--- name: "Wallace Beery" canonical: "https://film.one/person/wallace-beery" roles: ["Actor"] born: "31 March 1885" died: "15 April 1949" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 72 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-19T22:39:30.390847+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." --- # Wallace Beery Actor. Born 31 March 1885 in Clay County, Missouri, USA. Died 15 April 1949. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 31 March 1885, Clay County, Missouri, USA - **Died:** 15 April 1949 - **Active:** 1930–1934 - **Also known as:** Wallace Fitzgerald Beery - **Frequently works with:** [Frances Marion](https://film.one/person/frances-marion.md), [Irving Thalberg](https://film.one/person/irving-thalberg.md) - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 3 titles - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 3 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 2, Crime 1, Family 1, Western 1 - **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $2m across 1 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Beery, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q322179, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000891/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/29260 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*The Big House*](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) (78) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Wallace Beery > Wallace Beery was a big man who played killers and bullies as if they were sulky children, and made you like them without ever letting you trust them. In *The Big House* the trick still works, and it is worth seeing why. Wallace Beery stands in a doorway and fills it. George W. Hill, who directed him three times, keeps putting him there in *The Big House* (1930), because there is nowhere else to put a man that size, and because the shot tells you what the picture is about before anyone speaks. Then Butch Schmidt opens his mouth, dictates a letter to a sweetheart who may not exist, grinning like a schoolboy, and a scene later threatens to open a man's throat over the meat ration with exactly the same grin. That is the act. Beery did it for twenty years and it was worth doing. He came to it late and by an odd road. He had trained elephants in a circus and worked on the New York stage before Essanay put him in films in 1913, in comedy shorts, as a Swedish maid called Sweedie. Through the 1920s he played villains in silents at Paramount and elsewhere, a heavy among heavies. Sound made him a star: *The Big House* at MGM, then *Min and Bill* (1930), the first of three films with Marie Dressler, *The Champ* (1931) as an over-the-hill boxer, *Grand Hotel* (1932) as Preysing, *Treasure Island* (1934) as Long John Silver. He was still working in character parts when he died in 1949. The idea was his own, and he was open about it. He said as much in 1934: he had decided to temper his heavies with a touch of humour, had tried it once, seen it work, and never played a heavy without it again. It works because the humour is not an apology. Butch is not a killer with a soft side; he is a bully and a child at once, and the childishness is what makes him frightening, because a child does not weigh consequences. We laughed at the letter, and a minute later, when the grin did not change over the meat, we stopped laughing and felt a little cold. Chester Morris, as the forger Morgan, plays it still and small beside him, and the stillness is what makes Beery look enormous. The risk in the method is plain. Soften a brute often enough and you get the lovable slob, and the run of 1930s parts, the boxer, the pirate, the scoundrel with a heart of gold, suggests that is where the studio wanted him. Whether those films keep the menace under the sentiment we will say when we have written about them. What we can say is that in *The Big House* nobody, Hill included, asks us to forgive Butch, and the performance is stronger because nobody does. Start there, in the cell block, and watch the face when the letter ends. ## Biography Wallace Fitzgerald Beery was an American actor. He began his career in the circus and on stage before entering films in 1913, initially appearing in comedies including the Sweedie series. Beery appeared in more than 250 films over 36 years. He played Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt in *The Big House* (1930) and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in *The Champ* (1931). Other notable roles include appearances in *Min and Bill* (1930), *Grand Hotel* (1932), *Dinner at Eight* (1933) and *Treasure Island* (1934). He was the brother of actor Noah Beery. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, catalog.afi.com, missouriencyclopedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *Viva Villa!* (1934), Fi1m 66, as Pancho Villa — [page](https://film.one/film/viva-villa.md) - *The Champ* (1931), Fi1m 72, as Andy 'Champ' Purcell — [page](https://film.one/film/the-champ.md) - *The Big House* (1930), Fi1m 78, as Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) ## Complete filmography (250) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Away with Words* (2026), as Wallace Beery - *The Image Book* (2018), as (archive footage) - *Going Hollywood: The '30s* (1984), as (archive footage) - *That's Entertainment!* (1974), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *The Big Parade of Comedy* (1964), as Terry (archive footage) - *When Comedy Was King* (1960), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *MGM Parade* (1955), series, as Champ in 'The Champ' (archive footage) - *Big Jack* (1949), as Big Jack Horner - *A Date with Judy* (1948), as Melvin R. Foster - *Alias a Gentleman* (1948), as Jim Breedin - *The Mighty McGurk* (1947), as Roy 'Slag' McGurk - *Bad Bascomb* (1946), as Zeb Bascomb alias Ezekiel 'Zeke' Smith - *This Man's Navy* (1945), as Ned Trumpet - *Barbary Coast Gent* (1944), as Honest Plush Brannon - *Rationing* (1944), as Ben Barton - *Twenty Years After* (1944), as (archive footage) - *Salute to the Marines* (1943), as Sgt. Maj. William Bailey - *Jackass Mail* (1942), as Marmaduke 'Just' Baggot - *The Bugle Sounds* (1942), as Sgt. Patrick Aloysius 'Hap' Doan - *Barnacle Bill* (1941), as Bill Johansen - *The Bad Man* (1941), as Pancho Lopez - *Wyoming* (1940), as 'Reb' Harkness - *20 Mule Team* (1940), as Skinner Bill Bragg, an Alias of Ambrose Murphy - *The Man from Dakota* (1940), as "Bar" Barstow - *Thunder Afloat* (1939), as John Thorson - *Land of Liberty* (1939), as (archive footage) - *Sergeant Madden* (1939), as Sgt. Shaun Madden - *Stand Up and Fight* (1939), as Captain Boss Starkey - *Stablemates* (1938), as Thomas Terry - *Port of Seven Seas* (1938), as Cesar - *The Bad Man of Brimstone* (1937), as 'Trigger' Bill - *Slave Ship* (1937), as Jack Thompson - *The Good Old Soak* (1937), as Clem Hawley - *Old Hutch* (1936), as "Hutch" Hutchins - *A Message to Garcia* (1936), as Sgt. Dory - *Ah, Wilderness!* (1935), as Uncle Sid - *O'Shaughnessy's Boy* (1935), as Michael O'Shaughnessy - *China Seas* (1935), as Jamesy MacArdle - *West Point of the Air* (1935), as Sgt. 'Big Mike' Stone - *The Mighty Barnum* (1934), as Phineas T. Barnum - *Treasure Island* (1934), as Long John Silver - *Viva Villa!* (1934), as Pancho Villa — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/viva-villa.md) - *Dinner at Eight* (1933), as Dan Packard - *The Bowery* (1933), as Chuck Connors - *Tugboat Annie* (1933), as Terry (Husband) - *Flesh* (1932), as Polakai - *Grand Hotel* (1932), as General Director Preysing - *Hell Divers* (1932), as "Windy" Riker - *The Champ* (1931), as Andy 'Champ' Purcell — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-champ.md) - *The Secret Six* (1931), as Louis 'Slaughterhouse' Scorpio - *The Stolen Jools* (1931), as Police Sergeant - *Min and Bill* (1930), as Bill - *A Lady's Morals* (1930), as P.T. Barnum - *Way for a Sailor* (1930), as Tripod - *Billy the Kid* (1930), as Pat Garrett - *The Big House* (1930), as Machine Gun 'Butch' Schmidt — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) - *The River of Romance* (1929), as General Orlando Jackson - *Stairs of Sand* (1929), as Lacey - *Chinatown Nights* (1929), as Chuck Riley - *Beggars of Life* (1928), as Oklahoma Red - *The Big Killing* (1928), as Powderhorn Pete - *Partners in Crime* (1928), as Mike Doolan, The Detective - *Wife Savers* (1928), as Louis Hozenozzle - *Two Flaming Youths* (1927), as Beery - Of Berry and Hatton (uncredited) - *Now We're in the Air* (1927), as Wally - *Fireman, Save My Child* (1927), as Elmer - *Casey at the Bat* (1927), as Casey - *Old Ironsides* (1926), as Bos'n - *We're in the Navy Now* (1926), as 'Knockout' Hansen - *Volcano* (1926), as Quembo - *Behind the Front* (1926), as Riff Swanson - *The Pony Express* (1925), as Rhode Island Red - *The Wanderer* (1925), as Pharis - *Rugged Water* (1925), as Capt. Bartlett - *In the Name of Love* (1925), as Glavis - *The Night Club* (1925), as José - *Adventure* (1925), as Morgan - *Coming Through* (1925), as Joe Lawler - *The Great Divide* (1925), as Dutch - *The Lost World* (1925), as Prof. Challenger - *The Devil's Cargo* (1925), as Ben - *Let Women Alone* (1925), as Cap Bullwinkle - *So Big* (1924), as Klaus Poole - *Madonna of the Streets* (1924), as Bill Smythe - *Dynamite Smith* (1924), as 'Slugger' Rourke - *The Red Lily* (1924), as Bo-Bo - *Another Man's Wife* (1924), as Captain Wolf - *The Signal Tower* (1924), as Joe Standish - *The Sea Hawk* (1924), as Capt. Jasper Leigh - *Unseen Hands* (1924), as Jean Scholast - *White Tiger* (1923), as Count Donelli / Hawkes - *The Drums of Jeopardy* (1923), as Gregor Karlov - *Richard the Lion-Hearted* (1923), as King Richard - *The Eternal Struggle* (1923), as Barode Dukane - *The Spanish Dancer* (1923), as King Philip IV - *Three Ages* (1923), as The Villain - *Drifting* (1923), as Jules Repin - *Ashes of Vengeance* (1923), as Duc de Tours - *Bavu* (1923), as Felix Bavu - *Stormswept* (1923), as William McCabe - *The Flame of Life* (1923), as Don Lowrie - *Only a Shop Girl* (1922), as Jim Brennan - *A Blind Bargain* (1922), as Beast Man (uncredited) - *Robin Hood* (1922), as Richard the Lion-Hearted - *Trouble* (1922), as Ed Lee, the Plumber - *Alias Julius Caesar* (1922), Actor - *Hurricane's Gal* (1922), as Chris Borg - *I Am the Law* (1922), as Fu Chang - *My Wife's Relations* (1922), as Photographer (uncredited) - *The Man from Hell's River* (1922), as Gaspard, The Wolf - *The Sagebrush Trail* (1922), as José Fagaro - *Wild Honey* (1922), as Buck Roper - *The Rosary* (1922), as Kenwood Wright - *The White Mouse* (1921), as Dr. Lawler - *The Last Trail* (1921), as William Kirk - *The Ne'er to Return Road* (1921), as Convict #12896 - *The Policeman and the Baby* (1921), as The Crook - *The Golden Snare* (1921), as Bram Johnson - *The Northern Trail* (1921), as Otto Franke - *A Tale of Two Worlds* (1921), as Ling Jo - *The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse* (1921), as Lieut. Col. von Richthosen - *Patsy* (1921), as Gustave Ludermann - *Sleeping Acres* (1921), Actor - *The Rookie's Return* (1920), as François Dupont - *The Last of the Mohicans* (1920), as Magua - *813* (1920), as Maj. Parbury / Ribeira - *The Round-Up* (1920), as Buck McKee - *The Mollycoddle* (1920), as Henry von Holkar - *The Virgin of Stamboul* (1920), as Sheik Achmet Hamid - *The Lone Wolf's Daughter* (1919), as Undetermined role (uncredited) - *Behind the Door* (1919), as Lt. Brandt - *Victory* (1919), as August Schomberg - *Soldiers of Fortune* (1919), as Mendoza - *The Life Line* (1919), as Bos - *The Love Burglar* (1919), as Coast-to-Coast Taylor - *The Unpardonable Sin* (1919), as Col. Klemm - *A Beach Nut* (1919), Scenario Writer, Director - *Only a Janitor* (1919), Director - *Johanna Enlists* (1918), as Col. Fanner - *That Night* (1917), as The Cafe Proprietor - *Are Waitresses Safe?