Max Wagner
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 28, 1901
- Died
- November 16, 1975 (aged 73)
- Birthplace
- Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico
Biography
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
Filmography
Cuerpo y alma
Movie
Young Frankenstein
Movie · as Villager (uncredited)
Terror in the Wax Museum
Movie · as Music Hall Drunk (Uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
Movie · as Townsman (uncredited)
Support Your Local Gunfighter
Movie · as Townsman Watching Fight (uncredited)
Columbo
TV · as Derelict (uncredited) · 1 ep
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
Movie · as Barfly (uncredited)
The Cheyenne Social Club
Movie · as Barfly (uncredited)
True Grit
Movie · as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Rosemary's Baby
Movie · as Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Hang 'em High
Movie · as Prisoner
The Legend of Lylah Clare
Movie · as Reporter (uncredited)
Return of the Gunfighter
Movie · as Barfly (uncredited)
Gunpoint
Movie
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Movie · as Cashier (uncredited)
The Great Race
Movie · as Barfly (uncredited)
Shenandoah
Movie · as Church Member
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Movie · as Spectator (uncredited)
4 for Texas
Movie · as Blackjack Dealer
Pressure Point
Movie
To Kill a Mockingbird
Movie · as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Movie · as Townsman (uncredited)
Ice Palace
Movie · as Party Guest (uncredited)
Sunrise at Campobello
Movie · as Convention Delegate (uncredited)
The Andy Griffith Show
TV · as Townsman (uncredited) · 1 ep
The Twilight Zone
TV · as Roller Coaster Operator · 1 ep
Bonanza
TV · as Townsman (uncredited), Miner (uncredited) · 1 ep
The Rifleman
TV · 1 ep
Robbery Under Arms
Movie · as Sergeant Goring
The Spirit of St. Louis
Movie · as Reporter (uncredited)
Public Pigeon No. 1
Movie · as Police Detective (uncredited)
The Conqueror
Movie · as Mongul Guard (uncredited)
I Died a Thousand Times
Movie · as Deputy Charlie (uncredited)
Illegal
Movie · as Bartender (uncredited)
East of Eden
Movie · as Workman (uncredited)
Tennessee's Partner
Movie · as Townsman (uncredited)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
TV · as Gambler (uncredited), Townsman (uncredited) · 1 ep
Gunsmoke
TV · as Townsman (uncredited) · 1 ep
The Great Diamond Robbery
Movie · as Policeman (uncredited)
The Country Girl
Movie · as Expressman (uncredited)
Invaders from Mars
Movie · as Sergeant Rinaldi
Donovan's Brain
Movie · as Station Agent (uncredited)
Flaming Feather
Movie
The Abbott and Costello Show
TV · as First Workman · 1 ep
Pier 23
Movie · as Bar Patron (uncredited)
The Secret of Convict Lake
Movie · as Jack Purcell (uncredited)
The Racket
Movie · as Durko (uncredited)
Frenchie
Movie · as Drunk (uncredited)
It Happens Every Spring
Movie · as Umpire (uncredited)
Flaxy Martin
Movie · as Charles McMahon
The Red Pony
Movie · as Bartender
Caught
Movie · as Projectionist (uncredited)
Reign of Terror
Movie · as Citizen (uncredited)
Shed No Tears
Movie · as Second Investigating Detective (Uncredited)
The Sainted Sisters
Movie · as Townsman (uncredited)
The Miracle of the Bells
Movie · as Baggage Man
Half Past Midnight
Movie · as Mike
Tycoon
Movie
Sinbad the Sailor
Movie · as Assistant Overseer (uncredited)
Possessed
Movie · as Man in Café (uncredited)
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
Movie · as Bartender (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful Life
Movie · as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
The Truth About Murder
Movie · as Henchman Mike (uncredited)
That Brennan Girl
Movie · as Moving Man (uncredited)
Radio Stars on Parade
Movie · as George
The Lost Weekend
Movie · as Mike (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
Movie · as Bartender (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence
Movie · as Truck Driver
A Medal for Benny
Movie · as Jake (uncredited)
Boss of Boomtown
Movie · as Sergeant George Dunne
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Movie · as Military Police Driver (uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful
Movie · as Sailor (uncredited)
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines
Movie · as Rudy the Sailor
Matri-Phony
Movie · as Guard (uncredited)
Overland to Deadwood
Movie · as Buck
Come on Danger
Movie · as Tough Guy
The Spoilers
Movie · as Deputy (uncredited)
Sabotage Squad
Movie · as Recruiting Sergeant
The Wife Takes a Flyer
Movie · as Sergeant
Obliging Young Lady
Movie · as Jack - Diner Counterman (uncredited)
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
Movie · as Villa Luigi Headwaiter
Panama Hattie
Movie · as Jailer (uncredited)
A Night to Remember
Movie · as Policeman Temple (uncredited)
Moontide
Movie · as Fisherman (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
Movie · as Tom's Best Man (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
Movie · as Moving Man (uncredited)
Ride on Vaquero
Movie · as Partner
Cyclone on Horseback
Movie · as Jamison
Texas
Movie · as Fats Delaney
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
Movie · as Bartender
The House Across the Bay
