Max Wagner
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Nov 28, 1901
- Died
- Nov 16, 1975 (aged 73)
- Place of birth
- Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico
- Credits
- 197
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Max Wagner (November 28, 1901 – November 16, 1975) was a Mexican-born American film actor who specialized in playing small parts such as thugs, gangsters, sailors, henchmen, bodyguards, cab drivers and moving men, appearing more than 400 films in his career, most without receiving screen credit. Newspaper gossip columnists noted his rise from playing "Gangster #4", with no lines, and not carrying a gun, to "Gangster #2", with both lines and a gun.
Wagner was one of five children, all boys, of William Wallace Wagner, a railroad conductor, and Edith Wagner, a writer who provided dispatches for the Christian Science Monitor during the Mexican Revolution. When he was 10 years old, his father was killed by rebels and the family moved to Salinas, California, where he met John Steinbeck, who became a lifelong friend. Steinback based the character of the boy in his novel The Red Pony on Wagner.
Under the name "Max Baron", Wagner acted in many Spanish-language versions of English-language films, which studios made as a matter of course in the early days of sound films, He also served as a Spanish language coach for other actors, and appeared in many of the "Mexican Spitfire" films starring Lupe Vélez, where he also served to monitor Velez's Spanish ad-libs for profanity.
Other series that Wagner appeared in include the Charlie Chan films, and Tom Mix serials, as well as others made by Mascot Pictures Corporation. In the 1940s, Wagner was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in six films written and directed by Sturges, beginning with The Palm Beach Story
In 1940 during the filming of "The Mad Doctor", Wagner was credited for driving 50,000 miles as an on-screen taxi driver on the studio back lots of Hollywood. Since his appearance as a cab driver in Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935), producers often cast him as a wise-cracking or henchman taxi driver. "I was cast as a taxi driver about five years ago", Wagner told a reporter. "And I was typed."
In 1952, Wagner began to appear on television, in episodes of such shows as The Cisco Kid, Zane Grey Theater and Perry Mason, playing much the same kind of parts he played in the movies.
He was a regular cast member on the western television series Gunsmoke, making nearly 80 appearances between 1959 and 1973. He also appeared in many episodes of The Rifleman, Bonanza, Cimarron Strip, The Wild Wild West and Maverick, including a guest-starring role in the 1959 Rifleman episode "Blood Brother." He also had roles in the original Star Trek and The Twilight Zone series. He appeared in more than 200 television episodes between 1952 and 1974.
Notable film roles for Wagner include a supporting role in the cult science fiction classic Invaders from Mars (1953), an actor playing a gangster in the film-within-a-film segment of Bullets or Ballots (1936), and the bull farm attendant in the Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bullfighters (1945).
Late in his career, he appeared in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He also occasionally composed music, such as the Mexican folk ballad "Pedro, Rudarte y Simon" in the Western film The Last Trail (1933).
Wagner died of a heart attack in Hollywood in 1975.
Known for
It's a Wonderful Life
1946Movie
Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
Rosemary's Baby
1968Movie
Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Young Frankenstein
1974Movie
Villager (uncredited)
To Kill a Mockingbird
1962Movie
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962Movie
Townsman (uncredited)
The Grapes of Wrath
1940Movie
Guard (uncredited)
Filmography
Young Frankenstein
1974Movie
Villager (uncredited)
Terror in the Wax Museum
1973Movie
Music Hall Drunk (Uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
1972Movie
Townsman (uncredited)
Columbo
1971TV
Derelict (uncredited)
Support Your Local Gunfighter
1971Movie
Townsman Watching Fight (uncredited)
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
1970Movie
Barfly (uncredited)
The Cheyenne Social Club
1970Movie
Barfly (uncredited)
True Grit
1969Movie
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
1968Movie
Reporter (uncredited)
Rosemary's Baby
1968Movie
Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Hang 'em High
1968Movie
Prisoner
Return of the Gunfighter
1967Movie