* (1917), as Party Guest (uncredited) - *A Bedroom Blunder* (1917), as Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited) - *A Clever Dummy* (1917), as Patrick Cohen - a Vaudeville Manager - *The Little American* (1917), as German Soldier (uncredited) - *Cactus Nell* (1917), as A Polished Gent - *Teddy at the Throttle* (1917), as Henry Black - *Maggie's First False Step* (1917), as The Villain - *Patria* (1917), as Pancho Villa - *Bombs and Banknotes* (1917), as Janitor · Director - *A Capable Lady Cook* (1916), as Sweedie · Director - *Sweedie, the Janitor* (1916), as Sweedie - the Janitor · Story, Director - *Just a Few Little Things* (1916), as Fred · Scenario Writer, Director - *The Janitor* (1916), as John - the Hotel Janitor · Writer, Director - *Hearts and Sparks* (1916), as Minor Role - *A Dash of Courage* (1916), as The Police Chief - *Snakeville’s Champion* (1915), Director - *The Fable of the Roistering Blades* (1915), as Milt - *The Broken Pledge* (1915), as Percy - *Sweedie's Finish* (1915), as Sweedie - *The Slim Princess* (1915), as Popova - *Sweedie's Hero* (1915), as Sweedie - *Sweedie in Vaudeville* (1915), as Sweedie - *Done in Wax* (1915), as The Hobo - *The Bouquet* (1915), as Sweedie - *Sweedie Learns to Ride* (1915), as Sweedie - *Love and Trouble* (1915), as Sweedie - *Father's New Maid* (1915), as Jack / Sweedie - *Sweedie's Hopeless Love* (1915), as Sweedie - *Ain't It the Truth?* (1915), as Harold Wallington - *A Pound for a Pound* (1915), as Buck Gibson - *The Victor* (1915), as Mr. Justwed - *Sweedie Goes to College* (1915), as Sweedie - *The New Teacher* (1915), as Sweedie - the New Teacher - *Two Hearts That Beat as Ten* (1915), as Fred - *Sweedie and Her Dog* (1915), as Sweedie - *Sweedie's Suicide* (1915), as Sweedie - *Sweedie and the Sultan's Present* (1915), as Sweedie - *Two Dinky Little Dramas of a Non-Serious Kind* (1914), as The Lover - *Sweedie Collects for Charity* (1914), as Sweedie - *Their Cheap Vacation* (1914), as Mr. Newlywed - *Madame Double X* (1914), as Madame Double X - *The Fable of the Bush League Lover Who Failed to Qualify* (1914), as Homer Splivins - *Sweedie and the Hypnotist* (1914), as Sweedie - *A Maid of War* (1914), as Sweedie - *Sweedie at the Fair* (1914), as Sweedie - *Countess Sweedie* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Prevailing Craze* (1914), as Wally - *Three Boiled Down Fables* (1914), as Speeding Driver, Episode #3, The Prevailing Craze - *Sweedie the Trouble Maker* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Laundress* (1914), as Sweedie - the Laundress - *Rivalry and War* (1914), as Krautmeyer · Director - *She Landed a Big One* (1914), as Sweedie · Director - *Sweedie Learns to Swim* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Fickleness of Sweedie* (1914), as Sweedie - *Golf Champion 'Chick' Evans Links with Sweedie* (1914), as Sweedie - *Sweedie's Clean-Up* (1914), as Sweedie - *Sweedie's Skate* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Plum Tree* (1914), Actor - *When Knights Were Bold* (1914), as The Earl - *Love and Soda* (1914), as The Plumber - *Sweedie Springs a Surprise* (1914), as Sweedie - *Sweedie and the Double Exposure* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Fable of the Manoeuvres of Joel and Father's Second Time on Earth* (1914), as Attorney for Suggs - *Topsy-Turvy Sweedie* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Fable of the Busy Business Boy and the Droppers-in* (1914), Actor - *In and Out* (1914), as Hans - *Money Talks* (1914), as The Cook - *The Fable of Napoleon and the Bumps* (1914), as Prof. Bunkum - *Sweedie the Swatter* (1914), as Sweedie (a Swedish maid) - *The Fable of the Coming Champion Who Was Delayed* (1914), as The Coming Champion - *Sweedie and the Lord* (1914), as Sweedie - *The Epidemic* (1914), as Texas Tommy - *The Fable of Higher Education That Was Too High for the Old Man* (1914), as The Football Hero - *The Fable of the Brash Drummer and the Nectarine* (1914), as Gabby Gus - the Brash Drummer - *This Is the Life* (1914), as Hiram Stebbins - *Jane* (1914), as The Doctor - *Actor Finney's Finish* (1914), as Actor James Finney - *Three Little Powders* (1914), as Wallace Williams - *Making Him Over -- For Minnie* (1914), Actor - *Curing a Husband* (1914), as Robert - the Husband - *Wrong All Around* (1914), as The Plumber - *The Winner* (1914), as Fritz Noodle - *And He Came Back* (1914), as Horatio Algernon Botts - *The Bargain Hunters* (1914), as Mr. Hunter - *A Queer Quarantine* (1914), Actor - *Oh, Doctor* (1914), as The Deaf Minister - *Grass