Matt McHugh
Encyclopedia
Matt McHugh was an American film actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1931
and 1955
, primarily in small parts.
, who went on to become part of the Warner Bros.
stock company in the 1930s and 1940s, and sister Kitty
performed an act with him by the time he was fourteen years old, but the family quit the stage around 1930. His brother Ed became an agent in New York.
Matt made his Broadway
debut in Elmer Rice
's Street Scene in 1929, along with his brother Ed, and also appeared in Swing Your Lady in 1936.
Despite his actual origins, McHugh usually performed his roles with a Brooklyn accent, and was often cast as characters explicitly from Brooklyn. In Star Spangled Rhythm
(1941), his one scene is a protracted monologue during the climactic "Old Glory" sequence, in which McHugh plays a character who literally embodies the spirit of Brooklyn.
McHugh died of a heart attack
on February 22, 1971.
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
and 1955
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
, primarily in small parts.
Career
McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents ran a stock theatre company and, as a young child, he performed on stage. His brother, FrankFrank McHugh
Francis Curray "Frank" McHugh was an American film and television actor.Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents ran a stock theatre company and as a young child he performed on stage...
, who went on to become part of the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
stock company in the 1930s and 1940s, and sister Kitty
Kitty McHugh
Katherine "Kitty" McHugh was an American film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1934 and 1953.-Career:...
performed an act with him by the time he was fourteen years old, but the family quit the stage around 1930. His brother Ed became an agent in New York.
Matt made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice was an American playwright. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1929 play, Street Scene.-Early years:...
's Street Scene in 1929, along with his brother Ed, and also appeared in Swing Your Lady in 1936.
Despite his actual origins, McHugh usually performed his roles with a Brooklyn accent, and was often cast as characters explicitly from Brooklyn. In Star Spangled Rhythm
Star Spangled Rhythm
Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1943 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flimsy storylines, and with the specific intent of entertaining the...
(1941), his one scene is a protracted monologue during the climactic "Old Glory" sequence, in which McHugh plays a character who literally embodies the spirit of Brooklyn.
McHugh died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on February 22, 1971.
Selected filmography
- FreaksFreaksFreaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
(1932) - The Loud MouthThe Loud MouthThe Loud Mouth is a 1932 short comedy film directed by Del Lord. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1932 for Best Short Subject .-Cast:* Matt McHugh - Loud Mouth* Marjorie Kane - Edith* Franklin Pangborn - Freddie...
(1932) - Fra DiavoloFra Diavolo (1933 film)The Devil's Brother or Bogus Bandits or Fra Diavolo is a 1933 comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. It is based on Daniel Auber's operetta Fra Diavolo about the Italian bandit Fra Diavolo.-Plot:...
(1933) - Wings in the DarkWings in the DarkWings in the Dark is a 1935 motion picture starring Myrna Loy and Cary Grant focusing on a daring aviatrix and an inspired aviation inventor thrust into an unbearably desperate situation...
(1935) - The Boys from SyracuseThe Boys from Syracuse (film)The Boys from Syracuse is a 1940 musical film directed by A. Edward Sutherland, based on a stage musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which in turn was based on the play The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare...
(1940) - Pardon My ClutchPardon My ClutchPardon My Clutch is the 105th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:Shemp has been ill with a toothache for quite some time...
(1948) - Wham Bam SlamWham Bam SlamWham-Bam-Slam! is the 164th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:Shemp has been ill with a toothache for quite some time...
(1955)