Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950) was an American character actor in films and on stage.

Biography

He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California.

He worked in vaudeville, teaming with Walter Catlett at some point. He appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including the original 1919 musical Irene and the long-running 1948 musical As the Girls Go.

He made his film debut in San Francisco Nights (1928). Over the next few years he established himself as a supporting actor, and although many of his roles were small and received no film credit, he played more substantial roles in films such as I Cover the Waterfront (1933) and Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933). By the mid-1930s, he was appearing in more prestigious productions, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), Wife vs. Secretary (1936) and A Letter to Three Wives (1949). He continued playing small, often comical roles until the end of his life, mostly as downtrodden or henpecked little men. His last performance was in Stella (1950); he knew he did not have long to live and collapsed twice on set, but was determined to see it through. By the end of his life, he had appeared in more than 180 films.

He died following an operation at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was survived by his wife Florence and a daughter.

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