County Goes Dry* (1914), as The Constable - *The Girl, the Cop, the Burglar* (1914), as The Cop - *Mrs. Manly's Baby* (1914), as Mrs G. Howe Wise, Pres. Suffrage League - *One-to-Three* (1914), as Willie Brace - *Into Society and Out* (1914), as First Tramp - *Looking for Trouble* (1914), Actor - *The Hour and the Man* (1914), as A Juror - *A Foot of Romance* (1914), as Jim Foley - *The Ups and Downs* (1914), Actor - *Cheering a Husband* (1914), Actor - *At the Old Maid's Call* (1913), as Miss Muchmoney - the Old Maid - *Hello, Trouble* (1913), Actor - *Smithy's Grandma Party* (1913), as Prof. Smithy - *Kitty's Knight* (1913), as Mike McManus · Director - *The Usual Way* (1913), as The Dentist - *Their Wives' Indiscretion* (1913), as Mr. Jones - *Day by Day* (1913), as Bill the Iceman - *Dad's Insanity* (1913), Actor - *A Successful Failure* (1913), as The Uncle - *Love Incognito* (1913), as Secondary Role - *The Right of Way* (1913), Actor - *Sweet Revenge* (1913), as Phil Culture - *Mr. Dippy Dipped* (1913), as Undetermined Role - *His Athletic Wife* (1913), as Mr. Strong ## Gallery - ![Wallace Beery](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-f6c9e5fd0e7c.jpg) Wallace Beery — MGM studio photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Wallace_Beery-publicity.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Bessie Love and Wallace Beery in scene from the American film Dynamite Smith (1924).](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-9902a8a7e031.jpg) Bessie Love and Wallace Beery in scene from the American film Dynamite Smith (1924). — Pathé Exchange, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Bessie_Love_and_Wallace_Beery_in_scene_from_Dynamite_Smith_%281924%29.jpg/1280px-Bessie_Love_and_Wallace_Beery_in_scene_from_Dynamite_Smith_%281924%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Lobby card for the 1942 film The Bugle Sounds.](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-d08e81c0ef70.jpg) Lobby card for the 1942 film The Bugle Sounds. — MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Bugle_Sounds_lobby_card.jpg/1280px-Bugle_Sounds_lobby_card.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Lobby card for the American drama film The Big House (1930).](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-d909ed18791a.jpg) Lobby card for the American drama film The Big House (1930). — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/The-Big-House-1930-LC-1.jpg/1280px-The-Big-House-1930-LC-1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Wallace Beery](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-ff462826211e.jpg) Wallace Beery — Image via TMDB - ![Wallace Beery](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-ddfac398e3c3.jpg) Wallace Beery — Image via TMDB - ![Wallace Beery](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-6c8cc70d09f8.jpg) Wallace Beery — Image via TMDB - ![Lobby card for the American adventure film China Seas (1935).](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-37b7d8cae135.jpg) Lobby card for the American adventure film China Seas (1935). — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/China_Seas_lobby_card_3.JPG/1280px-China_Seas_lobby_card_3.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Lobby card for the American film Barnacle Bill (1941).](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-7c8c782e37df.jpg) Lobby card for the American film Barnacle Bill (1941). — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Barnacle_Bill_lobby_card.jpg/1280px-Barnacle_Bill_lobby_card.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Wallace Beery](https://film.one/media/person/1224803/gallery-1c647014ddc4.jpg) Wallace Beery — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated - 1932: Best Actor (won), for *The Champ* - 1930: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Big House* ### Other awards — 1 won - Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1934: Volpi Cup for Best Actor (won), for *Viva Villa!* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © 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/wallace-beery