---
name: "Howard Wendell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/howard-wendell"
fi1m_id: "howard-wendell"
imdb_id: "nm0920831"
tmdb_id: 48961
wikidata_id: "Q5921225"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 January 1908"
died: "11 August 1975"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 84
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-25T06:35:00.979380+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."
---

# Howard Wendell

## Identity

Howard Wendell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/howard-wendell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** howard-wendell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0920831
- **TMDB ID:** 48961
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5921225
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Wendell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5921225, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0920831/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/48961

Actor. Born 25 January 1908 in Johnstown. Died 11 August 1975.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 January 1908, Johnstown
- **Died:** 11 August 1975
- **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Wendell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5921225, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0920831/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/48961

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Big Heat*](https://film.one/film/the-big-heat.md) (86)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Howard Wendell (1908–1975) was an American actor. He began his career in radio comedy in Cleveland, Ohio, and apprenticed at the Cleveland Play House before appearing on Broadway in productions including *The Great Campaign* (1947), *The Show Off* (1950), *Arms and the Man* (1950), *The Curious Savage* (1950) and *Make a Wish* (1951).

Wendell made his film debut in the early 1950s and is known for roles in *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes* (1953) as Watson and *The Big Heat* (1953) as Police Commissioner Higgins. He appeared in numerous other films, such as *Affair in Trinidad* (1952), *Prince Valiant* (1954) and *How to Murder Your Wife* (1965), and worked extensively in television on series including *Dragnet*, *Perry Mason*, *Bonanza*, *Batman* (1966) and *The Munsters* (1964). His final screen credit was in *Adam-12* (1970).

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes* (1953), Fi1m 82, as Watson — [page](https://film.one/film/gentlemen-prefer-blondes.md)
- *The Big Heat* (1953), Fi1m 86, as Police Commissioner Higgins — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-heat.md)

## Complete filmography (65)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Mayberry R.F.D.* (1968), series, as Lucius Fremont, Harper
- *Adam-12* (1968), series, as Carl Shumley
- *Mr. Terrific* (1967), series, as Mr. Thornton
- *Frankie and Johnny* (1966), as Man at Table (uncredited)
- *Batman* (1966), series, as Basil Bowman, Millionaire
- *Mirage* (1965), Actor
- *The Cincinnati Kid* (1965), as Charlie (uncredited)
- *I Dream of Jeannie* (1965), series, as Senator
- *Get Smart* (1965), series, as Judge
- *Laredo* (1965), series, Actor
- *Green Acres* (1965), series, Actor
- *The Big Valley* (1965), series, as Simon Blair
- *My Blood Runs Cold* (1965), as Mayor
- *How to Murder Your Wife* (1965), as The Trial Judge
- *The Munsters* (1964), series, as John
- *Wendy and Me* (1964), series, Actor
- *The Bill Dana Show* (1963), series, Actor
- *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Mr. Flagstone
- *Sail a Crooked Ship* (1961), as Mr. Caldingham (uncredited)
- *The Dick Van Dyke Show* (1961), series, as Dr. Torrence Hayworth, Dr. Lemler, Judge George M. Tyler, Mr. Chambers
- *Hazel* (1961), series, Actor
- *87th Precinct* (1961), series, Actor
- *King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein* (1961), as Mr. Simmons (uncredited)
- *Mister Ed* (1961), series, Actor
- *Angel* (1960), series, Actor
- *Surfside 6* (1960), series, Actor
- *Pete and Gladys* (1960), series, Actor
- *The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake* (1959), as Dr. George Bradford
- *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Harrison's Advisor, Albright
- *A Stranger in My Arms* (1959), as Congressman
- *Rawhide* (1959), series, Actor
- *The Texan* (1958), series, Actor
- *The Donna Reed Show* (1958), series, Actor
- *Zorro* (1957), series, Actor
- *Leave It to Beaver* (1957), series, Actor
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Judge Purley, A. J. Randall
- *M Squad* (1957), series, as Barrett
- *The Adventures of Jim Bowie* (1956), series, Actor
- *Storm Center* (1956), as Sen. Bascomb
- *A Day of Fury* (1956), as Yanryzin
- *Telephone Time* (1956), series, Actor
- *Never Say Goodbye* (1956), as Harry
- *The Fighting Chance* (1955), as Lucky Jim Morrison
- *The View from Pompey's Head* (1955), as John Duncan
- *The 20th Century Fox Hour* (1955), series, as Hotel Manager
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Judge
- *The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp* (1955), series, Actor
- *Wiretapper* (1955), as Prison Chaplain
- *The Millionaire* (1955), series, as C. F. Walters
- *Athena* (1954), as Mr. Grenville
- *December Bride* (1954), series, Actor
- *The Black Dakotas* (1954), as Judge Horatio Baker
- *Prince Valiant* (1954), as Morgan Todd
- *Public Defender* (1954), series, Actor
- *Captain Scarface* (1953), as Mr. Dilts
- *The Big Heat* (1953), as Police Commissioner Higgins — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-heat.md)
- *Letter to Loretta* (1953), series, as Mr. Morrison
- *City Detective* (1953), series, Actor
- *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes* (1953), as Watson — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/gentlemen-prefer-blondes.md)
- *By the Light of the Silvery Moon* (1953), as John H. Harris
- *You Are There* (1953), series, as William Seward, Congressman John Adams
- *Cavalcade of America* (1952), series, Actor
- *Affair in Trinidad* (1952), as Anderson
- *You for Me* (1952), as Oliver Wherry
- *Dragnet* (1951), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Howard Wendell](https://film.one/media/person/3872165/gallery-3ad3699fc79c.jpg) Howard Wendell — film trailer screenshot (Columbia Pictures), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Howard_Wendell_in_The_Big_Heat_trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Howard Wendell](https://film.one/media/person/3872165/gallery-4b87c163aee9.jpg) Howard Wendell — 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/howard-wendell