Barfly (uncredited)
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
1966Movie
Cashier (uncredited)
Gunpoint
1966Movie
The Great Race
1965Movie
Barfly (uncredited)
Shenandoah
1965Movie
Church Member
4 for Texas
1963Movie
Blackjack Dealer
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963Movie
Spectator (uncredited)
To Kill a Mockingbird
1962Movie
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Pressure Point
1962Movie
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962Movie
Townsman (uncredited)
The Andy Griffith Show
1960TV
Townsman (uncredited)
Sunrise at Campobello
1960Movie
Convention Delegate (uncredited)
Ice Palace
1960Movie
Party Guest (uncredited)
The Twilight Zone
1959TV
Roller Coaster Operator
Bonanza
1959TV
Townsman (uncredited), Miner (uncredited)
The Rifleman
1958TV
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957Movie
Police Detective (uncredited)
The Spirit of St. Louis
1957Movie
Reporter (uncredited)
Robbery Under Arms
1957Movie
Sergeant Goring
The Conqueror
1956Movie
Mongul Guard (uncredited)
I Died a Thousand Times
1955Movie
Deputy Charlie (uncredited)
Illegal
1955Movie
Bartender (uncredited)
Tennessee's Partner
1955Movie
Townsman (uncredited)
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Townsman (uncredited)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955TV
Gambler (uncredited), Townsman (uncredited)
East of Eden
1955Movie
Workman (uncredited)
The Country Girl
1954Movie
Expressman (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery
1954Movie
Policeman (uncredited)
Donovan's Brain
1953Movie
Station Agent (uncredited)
Invaders from Mars
1953Movie
Army Sgt. Rinaldi
The Abbott and Costello Show
1952TV
First Workman
Flaming Feather
1952Movie
The Racket
1951Movie
Durko (uncredited)
The Secret of Convict Lake
1951Movie
Jack Purcell (uncredited)
Pier 23
1951Movie
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Frenchie
1950Movie
Drunk (uncredited)
Reign of Terror
1949Movie
Citizen (uncredited)
It Happens Every Spring
1949Movie
Umpire (uncredited)
The Red Pony
1949Movie
Bartender
Caught
1949Movie
Projectionist (uncredited)
Flaxy Martin
1949Movie
Charles McMahon
Shed No Tears
1948Movie
Second Investigating Detective (Uncredited)
The Sainted Sisters
1948Movie
Townsman (uncredited)
The Miracle of the Bells
1948Movie
Baggage Man
Half Past Midnight
1948Movie
Mike
Tycoon
1947Movie
Possessed
1947Movie
Man in Café (uncredited)
Sinbad the Sailor
1947Movie
Assistant Overseer (uncredited)
That Brennan Girl
1946Movie
Moving Man (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful Life
1946Movie
Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
1946Movie
Bartender (uncredited)
The Truth About Murder
1946Movie
Henchman Mike (uncredited)
The Lost Weekend
1945Movie
Mike (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
1945Movie
Bartender (uncredited)
Radio Stars on Parade
1945Movie
George
Circumstantial Evidence
1945Movie
Truck Driver
A Medal for Benny
1945Movie
Jake (uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful
1944Movie
Sailor (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1944Movie
Military Police Driver (uncredited)
Boss of Boomtown
1944Movie
Sergeant George Dunne
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines
1943Movie
Rudy the Sailor
A Night to Remember
1942Movie
Policeman Temple (uncredited)
Panama Hattie
1942Movie
Jailer (uncredited)
Overland to Deadwood
1942Movie
Buck
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
1942Movie
Villa Luigi Headwaiter
The Palm Beach Story
1942Movie
Tom's Best Man (uncredited)
Sabotage Squad
1942Movie
Recruiting Sergeant
The Talk of the Town
1942Movie
Moving Man (uncredited)
Matri-Phony
1942Movie
Guard (uncredited)
The Spoilers
1942Movie
Deputy (uncredited)
Come on Danger
1942Movie
Tough Guy
Moontide
1942Movie
Fisherman (uncredited)
The Wife Takes a Flyer
1942Movie
Sergeant
Obliging Young Lady
1942Movie
Jack - Diner Counterman (uncredited)
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
1941Movie
Bartender
Texas
1941Movie
Fats Delaney
Cyclone on Horseback
1941Movie
Jamison
Ride on Vaquero
1941Movie
Partner
The Mad Doctor
1940Movie
Cab Driver (Uncredited)
Trail of the Vigilantes
1940Movie
Joe
The Bank Dick
1940Movie
Shirtless Ditchdigger (uncredited)
Hired Wife
1940Movie
Streetcar Conductor
Men Against the Sky
1940Movie
Max - Radioman
Rhythm on the River
1940Movie
Cherry's Cabbie
Wildcat Bus
1940Movie
Bus Driver Jackson (uncredited)
Lucky Partners
1940Movie
Waiter (uncredited)
They Drive by Night
1940Movie
Sweeney, Driver (uncredited)
The Ghost Breakers
1940Movie
Ship Porter (uncredited)
