Lionel Atwill

Lionel Atwill

Birth : 1885-03-01, Croydon, London, England, UK

Death : 1946-04-22

History

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lionel Atwill (1 March 1885 – 22 April 1946) was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England. He studied architecture before his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre, London in 1904. He become a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He acted on the stage in Australia but was most famous for his U.S. horror roles in the 1930s. His two most memorable parts were as the crazed, disfigured sculptor in Mystery of the Wax Museum (Warner Brothers, 1933), and as Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein (1939), memorably sent up by Kenneth Mars in Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein (1974). When he was not cast in macabre roles, Atwill often appeared in the 1930s as righteous-minded authority figures. For example, in 1937's less memorable The Wrong Road for RKO, investigator Atwill persuades a young, bank-robbing ingenue played by Helen Mack and her boyfriend Richard Cromwell to return their ill-gotten $100,000 and give up a life of crime. Two of Atwill's other notable non-horror roles were opposite his contemporary Basil Rathbone in films featuring Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes, including a role as Dr. James Mortimer in 20th Century Fox's 1939 film rendition of the Conan Doyle novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, and the 1943 Universal Studios film Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, in which he played Holmes' archenemy and super-villain, Professor Moriarty. Atwill remained a stalwart of the Universal horror films until his career flagged in the 1940s because of a widely publicized sex scandal in 1941, during the investigation of which he was charged in 1942 with perjury at a trial in which Atwill had been accused of staging a sex orgy at his home. He died while working on the 1946 film serial Lost City of the Jungle. His ashes were once inurned in Chapel of the Pines Crematory. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lionel Atwill, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Profile

Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill

Movies

Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb
Our intrepid adventurers Ace Zucco and Mike Flannigan from Terror in the Tropics return for another exciting quest in Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb. Ace Zucco has a new partner, reporter Fay Kendall, who is more than a match for the rowdy photographer. Daily Dispatch editor Mac sends them on assignment accompanying his niece Kate as she tries to find Rick Banning, her fiancée, an archeologist who disappeared while working in Egypt. A letter from Rick directs them to Lord Darby in England. The trail takes them from London to Scotland and finally to Egypt where they discover more than they bargained for as they search for the lost city of Lemuria.
In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
Actor Patrick Macnee leads the viewer through London in the footsteps of the genius private investigator Sherlock Holmes and his assistant and friend, Dr. Watson.
The Horror of It All
Dr. Otto von Niemann (archive footage)
A collection of film clips from horror movies and interviews with the actors and directors who made them.
Doom of Dracula
Arntz, police officer
An EIGHT minute excerpt from the 1944 feature, House of Frankenstein, released in the 1960's to the 16mm & 8mm home movie market.
Genius at Work
Latimer Marsh / The Cobra
Two actors who play detectives on the radio find themselves investigating a real crime masterminded by an arch-criminal named the Cobra.
Lost City of the Jungle
Sir Eric Hazarias
A movie serial in 13 chapters, and Lionel Atwill's final film: Following the end of WWII, war-monger Sir Eric Hazarias sets the wheel in motion for WWIII. His search for Meteorium 245, the only practical defence against the atomic bomb, leads him to mythical Pendrang. Obstructing his sinister plan to rule the world are Rod Stanton, United Peace Foundation investigator, Tal Shan , Pendrang native, and Marjorie Elmore, daughter of scientist Dr. Elmore, unwilling assistant to Sir Eric.
House of Dracula
Police Inspector Holtz
A scientist working on cures for rare afflictions, such as a bone softening agent made from molds to allow him to correct the spinal deformity of his nurse, finds the physical causes of lycanthropy in wolf-man Larry Talbot and of vampirism in Count Dracula, but himself becomes afflicted with homicidal madness while exchanging blood with Dracula.
Crime, Inc.
Pat Coyle
A crime reporter writes book to expose names and methods of the criminal leaders. He is held on a charge after refusing to explain how he got his information, but is released and helps to expose the syndicate.
Fog Island
Alec Ritchfield
Leo, a former convict, is living in seclusion on an island with his step-daughter, the daughter of his late wife. Leo was framed by a group of former business associates, and he also suspects that one of them killed his wife. He has invited the group to his island, tempting them by hinting about a hidden fortune, and he has installed a number of traps and secret passages in his home. He is aided in his efforts by a former cell-mate who holds a grudge against the same persons. When everyone arrives, the atmosphere of mutual suspicion and the thick fog that covers the island promise a tense and hazardous weekend for everyone.