Movie · as Jim
Millionaire Playboy
Movie · as Highway Patrol Officer
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
Movie · as Truck Driver
The Grapes of Wrath
Movie · as Guard (uncredited)
Charlie Chan in Panama
Movie · as Soldier
Mexican Spitfire
Movie · as Headwaiter - Mexican Pete's
Trail of the Vigilantes
Movie · as Joe
Buck Benny Rides Again
Movie · as Cowboy
The Bank Dick
Movie · as Shirtless Ditchdigger (uncredited)
Hired Wife
Movie · as Streetcar Conductor
They Drive by Night
Movie · as Sweeney, Driver (uncredited)
Men Against the Sky
Movie · as Max - Radioman
Lucky Partners
Movie · as Waiter (uncredited)
The Mad Doctor
Movie · as Cab Driver (Uncredited)
Rhythm on the River
Movie · as Cherry's Cabbie
Wildcat Bus
Movie · as Bus Driver Jackson (uncredited)
The Ghost Breakers
Movie · as Ship Porter (uncredited)
Pop Always Pays
Movie · as Bill - Policeman in Car 43
You Can't Fool Your Wife
Movie · as Burglar
Wings of the Navy
Movie · as Boss Mechanic
Fast and Loose
Movie · as Nolan's Henchman (uncredited)
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Movie · as Sailor at Wrestling Match
The Return of the Cisco Kid
Movie · as Brings in Rustler
Fifth Avenue Girl
Movie · as Policeman (uncredited)
The Girl from Mexico
Movie · as Headwaiter
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Movie · as Thug
Reno
Movie · as Police Lt. Joe Wilson
The Roaring Twenties
Movie · as Gangster (uncredited)
The Day the Bookies Wept
Movie · as Bet Placing Taxi Driver (uncredited)
I'll Tell the World
Movie · as Salesman
Money to Loan
Movie · as Hanley's Strong-Arm Man
Our Leading Citizen
Movie · as Workman
Cafe Society
Movie · as Guest
Off the Record
Movie · as Visitor (uncredited)
Scouts to the Rescue
Movie · as Joe - Truck Driver-Henchman
Born to Be Wild
Movie · as Jake - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
The Arkansas Traveler
Movie · as Hobo
Maid's Night Out
Movie · as Sam Johnson - Milk Man (uncredited)
Cocoanut Grove
Movie · as Brakeman
Tarnished Angel
Movie · as Tough Casino Decoy
Professor Beware
Movie · as Chinatown Barker
Little Tough Guys in Society
Movie · as Guest
Penrod and His Twin Brother
Movie · as Blackie
Painted Desert
Movie · as Henchman Kincaid
Submarine Patrol
Movie · as Marine Corporal (uncredited)
Step Lively, Jeeves!
Movie · as Joey
Alcatraz Island
Movie · as Party Guest (uncredited)
God's Country and the Woman
Movie · as Gus
Many Unhappy Returns
Movie · as Ernie - Counter Girl's Boyfriend
We Who Are About to Die
Movie · as Cell Block E Convict (uncredited)
Border Cafe
Movie · as Shakey
Wings Over Honolulu
Movie · as Marine
The Great O'Malley
Movie · as School Bus Driver (uncredited)
Smart Blonde
Movie · as Chuck Cannon
San Quentin
Movie · as Prison Runner
Stage Door
Movie · as Baggage Man (uncredited)
Black Legion
Movie · as Truck Driver in Diner (uncredited)
You Only Live Once
Movie · as Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
Love on a Bet
Movie · as Reporter
The Crime Patrol
Movie · as Bennie
Walking on Air
Movie · as Sam, Second Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Two in Revolt
Movie · as Davis
Paddy O'Day
Movie · as Milkman's Helper on Dock
Night Waitress
Movie · as Diner Trying to Date Helen
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
Movie · as Pug O'Leary
The Girl from Mandalay
Movie · as Drunken Brawler
Love Begins at Twenty
Movie · as Lester - O'Bannion's Driver
Sons o' Guns
Movie · as Soldier
The Girl on the Front Page
Movie · as Fireman
Chatterbox
Movie · as Himself (uncredited)
The House of a Thousand Candles
Movie · as Henchman
The Big Game
Movie · as Man Outside Hotel
Bullets or Ballots
Movie · as Actor Impersonating Kruger in Newsreel (uncredited)
Dancing Pirate
Movie · as Pirate (uncredited)
Charlie Chan in Shanghai
Movie · as Taxi Driver Henchman
The Fighting Marines
Movie · as Gibson
The Miracle Rider
Movie · as Morley
Dr. Socrates
Movie · as Gangster
The Daring Young Man
Movie · as Reporter
Mary Burns, Fugitive
Movie · as Sailor
3 Kids and a Queen
Movie · as Reporter
A Notorious Gentleman
Movie · as Taxicab Driver
Name the Woman
Movie · as Reporter
Hell Bent for Love
Movie · as Ernest Dallas
Gridiron Flash
Movie · as Convict Football Player
Blind Date
Movie · as Evans - Bob's Chauffeur
The Personality Kid
Movie · as Max
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
Movie · as Grip
The Oil Raider
Movie · as Simmons
The Lost Jungle
Movie · as Slade
The Lost Jungle
Movie · as Slade
She Had to Choose
Movie · as Hold-Up Man
Arizona to Broadway
Movie · as Pete
Before Dawn
Movie · as Policeman in Car (uncredited)
Cock of the Air
Movie · as Military Policeman
The World and the Flesh
Movie · as Vorobiov
Renegades of the West
Movie · as Bob
Rockabye
Movie · as Reporter (uncredited)
The Good Bad Girl
Movie · as Thug
Suicide Fleet
Movie · as Radio Operator (uncredited)
El pasado acusa
Movie
The Last of the Vargas
Movie
Numbered Men
Movie · as Convict Road Laborer (extra)
Going Wild
Movie · as Ferguson - Pilot
El Valiente
Movie · as Sargento de Policia
The Thrill Seekers
Movie · as A Hood
The Relay
Movie · as Sophomore
Flashing Oars
Movie · as Student
The First Auto
Movie · as Bartender
Making Good
Movie · as Student