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![]() ![]() Above left: In 1929, together with his wife Anna Chance, he appeared in 3 shorts by Christie Comedies films: Jed's Vacation, That Red-Headed Hussy (seen here) & Ladies' Choice. Above right: Charley Grapewin with Mary Brian and George Irving in Only Saps Work (1930). |
Grapewin kept accounts in which, since his marriage to Anna Chance, he kept track of every penny he received or spent. Charley appeared to be good with money. However, the fact that he overcame this major financial setback was mostly a testament to his versatility and adaptability. It did mean going back to work... and Charley tried his luck in writing (he even dabbled in composing music). Then he moved over into the world of motion pictures when in 1929, together with his wife Anna Chance, he appeared in 3 shorts by Christie Comedies films: Jed's Vacation, Ladies' Choice, and That Red-Headed Hussy (see photo above left), and 1 short by Universal House Cleaning. It seems likely that several, if not all, of these short comic films were based on vaudeville sketches. That same year his first feature length movie was The Shannons of Broadway.
He
subsequently wrote at least 7 books that proved successful enough to earn him
some income.
The Bronze Bull
(1930) was a novel set in Utah, telling
the story of two brothers, one an honest foreman at the Townsend Glass
Works, the other a slick political animal. In 1933 he
Luckily the arrival of sound in movies meant that actors who could read lines well, were in great demand. Since he had retired to California, Grapewin decided to give Hollywood a try. As the Thirties progressed, Grapewin could be seen in such memorable films as American Madness (1932), Judge Priest (1934), Alice Adams (1935), The Petrified Forest (1936) and Captains Courageous (1937). A 1931 article describes Mr. Grapewin as a "33rd Degree Mason"*. * The Thirty-third Degree is conferred upon those members, not less than 33 years of age, who have been outstanding in their contributions to Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite, or who have shown in their communities the leadership which marks them as men who exemplify in their daily lives. |
![]() ![]() Above left: Hell's House aka. Juvenile Court (1932) with Grapewin (as Uncle Henry) and Bette Davis. Above right: Charley with Helen Westley in Anne of Green Gables, a 1934 film based upon the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. |
![]() ![]() Above: Singer, comedian Sophie Tucker at a party at Charley and Anna Grapewin's home (1937). Right picture shows Sophie with Charley enjoying a game whilst Anna looks on. |
Best of all his Hollywood breaks came in a friendly poker game one evening in 1936. That night it seemed as if Grapewin just couldn't lose. One of his friends put up as a stake an acre of ground on the famous Fuller Ranch, 50 miles from Hollywood. Charley won the acre and not long after built himself a home there. It had its own private lake and boat landing and with the pond full of bass the actor spent an almost continuous vacation right at home. The groundbreaking was in March 1939, and the large home, christened "Grape-Inn", was completed by fall. Fishing was a popular pastime at their address which was N°1 Grapewin Avenue. Like their cottage in New Jersey, Charley no doubt designed this new commodious house himself. |
![]() Above: Grapewin fishing in his own pond, on his own estate. As he sits here, the rest of the world leaves him cold. |
![]() Above: Grapewin's favorite pastime is making decorative Inlays for furniture, with the aid of a kit containing thin strips of wood, a penknife and a bottle of glue. Supplementing in this way the time he can spare for the workshop in his garage, the actor has filled this home and office with unusual inlaid objects. Chairs, tables, a desk for his office, and numerous cigarette boxes are among the pieces he has decorated. One of his most remarkable feats of handiwork is a card table containing 365 inlaid pieces, made in only four days on the "lot." |
Grapewin boasts that he could do his trapeze tricks as well as when he performed them under the Big Top. He kept his rigging set up in the backyard of his Hollywood home and loves to astound his friends with it. So thoroughly is he in training that when, during the making of The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936), he slipped and took a dangerous fall, he landed acrobat-wise and sprang up unhurt, through sheer intuition born of years of practice. |
![]() ![]() Above left: In 1937 he played Dr. Sam Webster in Between Two Women with Franchot Tone. Above right: Arthur Aylesworth, Charles Grapewin and Brenda Fowler watch the boat bringing Walter Houston, James Stewart and Beulah Bondi to their village in MGM's Of Human Heart (aka Benefits Forgot) (1938) directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by John W. Considine Jr. |
With many of the prestigious roles played by Charley Grapewin we who love The Wizard of Oz (1939) will still best remember the lovable Uncle Henry as a part of the total charm of the classic movie. At the time only The Good Earth (1937) and Ben Hur (1925) cost the movie studio more dollars to produce. M-G-M's The Good Earth was a story written by the West Virginia author Pearl S. Buck and the book won a Nobel Prize in literature and also the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in literature. |