House of Frankenstein
Inspector Arnz
Deranged scientist, Gustav Niemann, escapes from prison and overtakes the director of a traveling chamber of horrors, soon reviving the infamous Count Dracula, the frozen Frankenstein Monster, and the Wolf Man.
Secrets of Scotland Yard
Waterlow
Secrets of Scotland Yard is Republic's spin on a plotline first elucidated in the old E. Phillips Oppenheim novel The Great Impersonation. After losing WW I, the German high command, with remarkable foresight, prepares for the next war by planting a spy in the British Admiralty. Edgar Barrier plays the dual role of the German spy and his British twin brother. When one twin is killed, the other assumes his identity. The question: is the surviving brother the "good" one or the bad? It is up to C. Aubrey Smith, cast as Scotland Yard inspector Sir Christopher Belt, to sort out the mystery. Though it owes a great deal to the aforementioned Oppenheim yarn, Secrets of Scotland Yard is actually based on a novel by Denison Clift, who also wrote the screenplay.
Raiders of Ghost City
Erich von Rugen, alias Alex Morel
During the latter stages of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates, headed by Alex Morel (Lionel Atwill), raid all gold shipments destined for Washington from Oro Grande, California. Can they be brought to justice?
Lady in the Death House
Charles Finch
As a woman walks the "last mile" to her execution she remembers back to the incidents that got her framed for murder.
Captain America
Cyrus Maldor
Superhero Captain America battles the evil forces of the archvillain called The Scarab, who poisons his enemies and steals a secret device capable of destroying buildings by sound vibrations.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
Mayor of Vasaria
Grave robbers open the grave of the wolf man and awaken him. He doesn't like the idea of being immortal and killing people when the moon is full so tries to find Dr. Frankenstein, in the hopes that the doctor can cure him. Dr. Frankenstein has died; however, his monster is found.
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Moriarty
In the midst of World War II, Sherlock Holmes rescues the Swiss inventor of a new bomb-sight from the Gestapo and brings him to England, where he shortly falls into the clutches of Professor Moriarty.
Night Monster
Dr. King
Kurt Ingston, a rich recluse, invites the doctors who left him a hopeless cripple to his desolate mansion in the swamps as one by one they meet horrible deaths.
Dead End Kids Go To War
The Baron
The Dead End Kids join the war effort in this feature-length version of the Universal serial Junior G-Men of the Air. The fiendish Black Dragon Society, led by the sinister Baron (perennial B-movie villain Lionel Atwill) plots to pave the way for an Axis invasion of the U.S.A. by destroying America's defenses. When their plans are discovered by the Dead End Kids, the gang is too suspicious of "the coppers" to ask for help. The FBI send in their Junior G-Men to stop the spies, but when one of the Dead Enders is kidnapped, the two groups must work together to smash the Black Dragons once and for all!
Cairo
Teutonic Gentleman
Reporter Homer Smith accidently draws Marcia Warren into his mission to stop Nazis from bombing Allied Conwoys with robot-planes.
Pardon My Sarong
Varnoff
A pair of bus drivers accidentally steal their own bus. With the company issuing a warrant for their arrest, they tag along with a playboy on a boat trip that finds them on a tropical island, where a jewel thief has sinister plans for them.
Junior G-Men of the Air
The Baron
A group of street kids battle a terrorist gang led by a Japanese spy.
The Strange Case of Doctor Rx
Dr. Fish
Private eye Jerry Church is hired by a criminal defense lawyer after five mobsters he has gotten acquitted are apparently strangled by a serial killer.
The Ghost of Frankenstein
Dr. Bohmer
Frankenstein's unscrupulous colleague, Dr. Bohmer, plans to transplant Ygor's brain so he can rule the world using the monster's body, but the plan goes sour when he turns malevolent and goes on a rampage.
To Be or Not to Be
Rawitch
During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.
The Mad Doctor of Market Street
Dr. Ralph Benson, posing as Graham
A fugitive doctor (Lionel Atwill) tries to raise the dead for South Sea Islanders.
Man-Made Monster
Dr. Paul Rigas
Mad scientist turns a man into an electrically-controlled monster to do his bidding.
