--- name: "Walter Pidgeon" canonical: "https://film.one/person/walter-pidgeon" roles: ["Actor"] born: "22 September 1897" died: "25 September 1984" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 71 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-09-20T00:57:42.687528+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." --- # Walter Pidgeon Actor. Born 22 September 1897 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Died 25 September 1984. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 22 September 1897, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada - **Died:** 25 September 1984 - **Active:** 1941–1943 - **Also known as:** Уолтер Пиджон, Walter Davis Pidgeon - **Frequently works with:** [Greer Garson](https://film.one/person/greer-garson.md), [Mervyn LeRoy](https://film.one/person/mervyn-leroy.md), [Sidney Franklin](https://film.one/person/sidney-franklin.md) - **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscar nominations - **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 4 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 4 of 4 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 4, Romance 3, History 1, War 1 - **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $18m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Pidgeon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q350640, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0682074/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12308 ## Fi1m on Walter Pidgeon > Walter Pidgeon made a career of standing next to people more interesting than himself and not minding. Tall, level-voiced and decent, he was the husband and the mentor of MGM's prestige dramas, and the films trusted him a shade more than we do. Walter Pidgeon's habit was to stand still and let the other person have the scene. In *How Green Was My Valley* (1941) his preacher, Gruffydd, is upright and kind and talks a good deal, and he never once raises his voice to do it; the valley comes to him, and the film is built so that it does. That stillness, and the low even voice that goes with it, is the whole instrument. He trained as a singer, and it shows in how he never seems to run short of breath. He had been around a while before anyone noticed. There were Broadway musicals and silent films in the mid-1920s, then supporting dramatic parts at MGM from 1937, and then 1941, when *How Green Was My Valley* and *Blossoms in the Dust* made him a leading man in the same year. From there the studio paired him with Greer Garson eight times, in *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), *Madame Curie* (1943) and on into the early 1950s, mostly as the husband who stands slightly behind and approves. Mervyn LeRoy and Robert Z. Leonard each directed him three times. Later he did character work: the producer Harry Pebbel in *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), the reclusive scientist Morbius in *Forbidden Planet* (1956), the Senate Majority Leader in *Advise & Consent* (1962). He retired in 1977. What he was good at is easy to name. He made intelligence look restful. Put him opposite a woman with a great deal to do and he stood back and reacted, and the scene was better for it. Put him in a laboratory or a legislature and you believed he had read the papers. He was reliable in the exact sense: you knew what you were getting, and it was never less than what was promised. That is also the limit. In Ford's film we found Gruffydd a good man and rather a lot to sit through; he talks and the village listens, and well before the end we were looking past him to Maureen O'Hara, who is where the film's feeling actually lives. The film loved him more than we did. Critics have noted over the years that his co-stars tended to take the scenes, and that the studio kept him in the gentleman's suit long after he might have tried something else. *Forbidden Planet* is the one later part that suggests something harder was available, and we would like to have seen more of it. He was cheerful about the arrangement. "Greer and I have worked well from the first. I've done eight pictures with that gal, and we never had a bad word between us." That is the man, and it is also the actor: no bad words, no rough edges, a partner who never once pulled focus. Start with the Ford, and watch where the camera goes when he stops talking. ## Biography Walter Pidgeon was a Canadian actor. He trained in voice at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and began his career in stage musicals before moving to Hollywood in the 1920s, where he appeared in silent films. He later worked under contract at MGM in supporting roles and gained prominence in the early 1940s. He is known for performances in *How Green Was My Valley* (1941) as Mr. Gruffydd, *Blossoms in the Dust* (1941) as Sam Gladney, *Mrs. Miniver* (1942) as Clem Miniver, *Forbidden Planet* (1956) as Dr. Edward Morbius, and *Funny Girl* (1968) as Florenz Ziegfeld. Pidgeon received two Academy Award nominations for acting. He retired in 1977 and died in 1984. