Allen Jenkins

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

152

Gender

Male

Birthday

1900-04-08

Day of death

1974-07-20 (74 years old)

Place of Birth

Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

Allen Jenkins

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Allen Jenkins (April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor on stage, screen and television. He was born Alfred McGonegal on Staten Island, New York. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In his first stage appearance, he danced next to James Cagney in a chorus line for an off-Broadway musical called Pitter-Patter. He made five dollars a week. He also appeared one thousand times in Broadway plays between 1924 and 1962, including The Front Page with Lee Tracy (1928). His big break came when he replaced Spencer Tracy for three weeks in the Broadway play The Last Mile. He was called to Hollywood by Darryl F. Zanuck and signed first to Paramount Pictures and shortly afterwards to Warner Bros. He originated the character of Frankie Wells in the Broadway production of Blessed Event and reprised the role in the film adaptation, both in 1932. With the advent of talking pictures, he made a career out of playing comic henchmen, stooges, policemen and other "tough guys" in numerous films of the 1930s and 1940s, especially for Warner Bros. He was labeled the "greatest scene-stealer of the 1930s" by the New York Times. He voiced the character of "Officer Dibble" on the Hanna-Barbera television cartoon Top Cat and was a regular on the 1956-1957 television situation comedy Hey, Jeannie! (1956), starring Jeannie Carson. He was also a guest star on The Red Skelton Show, I Love Lucy, Playhouse 90, The Ernie Kovacs Show, Zane Grey Theater, and The Sid Caesar Show. Eleven days before his death he made his final appearance, at the end of Billy Wilder's 1974 film adaptation of The Front Page. He went public with his alcoholism and was the first actor to speak in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate about it. He helped start the first Alcoholics Anonymous programs in California prisons for women. Jenkins, James Cagney, Pat O'Brien and Frank McHugh were the original members of the so-called "Irish Mafia". He was the seventh member of the Screen Actors Guild. Description above from the Wikipedia article Allen Jenkins, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

  • Bewitched

    Bewitched

  • Bewitched

    Bewitched

  • Batman

    Batman

  • Wagon Train

    Wagon Train

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • Adam-12

    Adam-12

  • I Love Lucy

    I Love Lucy

  • The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

  • Ben Casey

    Ben Casey

  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

    The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

  • Honey West

    Honey West

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Top Cat

    Top Cat

  • December Bride

    December Bride

  • Easy Come, Easy Go

    Easy Come, Easy Go

  • The Abbott and Costello Show

    The Abbott and Costello Show

  • 42nd Street

    42nd Street

  • Dead End

    Dead End

  • Pillow Talk

    Pillow Talk

  • Mr. & Mrs. North

    Mr. & Mrs. North

  • King Kong

    King Kong

  • Dive Bomber

    Dive Bomber

  • Blessed Event

    Blessed Event

  • Happiness Ahead

    Happiness Ahead

  • Sweepstakes Winner

    Sweepstakes Winner

  • The Falcon Takes Over

    The Falcon Takes Over

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

    It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

  • Racket Squad

    Racket Squad

  • Bedside

    Bedside

  • Tortilla Flat

    Tortilla Flat

  • Behave Yourself!

    Behave Yourself!

  • Rackety Rax

    Rackety Rax

  • Bodyhold

    Bodyhold

  • Wild Harvest

    Wild Harvest

  • Professional Sweetheart

    Professional Sweetheart

  • Hey, Jeannie!

    Hey, Jeannie!