The Great Profile
Dr. Bruce
An alcoholic film star attempts a comeback. Director Walter Lang's 1940 comedy stars John Barrymore, Mary Beth Hughes, Anne Baxter, John Payne, Lionel Atwill and Edward Brophy.
Boom Town
Harry Compton
McMasters and Sand come to oil towns to get rich. Betsy comes West intending to marry Sand but marries McMasters instead. Getting rich and losing it all teaches McMasters and Sand the value of personal ties.
Girl in 313
Russell aka Henry Woodruff
A priceless necklace goes missing at a plush party. Police close in on the jewel thieves but is one cop getting too close to one of the crooks?
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
Dr. Suderman
On a cruise ship from Honolulu to San Francisco, the famous Chinese detective encounters four more murders while trying to figure out the murder of a Scotland Yard friend.
Johnny Apollo
Jim McLaughlin
Wall Street broker Robert Cain, Sr., is jailed for embezzling. His college graduate son Bob then turns to crime to raise money for his father's release. As assistant to mobster Mickey Dwyer, then falls for Dwyer's girl Lucky. He winds up in the same prison as his father.
Charlie Chan in Panama
Cliveden Compton
Charlie impersonates an employee of the U.S. government to foil an espionage plot which would destroy part of the Panama Canal, trapping a Navy fleet on its way to the Pacific after maneuvers in the Atlantic.
The Mad Empress
General Bazaine
The Mad Empress is a 1939 American historical drama film depicting the 3-year reign of Maximilian I of Mexico and his struggles against Benito Juarez.
Balalaika
Professor Marakov
A Russian prince disguised as a worker and a cafe singer secretly involved in revolutionary activities fall in love.
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
Paul Messenger
Intern Kildare heals a millionaire's daughter and tricks Dr. Gillespie into taking a vacation.
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Prof. Roger Chauncey Hildebrand
Mr. Moto is in Egypt to thwart a criminal mastermind determined to steal the priceless crown of the Queen of Sheba. When the precious treasure is transported to America, Mr. Moto must race against time to unmask the cunning thief who will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get what he wants.
The Sun Never Sets
Hugo Zurof
The Randolph family have a tradition of working in the British colonial service. Clive comes home from a mission in the Gold Coast of Africa accompanied by his wife Helen. He discovers his younger brother John, is not keen on following in his footsteps. John is then persuaded to try colonial service by his grandfather. He is accompanied by Clive who has been sent to investigate the source of a series of radio broadcasts that are sewing unrest throughout the world. These may be linked to Hugo Zurof, a man plotting to rule the world.
The Gorilla
Walter Stevens
When an escaped circus gorilla appears to have gone on a murderous rampage, a threatened attorney calls on the detective trio of Garrity, Harrigan and Mullivan to act as bodyguards. In short order, we discover that there is more to the attorney than meets the eye, and the ape may be innocent after all. When a pretty young heiress faces peril, it's up to our heroic trio to save the day.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Dr. James Mortimer
On his uncle's death Sir Henry Baskerville returns from Canada to take charge of his ancestral hall on the desolate moors of Devonshire, and finds that Sherlock Holmes is there to investigate the local belief that his uncle was killed by a monster hound that has roamed the moors since 1650, and is likely to strike again at Sir Henry.
The Three Musketeers
De Rochefort
A parodic remake of the story of the young Gascon D'Artagnan, who arrives in Paris, his heart set on joining the king's Musketeers. He is taken under the wings of three of the most respected and feared Musketeers, Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. Together they fight to save France and the honor of a lady from the machinations of the powerful Cardinal Richelieu.
Son of Frankenstein
Krogh
One of the sons of Frankenstein finds his father's monster in a coma and revives him, only to find out he is controlled by Ygor who is bent on revenge.
The Great Waltz
Count Anton 'Tony' Hohenfried
Composer Johann Strauss risks his marriage over his infatuation with a beautiful singer.
Three Comrades
Breuer
A love story centered on the lives of three young German soldiers in the years following World War I. Their close friendship is strengthened by their shared love for the same woman who is dying of tuberculosis.
The Great Garrick
M. Beaumarchais
A British actor insults a French acting group only to fall victim to a prank that might destroy his career.
The Wrong Road
Mike Roberts
A young married couple whose plans for their life together haven't turned out as expected decide to rob the bank where the husband works of $100,000, then hide the money in a safe place and return for it after they serve out their sentences. All goes according to plan until they get out of prison, when they find that they're being trailed by an insurance investigator and the husband's old cellmate, who has decided that he wants a cut of the money.
