), as Jonathan 'Goldy' Locke - *Tortilla Flat* (1942), as Portagee Joe - *A Date with the Falcon* (1942), as Jonathan 'Goldy' Locke - *Ball of Fire* (1941), as Garbage Man - *Go West, Young Lady* (1941), as Hank - *The Gay Falcon* (1941), as Jonathan G. 'Goldie' Locke - *Dive Bomber* (1941), as Lucky James - *Time Out for Rhythm* (1941), as Off-Beat Davis - *Footsteps in the Dark* (1941), as Wilfred - *Tin Pan Alley* (1940), as Casey - *Meet the Wildcat* (1940), as Max Schwydel - *Margie* (1940), as Kenneth - *Brother Orchid* (1940), as Willie 'The Knife' Corson - *Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!* (1940), as Ed aka The Weasel - *Destry Rides Again* (1939), as Gyp Watson - *Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite* (1939), as Steve McBride - *Five Came Back* (1939), as Pete - *Naughty but Nice* (1939), as Joe Dirk - *Sweepstakes Winner* (1939), as Xerxes 'Tip' Bailey - *Going Places* (1938), as Droopy - *Breakdowns of 1938* (1938), as Shiner Ward / Duke Dennis (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Heart of the North* (1938), as Bill Hardsock - *Hard to Get* (1938), as Roscoe - *The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse* (1938), as Okay - *Racket Busters* (1938), as Skeets Wilson - *Gold Diggers in Paris* (1938), as Duke 'Dukie' Dennis - *Fools for Scandal* (1938), as Dewey Gibson - *A Slight Case of Murder* (1938), as Mike - *Swing Your Lady* (1938), as Shiner Ward - *Sh! The Octopus* (1937), as Dempsey - *The Perfect Specimen* (1937), as Pinky - *Dead End* (1937), as Hunk — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/dead-end.md) - *Talent Scout* (1937), as Benefit Show Guest (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Ever Since Eve* (1937), as Jake Edgall - *Marry the Girl* (1937), as Specs - *Dance Charlie Dance* (1937), as Alf Morgan - *The Singing Marine* (1937), as Sergeant Mike - *A Day at Santa Anita* (1937), as Allen Jenkins (uncredited) - *Marked Woman* (1937), as Louie - *Ready, Willing and Able* (1937), as J. Van Courtland - *Sing Me a Love Song* (1936), as Chris Cross - *Three Men on a Horse* (1936), as Charlie - *Cain and Mabel* (1936), as Dodo - *Sins of Man* (1936), as Crusty - *The Singing Kid* (1936), as Joe Eddy - *Miss Pacific Fleet* (1935), as Bernard 'Kewpie' Wiggins - *Broadway Hostess* (1935), as Fishcake Carter - *The Case of the Lucky Legs* (1935), as Spudsy Drake - *I Live for Love* (1935), as Mac - *Page Miss Glory* (1935), as Petey - *The Irish in Us* (1935), as Carbarn Hammerschlog - *The Case of the Curious Bride* (1935), as Spudsy - *A Night at the Ritz* (1935), as Gyp - *While the Patient Slept* (1935), as Police Sgt. Jim Jackson - *Sweet Music* (1935), as Barney Cowan - *The St. Louis Kid* (1934), as Buck Willetts - *Happiness Ahead* (1934), as Chuck - *The Case of the Howling Dog* (1934), as Sgt. Holcomb - *Twenty Million Sweethearts* (1934), as Pete - *The Merry Frinks* (1934), as Emmett Frink - *Whirlpool* (1934), as Mac - *Jimmy the Gent* (1934), as Lou - *I've Got Your Number* (1934), as John 'Johnny' - *Bedside* (1934), as Sam Sparks - *The Big Shakedown* (1934), as Lefty - *Havana Widows* (1933), as Herman Brody - *Bureau of Missing Persons* (1933), as Detective Joe Musik - *The Mayor of Hell* (1933), as Mike - *Professional Sweetheart* (1933), as O'Connor - *Tomorrow at Seven* (1933), as Dugan - *The Silk Express* (1933), as Robert 'Rusty' Griffith - *King Kong* (1933), as Member of Ship's Crew (uncredited) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong.md) - *The Mind Reader* (1933), as Frank - *The Keyhole* (1933), as Hank Wales - *42nd Street* (1933), as Mac Elroy — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md) - *Blondie Johnson* (1933), as Louie - *Employees' Entrance* (1933), as Sweeney, store detective (uncredited) - *Hard to Handle* (1933), as radio announcer - *Lawyer Man* (1932), as Izzy Levine - *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932), as Barney Sykes — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/i-am-a-fugitive-from-a-chain-gang.md) - *Three on a Match* (1932), as Dick - *Rackety Rax* (1932), as Mike Dumphy - *Grand Hotel* (1932), as Hotel Meat Packer (uncredited) - *Blessed Event* (1932), as Frankie Wells - *The Girl Habit* (1931), as Tony Maloney ## Gallery - ![Allen Jenkins](https://film.one/media/person/1225259/gallery-a84e1e72d10b.jpg) Allen Jenkins — Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Allen_Jenkins_in_Havana_Widows_trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Allen Jenkins](https://film.one/media/person/1225259/gallery-9b86ae9a41ed.jpg) Allen Jenkins — Image via TMDB - ![Allen Jenkins](https://film.one/media/person/1225259/gallery-16e247b19411.jpg) Allen Jenkins — Image via TMDB - ![Allen Jenkins](https://film.one/media/person/1225259/gallery-13e0393ffc55.jpg) Allen Jenkins — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/allen-jenkins