  • Oklahoma Annie

    Oklahoma Annie

  • Brother Orchid

    Brother Orchid

  • Grand Hotel

    Grand Hotel

  • Marked Woman

    Marked Woman

  • Sweet Music

    Sweet Music

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • The Front Page

    The Front Page

  • Blow-Ups of 1947

    Blow-Ups of 1947

  • Robin and the 7 Hoods

    Robin and the 7 Hoods

  • Margie

    Margie

  • Ball of Fire

    Ball of Fire

  • A Slight Case of Murder

    A Slight Case of Murder

  • Jimmy the Gent

    Jimmy the Gent

  • The Spy in the Green Hat

    The Spy in the Green Hat

  • Havana Widows

    Havana Widows

  • I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

    I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

  • Fools for Scandal

    Fools for Scandal

  • Lawyer Man

    Lawyer Man

  • The Keyhole

    The Keyhole

  • Hard to Handle

    Hard to Handle

  • Gold Diggers in Paris

    Gold Diggers in Paris

  • Chained for Life

    Chained for Life

  • Five Came Back

    Five Came Back

  • Blondie Johnson

    Blondie Johnson

  • The Dark Horse

    The Dark Horse

  • The Mayor of Hell

    The Mayor of Hell

  • Bureau of Missing Persons

    Bureau of Missing Persons

  • The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse

    The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse

  • Miss Pacific Fleet

    Miss Pacific Fleet

  • Eyes in the Night

    Eyes in the Night

  • Three on a Match

    Three on a Match

  • The Case of the Curious Bride

    The Case of the Curious Bride

  • Things You Never See on the Screen

    Things You Never See on the Screen

  • The St. Louis Kid

    The St. Louis Kid

  • Broadway Hostess

    Broadway Hostess

  • Cain and Mabel

    Cain and Mabel

  • Lady on a Train

    Lady on a Train

  • While the Patient Slept

    While the Patient Slept

  • The Case of the Howling Dog

    The Case of the Howling Dog

  • Dance Charlie Dance

    Dance Charlie Dance

  • The Girl Habit

    The Girl Habit

  • Breakdowns of 1938

    Breakdowns of 1938

  • The Gay Falcon

    The Gay Falcon

  • Getting Away from It All

    Getting Away from It All

  • I've Got Your Number

    I've Got Your Number

  • The Inside Story

    The Inside Story

  • The Case of the Lucky Legs

    The Case of the Lucky Legs

  • Meet the Wildcat

    Meet the Wildcat

  • Twenty Million Sweethearts

    Twenty Million Sweethearts

  • Crazy Over Horses

    Crazy Over Horses

  • The Big Shakedown

    The Big Shakedown

  • Breakdowns of 1936

    Breakdowns of 1936

  • The Mind Reader

    The Mind Reader

  • Sh! The Octopus

    Sh! The Octopus

  • The Silk Express

    The Silk Express

  • The Perfect Specimen

    The Perfect Specimen

  • Stage Door Canteen

    Stage Door Canteen

  • Page Miss Glory

    Page Miss Glory

  • A Night at the Ritz

    A Night at the Ritz

  • Hard to Get

    Hard to Get

  • The Singing Kid

    The Singing Kid

  • Fun on a Weekend

    Fun on a Weekend

  • The Case of the Baby-Sitter

    The Case of the Baby-Sitter

  • A Day at Santa Anita

    A Day at Santa Anita

  • Meet Me on Broadway

    Meet Me on Broadway

  • Tomorrow at Seven

    Tomorrow at Seven

  • James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

    James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

  • Heart of the North

    Heart of the North

  • Three Men on a Horse

    Three Men on a Horse

  • Breakdowns of 1937

    Breakdowns of 1937

  • The Big Wheel

    The Big Wheel

  • I'd Rather Be Rich

    I'd Rather Be Rich

  • Marry the Girl

    Marry the Girl

  • Destry Rides Again

    Destry Rides Again

  • Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!

    Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!

  • Ever Since Eve

    Ever Since Eve

  • Sins of Man

    Sins of Man

  • Behind the Scenes of Cain and Mabel

    Behind the Scenes of Cain and Mabel

  • A Date with the Falcon

    A Date with the Falcon

  • The Senator Was Indiscreet

    The Senator Was Indiscreet

  • The Singing Marine

    The Singing Marine

  • Time Out for Rhythm

    Time Out for Rhythm

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • Swing Your Lady

    Swing Your Lady

  • Tin Pan Alley

    Tin Pan Alley

  • The Merry Frinks

    The Merry Frinks

  • Sing Me a Love Song

    Sing Me a Love Song

  • Let's Go Navy!

    Let's Go Navy!

  • I Live for Love

    I Live for Love

  • The Irish in Us

    The Irish in Us

  • Ready, Willing and Able

    Ready, Willing and Able

  • The Hat Box Mystery

    The Hat Box Mystery

  • They All Kissed the Bride

    They All Kissed the Bride

  • Three Men on a Horse

    Three Men on a Horse

  • Wonder Man

    Wonder Man

  • Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite

    Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite

  • Naughty But Nice

    Naughty But Nice

  • Complicated Women

    Complicated Women

  • Breakdowns of 1940

    Breakdowns of 1940

  • Going Places

    Going Places

  • Employees' Entrance

    Employees' Entrance

  • Singin' in the Corn

    Singin' in the Corn

  • The WAC from Walla Walla

    The WAC from Walla Walla

  • Footsteps in the Dark

    Footsteps in the Dark

  • Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

    Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

  • My Wife's an Angel

    My Wife's an Angel

  • Racket Busters

    Racket Busters

  • For Those Who Think Young

    For Those Who Think Young

  • Maisie Gets Her Man

    Maisie Gets Her Man

  • The Duke

    The Duke

  • Talent Scout

    Talent Scout

  • Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!

    Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!

  • Go West, Young Lady

    Go West, Young Lady

  • Three Cheers for the Girls

    Three Cheers for the Girls

  • 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

    42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

  • Whirlpool

    Whirlpool