Lancer Spy
Col. Fenwick
An Englishman impersonates an imprisoned German officer and "returns" to Germany to become a national hero. A female German spy is assigned to check him out but falls in love with him.
The High Command
Maj. Gen. Sir John Sangye
A general must come to terms with a crime he commited years earlier.
The Last Train from Madrid
Col. Vigo
The story of seven people: their lives and love affairs in Madrid during the Civil War.
The Road Back
Prosecutor
After the First World War a group of German soldiers try to readjust to civilian life. A sequel to 'All Quiet on the Western Front'.
Absolute Quiet
Gerald A. Axton
Escaped convicts Jack and Judy stumble upon an airstrip on the Western ranch of arrogant business tycoon Gerald Axton. Taking Axton and his secretary hostage, the convicts inadvertently cause the crash-landing of a small plane ferrying Axton's political adversary, Gov. Sam Pruden, and a nosy reporter. As the long night unfolds, each person's rivalries and weaknesses are prodded by the others.
Till We Meet Again
Ludwig
In London, August 1914, Austrian star Elsa Duranyi (Gertrude Michael) and English matinee idol Alan Barclay (Herbert Marshall) are in love and plan an immediate marriage. But the War comes and Elsa mysteriously disappears. Alan's ease in speaking German results in his appointment to the British Intelligence and, to aid his use as a spy, they announce he was killed in action. He takes the name and personality of "shell-shocked" Hans Teller, a German prisoner, and is sent into Germany on an exchange of prisoners.
Lady of Secrets
Mr. Stephen Whittaker
Because of a very unhappy affair she had earlier in her life, a woman shuts herself off from the rest of the world.
Captain Blood
Colonel Bishop
Dr. Peter Blood, unjustly convicted of treason and exiled from England, becomes a notorious pirate.
Rendezvous
Maj. William Brennan
A decoding expert tangles with enemy spies.
The Murder Man
Captain Cole
Steve Grey, reporter for the Daily Star, has a habit of scooping all the other papers in town. When Henry Mander is investigated for the murder of his shady business partner, Grey is one step ahead of the police to the extent that he often dictates his story in advance of its actual occurrence. He leads the police through an 'open and shut' case resulting in Mander being tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Columnist Mary Shannon is in love with Steve but she sees him struggle greatly with his last story before Mander's execution. When she starts typing out the story from his recorded dictation, she realizes why.
The Devil Is a Woman
Capt. Don Pasqual 'Pasqualito' Costelar
In the carnival in Spain in the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the exiled republican Antonio Galvan comes from Paris masquerade to enjoy the party and visit his friend Capt. Don Pasqual 'Pasqualito' Costelar. However, he flirts with the mysterious Concha Perez and they schedule to meet each other later. When Antonio meets Pasqualito, his old friend discloses his frustrated relationship with the promiscuous Concha and her greedy mother and how his life was ruined by his obsession for the beautiful demimondaine. Pasqualito makes Antonio promise that he would not see Concha. However, when Antonio meets Concha, she seduces him and the long friendship between Antonio and Pasqualito is disrupted
Mark of the Vampire
Inspector Neumann
Sir Borotyn, a prominent Prague resident, is discovered murdered in his home, with all indications pointing to a vampire assault. The victim's friend, Baron Otto, and the physician who analyzes the body are certain that the vampire is the mysterious Count Mora, or perhaps his daughter, but receive little help from the law. Professor Zelen, an expert in the occult, is called in to assist with the investigation.
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head
Henry Dumont
A writer discovers he's being used as a pawn by greedy businessmen.
The Firebird
John Pointer
Prohibited from seeing her actor sweetheart Herman Brandt by her tyrannical parents, sweet young Vienesse lass Mariette defies authority by regularly visiting Brandt's downstairs apartment. The lovers' signal is a song called "The Firebird," which Brandt sings whenever he wants Mariette to visit him. When the actor is murdered, poor Mariette and her parents are prime suspects. But the truth is a bit more complicated than that, involving as it does a haughty aristocrat, a powerful diplomat and a most unusual "candid camera" device.
The Age of Innocence
Julius Beaufort
An engaged attorney and a divorcee fall for each other in 1870s Manhattan.
One More River
Brough
A young lady leaves her brutal husband and meets another man on board a ship.