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Madame Curie* (1943), Fi1m 72, as Pierre Curie — [page](https://film.one/film/madame-curie.md) - *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), Fi1m 73, as Clem Miniver — [page](https://film.one/film/mrs-miniver.md) - *Blossoms in the Dust* (1941), Fi1m 58, as Sam Gladney — [page](https://film.one/film/blossoms-in-the-dust.md) - *How Green Was My Valley* (1941), Fi1m 82, as Mr. Gruffydd — [page](https://film.one/film/how-green-was-my-valley.md) ## Complete filmography (133) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker* (1991), as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Fritz Lang, drawings for a film* (1989), as Captain Alan Thorndike (stills from Man Hunt) - *Sextette* (1978), as The Chairman - *Two-Minute Warning* (1976), as The Pickpocket - *Gibbsville* (1976), series, Actor - *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood* (1976), as Grayson's Butler - *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), as (archive footage) - *The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case* (1976), as Judge Trenchard - *Murder on Flight 502* (1975), as Charlie Parkins - *You Lie So Deep, My Love* (1975), as Uncle Joe Padway - *That's Entertainment!* (1974), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *The Girl on the Late, Late Show* (1974), as John Pahlman - *Live Again, Die Again* (1974), as Thomas Carmichael - *The Snoop Sisters* (1973), series, as Keith Follett - *Harry in Your Pocket* (1973), as Casey - *The Neptune Factor* (1973), as Dr. Samuel Andrews - *Skyjacked* (1972), as Sen. Arne Lindner - *The Screaming Woman* (1972), as Amos Larkin - *The Mask of Sheba* (1970), as Dr. Max van Condon - *House on Greenapple Road* (1970), as Mayor Jack Parker - *Rascal* (1969), as Sterling North (voice) - *Funny Girl* (1968), as Florenz Ziegfeld - *The Vatican Affair* (1968), as Herbert Cummings - *The Danny Thomas Hour* (1967), series, as Jason Merrill - *Warning Shot* (1967), as Orville Ames - *How I Spent My Summer Vacation* (1967), as Lewis Gannet - *The F.B.I.* (1965), series, as Leo Roland - *Cinderella* (1965), as King - *Daniel Boone* (1964), series, as Lord Dunsmore - *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as B.G. Perkins - *Breaking Point* (1963), series, Actor - *The Shortest Day* (1963), as Ernest Hemingway (uncredited) - *Two Colonels* (1963), as Colonello Henderson - *Advise & Consent* (1962), as Senate Majority Leader - *Big Red* (1962), as James Haggin - *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Dr. Charles Priest - *Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea* (1961), as Admiral Harriman Nelson - *Checkmate* (1960), series, as John Baker - *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1959), as Alonzo Smith - *Rawhide* (1959), series, as General Augustus Perry - *Swiss Family Robinson* (1958), as Anton (Father) - *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Sherman Hatfield - *The Rack* (1956), as Col. Edward W. Hall, Sr. - *Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre* (1956), series, as Jess Clark, Dave King - *These Wilder Years* (1956), as James Rayburn - *Forbidden Planet* (1956), as Dr. Edward Morbius - *The Glass Slipper* (1955), as Narrator (voice) - *Hit the Deck* (1955), as Xavier Smith - *Deep in My Heart* (1954), as J.J. Shubert - *The Last Time I Saw Paris* (1954), as James Ellswirth - *Men of the Fighting Lady* (1954), as Cmdr. Dowling - *Executive Suite* (1954), as Frederick Y. Alderson - *Dream Wife* (1953), as Walter McBride - *Scandal at Scourie* (1953), as Patrick J. McChesney - *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), as Harry Pebbel - *The Hoaxters* (1952), as Narrator (voice) - *Million Dollar Mermaid* (1952), as Frederick Kellerman - *The Sellout* (1952), as Haven D. Allridge - *The Unknown Man* (1951), as Dwight Bradley Masen - *Quo Vadis* (1951), as Narrator (voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/quo-vadis.md) - *Calling Bulldog Drummond* (1951), as Major Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond - *Soldiers Three* (1951), as Col. Brunswick - *The Miniver Story* (1950), as Clem Miniver - *That Forsyte Woman* (1949), as le jeune Jolyon Forsyte - *The Red