Pop Always Pays
1940Movie
Bill - Policeman in Car 43
Buck Benny Rides Again
1940Movie
Cowboy
You Can't Fool Your Wife
1940Movie
Burglar
The Grapes of Wrath
1940Movie
Guard (uncredited)
Millionaire Playboy
1940Movie
Highway Patrol Officer
The House Across the Bay
1940Movie
Jim
Charlie Chan in Panama
1940Movie
Soldier
Mexican Spitfire
1940Movie
Headwaiter - Mexican Pete's
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
1940Movie
Truck Driver
Reno
1939Movie
Police Lt. Joe Wilson
The Roaring Twenties
1939Movie
Gangster (uncredited)
Fifth Avenue Girl
1939Movie
Policeman (uncredited)
The Day the Bookies Wept
1939Movie
Bet Placing Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Our Leading Citizen
1939Movie
Workman
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939Movie
Thug
The Girl from Mexico
1939Movie
Headwaiter
The Return of the Cisco Kid
1939Movie
Brings in Rustler
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
1939Movie
Sailor at Wrestling Match
Money to Loan
1939Movie
Hanley's Strong-Arm Man
I'll Tell the World
1939Movie
Salesman
Cafe Society
1939Movie
Guest
Fast and Loose
1939Movie
Nolan's Henchman (uncredited)
Wings of the Navy
1939Movie
Boss Mechanic
Off the Record
1939Movie
Visitor (uncredited)
Scouts to the Rescue
1939Movie
Joe - Truck Driver-Henchman
Submarine Patrol
1938Movie
Marine Corporal (uncredited)
Little Tough Guys in Society
1938Movie
Guest
Tarnished Angel
1938Movie
Tough Casino Decoy
The Arkansas Traveler
1938Movie
Hobo
Painted Desert
1938Movie
Henchman Kincaid
Professor Beware
1938Movie
Chinatown Barker
Cocoanut Grove
1938Movie
Brakeman
Maid's Night Out
1938Movie
Sam Johnson - Milk Man (uncredited)
Penrod and His Twin Brother
1938Movie
Blackie
Born to Be Wild
1938Movie
Jake - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
Many Unhappy Returns
1937Movie
Ernie - Counter Girl's Boyfriend
Alcatraz Island
1937Movie
Party Guest (uncredited)
Stage Door
1937Movie
Baggage Man (uncredited)
Step Lively, Jeeves!
1937Movie
Joey
Border Cafe
1937Movie
Shakey
San Quentin
1937Movie
Prison Runner
Wings Over Honolulu
1937Movie
Marine
The Great O'Malley
1937Movie
School Bus Driver (uncredited)
Black Legion
1937Movie
Truck Driver in Diner (uncredited)
You Only Live Once
1937Movie
Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
God's Country and the Woman
1937Movie
Gus
We Who Are About to Die
1937Movie
Cell Block E Convict (uncredited)
Smart Blonde
1937Movie
Chuck Cannon
Night Waitress
1936Movie
Diner Trying to Date Helen
The Big Game
1936Movie
Man Outside Hotel
The Girl on the Front Page
1936Movie
Fireman
Walking on Air
1936Movie
Sam, Second Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Love Begins at Twenty
1936Movie
Lester - O'Bannion's Driver
Bullets or Ballots
1936Movie
Actor Impersonating Kruger in Newsreel (uncredited)
Dancing Pirate
1936Movie
Pirate (uncredited)
Sons o' Guns
1936Movie
Soldier
The Crime Patrol
1936Movie
Bennie
The Girl from Mandalay
1936Movie
Drunken Brawler
Two in Revolt
1936Movie
Davis
The House of a Thousand Candles
1936Movie
Henchman
Love on a Bet
1936Movie
Reporter
Paddy O'Day
1936Movie
Milkman's Helper on Dock
Chatterbox
1936Movie
Himself (uncredited)
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
1936Movie
Pug O'Leary
The Fighting Marines
1935Movie
Gibson
Mary Burns, Fugitive
1935Movie
Sailor
3 Kids and a Queen
1935Movie
Reporter
Dr. Socrates
1935Movie
Gangster
Charlie Chan in Shanghai
1935Movie
Taxi Driver Henchman
The Daring Young Man
1935Movie
Reporter
The Miracle Rider
1935Movie
Morley
A Notorious Gentleman
1935Movie
Taxicab Driver
The Oil Raider
1934Movie
Simmons
Gridiron Flash
1934Movie
Convict Football Player
She Had to Choose
1934Movie
Hold-Up Man
Name the Woman
1934Movie
Reporter
Blind Date
1934Movie
Evans - Bob's Chauffeur
The Lost Jungle
1934Movie
Slade
The Personality Kid
1934Movie
Max
Hell Bent for Love
1934Movie
Ernest Dallas
The Lost Jungle
1934Movie
Slade
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
1934Movie
Grip
Before Dawn
1933Movie
Policeman in Car (uncredited)
Arizona to Broadway
1933Movie
Pete
Renegades of the West
1932Movie
Bob
Rockabye
1932Movie
Reporter (uncredited)
The World and the Flesh
1932Movie
Vorobiov
Cock of the Air
1932Movie
Military Policeman
Suicide Fleet
1931Movie
Radio Operator (uncredited)
The Good Bad Girl
1931Movie
Thug
Going Wild
1930Movie
Ferguson - Pilot
The Last of the Vargas
1930Movie
Numbered Men
1930Movie
Convict Road Laborer (extra)
The Thrill Seekers
1927Movie
A Hood
The First Auto
1927Movie
Bartender
Flashing Oars
1927Movie
Student
The Relay
1927Movie
Sophomore
Making Good
1926Movie
Student