Stamboul Quest
Herr Von Sturm
In 1915, German Counter-Intelligence Chief Von Sturm learns that someone is providing the British with critical strategic planning for the Turkish theater. He suspects Ali Bey, Turkish commander for the Dardanelles, and dispatches Annemarie to Constantinople to secure the proof. En route, she becomes involved with Douglas Beall, a footloose American. Complications ensue, requiring Annemarie to engage in some dangerous improvisations.
Beggars in Ermine
John 'Flint' Dawson aka John Daniels
John Dawson loses control of his factory when he is crippled in an accident caused by a rival. Destitute, he travels the country organizing the homeless to help him regain control of his steel mill.
Nana
Colonel André Muffat
Young Parisian Nana wards off of a boozed-up military officer at a local restaurant, and fellow diner Gaston Greiner is so impressed with her pluck that he decides to make her a performer at his musical theater. Soon, Nana is a star, and the girlfriend of Greiner and two other men. But when he learns that she's been getting around, Greiner fires her. As she tries to reclaim her singing job while dodging yet another suitor, her treachery might get the better of her.
The Solitaire Man
Inspector Wallace
An almost-retired jewel thief plans to marry Helen, his partner in crime. Their plans are shattered when Bascom, a gang member, arrives with a stolen necklace, putting their whole gang at risk.
Secret of the Blue Room
Robert von Helldorf
According to a legend, the mansion's "blue room" is cursed -- everyone who has ever spent the night in that room has met with an untimely end. The three suitors of the heroine wager that each can survive a night in the forbidding blue room.
The Song of Songs
Baron von Merzbach
After her father dies, Lily moves to the city to live with her strict aunt. During the day Lily works in her aunt's bookstore, and at night she sneaks across the street to model for Richard, a sculptor with whom she falls in love. A patron of Richard's, Baron von Merzbach, develops an interest in Lily that may not be with the best of intentions.
The Sphinx
Jerome Breen
A man known to be a mute is suspected of committing a murder, as he was noticed at the scene. However, witnesses saw and heard him talking as he was leaving the scene of the crime. The police must determine if he is the actual killer or if he is being framed.
Murders in the Zoo
Eric Gorman
Dr. Gorman is a millionaire adventurer, traveling the world in search of dangerous game. His bored, beautiful, much younger wife entertains herself in the arms of other men. In turn, Gorman uses his animals to kill these men. When a New York City zoo suggests a fundraising gala, Gorman sees a prime opportunity to dispatch the dashing Roger and anyone else who might cross him.
Mystery of the Wax Museum
Ivan Eigor
The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.
The Secret of Madame Blanche
Aubrey St. John
A murder trial reunites a former chorus girl and her son, a grandson of an English aristocrat.
The Vampire Bat
Dr. Otto von Niemann
When the villagers of Kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism. While police inspector Karl Brettschneider remains skeptical, scientist Dr. Otto von Niemann cares for the vampire's victims one by one, and suspicion falls on simple-minded Herman Gleib because of his fondness for bats. A blood-thirsty mob hounds Gleib to his death, but the vampire attacks don't stop.
Doctor X
Dr. Jerry Xavier
A wisecracking New York reporter intrudes on a research scientist's quest to unmask The Moon Killer.
The Silent Witness
Sir Austin Howard
A London nobleman (Lionel Atwill) takes the blame and stands trial after his son strangles a lover (Greta Nissen).
The Highest Bidder
Lester
Society miss Sally Raeburn is left penniless and is helped out by an older woman. The woman makes it clear that to repay her, Sally must marry wealth, so when the very well-heeled Lester comes to her village, Sally goes after him. Lester has been traveling incognito in the hopes that no one will discover him, so when Sally wins him she feels guilty and confesses that she knew who he was all along.
The Marriage Price
Kenneth Gordon
A tough fellow from out West falls for young woman who is being pursued by a smarmy high-society type.
Eve's Daughter
Courtenay Urquhart
Eve's Daughter was the fourth and final screen teaming of Billie Burke and Thomas Meighan. This time out, Burke is cast as Irene Simpson-Bates, who is disheartened to learn that her millionaire father has left her with a mere $15,000. She is subsequently courted by two men: Poor but respectable John Norton (Thomas Meighan), and rich but disreputable Courtenay Urquahrt (Lionel Atwill, in his American screen debut).