![]() ![]() Above left: Almost unrecognizable! Grapewin as the Old father of Wang (Paul Muni) in The Good Earth (1937) Above right: Opposite Judy Garland, Charley Grapewin as the lovable Uncle Henry in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz (1939). |
It was on his ranch in 1940 that Grapewin and Anna
Chance, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary, by getting married
again with all the trimming, and for a very logical reason. After they
eloped in 1896 they were married hurriedly and now wanted a wedding they
could remember. Between 1940 and 1942 he played Inspector Queen in the unsuccessful series of seven movies based on the Ellery Queen character. |
![]() Above left: Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen in the movie adaptations for Ellery Queen (1940-42) Above right: From left to right: Grapewin, Ralph Bellamy (Ellery Queen), Margaret Lindsay (Nikki Porter) and Anna May Wong in Ellery Queen and The Penthouse Murder (1941). |
Frequently described as grizzled,
cantankerous, wheezy, grumpy and a codger in his
grandfatherly roles. Success in films
came late in his career (he was 60ish). As we
remember him best he was of medium height, stocky build with a mop of
white hair, square jawed with squinty eyes. He had a slightly raspy
voice and a western drawl which served him well in these roles. He also played Jeeter Lester in the Erskine Caldwell's Tobacco Road
(1941) considered by many as
the highlight of his career. The chance
at Jeeter meant just another job to Charley. When he was called, among
several others, to test for the role, he showed up promptly on the test
stage at the appointed time, 10:30 AM. Came 11 o'clock and director John
Ford had not arrived. Charley grumbled bitterly, said something about
Dad blasted directors, and stalked off the stage in a rage. Before he
could get into his car to drive home, an assistant director, in
desperation, started a conversation with him about fishing. Meanwhile,
Ford arrived and Grapewin was coaxed grudgingly back to the testing
department. |
![]() ![]() Above left: With Henry Fonda (right) as Grandpa Joad (far Left), another Pulitzer Prize winning book of John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath (1940). Above right: As Jeeter Lester in Erskine Caldwell's Tobacco Road (1941). |
![]() ![]() Above left: Here you see Charley assisting Errol Flynn (and Olivia De Havilland) in They Died with Their Boots On a 1941 western film directed by Raoul Walsh. Above right: Charley Grapewin in Follow The Boys (1944) a picture with Orson Welles and WC Fields in his last role. |
In 1942 the novel Meg Randall
was published. Charley's story, was a romance of "fabulous wealth" in which a
woman finds herself after running away to Chicago with a spectacular
night-club manager, an honest gambler Monty Rogers. In September 1943 Anna passed away. Two years later on Jan 10, 1945 Charley remarried Loretta McGowan, Chicago social figure (one hour before the ceremony she got a divorce from D.W. Becker) in Las Vegas, Nevada. They met several years ago while Charley was touring Illinois on a War Bond drive. Her marriage to Charley would end in divorce on Aug 26, 1950. Because, the actor said, "She was too damned pretty.” |
![]() ![]() Above left: Charles Grapewin and his bride, the former Mrs. Loretta McGowan Becker of Chicago (Jan 1945). Above right: Charley Grapewin in 1944. |
![]() ![]() Above left: Charley Grapewin together with Dorothy Hart and Randolph Scott enjoying each others company during filming of Gunfighters (1947) Above right: Grapewin final role as Grandpa Reed in When I grow up (1951). |
During his life span, with everything else he did, he is credited with having made over 100 films. He last role was as Grandpa Reed in the 1951 movie When I Grow Up where he crossed paths with Harry Morgan (who later would also play Inspector Queen). In a 1951 interview he confided not planing to give up either work or women "until St. Peter casts me in a role.” Grapewin loved living in Corona where he went about his business quietly and very unpretentious. He last appeared in public at the Circle City load races in May, 1955. He died on February 2, 1956 in Corona, California of natural causes at age 86. He never had children. Upon the filing of his will it was disclosed that his long time housekeeper was the beneficiary of his Estate. The city where he died named Grapewin Street in his honor. |
![]() Above: Going fishing with his grandson, the final scene from When I Grow Up (1951) |
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This actor profile is a part of
Ellery Queen a website on deduction.
The actor above played Inspector Queen in seven of
the
Ellery Queen movies.
Click Uncle Sam if you think you can help
out...! Many of the profiles on this site have been compiled after very careful research of various sources. Please quote and cite ethically! |
Page first published on Jan 1. 2010 Latest update Jul 26. 2023 |
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