Danube* (1949), as Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar - *Command Decision* (1948), as Major General Roland Goodlow Kane - *Julia Misbehaves* (1948), as William Sylvester Packett - *If Winter Comes* (1947), as Mark Sabre - *The Secret Heart* (1946), as Chris Matthews - *Holiday in Mexico* (1946), as Jeffrey Evans - *Week-End at the Waldorf* (1945), as Chip Collyer - *Mrs. Parkington* (1944), as Major Augustus Parkington - *Twenty Years After* (1944), as (archive footage) - *Madame Curie* (1943), as Pierre Curie — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/madame-curie.md) - *The Youngest Profession* (1943), as Walter Pidgeon - *White Cargo* (1942), as Mr. Harry Witzel - *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), as Clem Miniver — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/mrs-miniver.md) - *Design for Scandal* (1941), as Jeff Sherman - *How Green Was My Valley* (1941), as Mr. Gruffydd — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/how-green-was-my-valley.md) - *Blossoms in the Dust* (1941), as Sam Gladney — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/blossoms-in-the-dust.md) - *Man Hunt* (1941), as Captain Alan Thorndike - *Flight Command* (1940), as Squadron Commander Billy Gary - *Sky Murder* (1940), as Nick Carter - *Phantom Raiders* (1940), as Nick Carter - *Dark Command* (1940), as William 'Will' Cantrell - *It's a Date* (1940), as John Arlen - *The House Across the Bay* (1940), as Tim Nolan - *Nick Carter, Master Detective* (1939), as Nicholas 'Nick' Carter, aka Robert Chalmers - *Stronger Than Desire* (1939), as Tyler Flagg - *6,000 Enemies* (1939), as Steve Donegan - *Society Lawyer* (1939), as Christopher Durant - *Listen, Darling* (1938), as Richard Thurlow - *Too Hot to Handle* (1938), as Bill Dennis - *The Shopworn Angel* (1938), as Sam Bailey - *The Girl of the Golden West* (1938), as Sheriff Jack Rance - *Man-Proof* (1938), as Alan Wythe - *A Girl with Ideas* (1937), as Mickey McGuire - *My Dear Miss Aldrich* (1937), as Ken Morley - *Saratoga* (1937), as Hartley Madison - *As Good as Married* (1937), as Fraser James - *Girl Overboard* (1937), as Paul Stacey - *She's Dangerous* (1937), as Dr. Scott Logan - *Fatal Lady* (1936), as David Roberts - *Big Brown Eyes* (1936), as Richard Morey - *Good Badminton* (1934), as Walter - *Journal of a Crime* (1934), as Florestan - *The Kiss Before the Mirror* (1933), as Lucy's Lover - *Rockabye* (1932), as Al Howard - *The Hot Heiress* (1931), as Clay - *Kiss Me Again* (1931), as Paul de St. Cyr - *Going Wild* (1930), as 'Ace' Benton - *Viennese Nights* (1930), as Franz von Renner - *The Gorilla* (1930), as Arthur Marsden - *Sweet Kitty Bellairs* (1930), as Lord Varney - *Bride of the Regiment* (1930), as Colonel Vultow - *Show Girl in Hollywood* (1930), as Premiere Emcee - *A Most Immoral Lady* (1929), as Tony Williams - *Her Private Life* (1929), as Ned Thayer - *The Voice Within* (1929), Actor - *Melody of Love* (1928), as Jack Clark - *Clothes Make the Woman* (1928), as Victor Trent - *Turn Back the Hours* (1928), as Philip Drake - *Woman Wise* (1928), as United States Consul - *The Gateway of the Moon* (1928), as Arthur Wyatt - *The Gorilla* (1927), as Stevens - *The 13th Juror* (1927), as Richard Marsden - *The Girl from Rio* (1927), as Paul Sinclair - *The Heart of Salome* (1927), as Monte Carroll - *Marriage License?* (1926), as Paul - *Miss Nobody* (1926), as Bravo - *Old Loves and New* (1926), as Clyde Lord Geradine - *The Outsider* (1926), as Basil Owen - *Mannequin* (1926), as Martin Innesbrook ## Gallery - ![Photograph of Walter Pidgeon in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1963)](https://film.one/media/person/1232109/gallery-85ddb5a39354.jpg) Photograph of Walter Pidgeon in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1963) — CBS Television (photographer unknown), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Perry-Mason-Pidgeon-1963.jpg/1280px-Perry-Mason-Pidgeon-1963.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Walter Pidgeon](https://film.one/media/person/1232109/gallery-51784137b5fb.jpg) Walter Pidgeon — Image via TMDB - ![Walter Pidgeon](https://film.one/media/person/1232109/gallery-55dd2728a3b6.jpg) Walter Pidgeon — Image via TMDB - ![Walter Pidgeon](https://film.one/media/person/1232109/gallery-873098f9fbd4.jpg) Walter Pidgeon — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated - 1944: Best Actor (nominated), for *Madame Curie* - 1943: Best Actor (nominated), for *Mrs. Miniver* ### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1960: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (nominated) *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/walter-pidgeon