Max Wagner

Max Wagner

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.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: November 28, 1901

Deathday: November 16, 1975

Popularity:

2.659

Known For

The Last of the Vargas
The Last of the Vargas

1930-10-03

Invaders from Mars
Invaders from Mars

1953-04-22

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball

1946-11-22

The Thrill Seekers
The Thrill Seekers

1927-09-01

It Happens Every Spring
It Happens Every Spring

1949-06-10

Name the Woman
Name the Woman

1934-07-25

Hell Bent for Love
Hell Bent for Love

1934-05-19

Charlie Chan in Shanghai
Charlie Chan in Shanghai

1935-10-11

The Relay
The Relay

1927-01-30

Flashing Oars
Flashing Oars

1927-02-28

Making Good
Making Good

1926-12-06

Step Lively, Jeeves!
Step Lively, Jeeves!

1937-06-30

Born to Be Wild
Born to Be Wild

1938-02-16

The House Across the Bay
The House Across the Bay

1940-03-01

Shed No Tears
Shed No Tears

1948-06-09

The Fighting Marines
The Fighting Marines

1935-11-22

Gunpoint
Gunpoint

1966-04-25

Support Your Local Gunfighter
Support Your Local Gunfighter

1971-05-26

I Died a Thousand Times
I Died a Thousand Times

1955-11-09

Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain

1953-09-30

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

1963-11-07

The Great Race
The Great Race

1965-07-01

Shenandoah
Shenandoah

1965-06-03

Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein

1974-12-15

Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby

1968-06-12

Hang 'em High
Hang 'em High

1968-04-12

Flaxy Martin
Flaxy Martin

1949-02-15

The Arkansas Traveler
The Arkansas Traveler

1938-10-14

Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island

1937-10-13

Maid's Night Out
Maid's Night Out

1938-03-03

God's Country and the Woman
God's Country and the Woman

1937-01-16

Many Unhappy Returns
Many Unhappy Returns

1937-10-14

The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again

1970-11-16

The Miracle Rider
The Miracle Rider

1935-04-11

Love on a Bet
Love on a Bet

1936-03-06

The Crime Patrol
The Crime Patrol

1936-05-12

Illegal
Illegal

1955-10-09

Dr. Socrates
Dr. Socrates

1935-10-19

Pressure Point
Pressure Point

1962-10-10

Frenchie
Frenchie

1950-12-25

Robbery Under Arms
Robbery Under Arms

1957-01-10

Numbered Men
Numbered Men

1930-06-07

Radio Stars on Parade
Radio Stars on Parade

1945-08-01

Cock of the Air
Cock of the Air

1932-01-23

Matri-Phony
Matri-Phony

1942-07-02

True Grit
True Grit

1969-06-11

Arizona to Broadway
Arizona to Broadway

1933-07-22

We Who Are About to Die
We Who Are About to Die

1937-01-08

Gridiron Flash
Gridiron Flash

1934-10-06

Walking on Air
Walking on Air

1936-09-11

Blind Date
Blind Date

1934-07-20

The Personality Kid
The Personality Kid

1934-06-06

Cocoanut Grove
Cocoanut Grove

1938-05-20

Going Wild
Going Wild

1930-12-21

Two in Revolt
Two in Revolt

1936-04-03

Tarnished Angel
Tarnished Angel

1938-10-28

Paddy O'Day
Paddy O'Day

1936-01-17

Border Cafe
Border Cafe

1937-06-04

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen

1934-01-12

Wings of the Navy
Wings of the Navy

1939-02-11

Fast and Loose
Fast and Loose

1939-02-17

Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Mr. Moto in Danger Island

1939-04-07

The Return of the Cisco Kid
The Return of the Cisco Kid

1939-04-28

Fifth Avenue Girl
Fifth Avenue Girl

1939-09-22

The Girl from Mexico
The Girl from Mexico

1939-06-01

The Gracie Allen Murder Case
The Gracie Allen Murder Case

1939-06-02

The Red Pony
The Red Pony

1949-03-08

Professor Beware
Professor Beware

1938-07-29

Reno
Reno

1939-12-01

The Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties

1939-10-28

Pier 23
Pier 23

1951-05-11

The Day the Bookies Wept
The Day the Bookies Wept

1939-09-13

Millionaire Playboy
Millionaire Playboy

1940-03-14

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

1940-01-11

The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath

1940-03-15

The Lost Weekend
The Lost Weekend

1945-11-29

East of Eden
East of Eden

1955-04-10

Night Waitress
Night Waitress

1936-12-18

Wings Over Honolulu
Wings Over Honolulu

1937-05-16

The Great O'Malley
The Great O'Malley

1937-02-13

It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life

1946-12-20

To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird

1962-12-20

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

1936-01-13

The Girl from Mandalay
The Girl from Mandalay

1936-04-19

Evil Roy Slade
Evil Roy Slade

1972-02-18

I'll Tell the World
I'll Tell the World

1939-03-09

The Daring Young Man
The Daring Young Man

1935-07-17

Charlie Chan in Panama
Charlie Chan in Panama

1940-03-01

Smart Blonde
Smart Blonde

1937-01-02

Mexican Spitfire
Mexican Spitfire

1940-01-12

The Truth About Murder
The Truth About Murder

1946-04-01

The Oil Raider
The Oil Raider

1934-11-01

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1962-04-13

Money to Loan
Money to Loan

1939-03-11

Trail of the Vigilantes
Trail of the Vigilantes

1940-12-13

A Big Hand for the Little Lady
A Big Hand for the Little Lady

1966-06-08

Ride on Vaquero
Ride on Vaquero

1941-04-18

Buck Benny Rides Again
Buck Benny Rides Again

1940-05-31

Overland to Deadwood
Overland to Deadwood

1942-09-25

The World and the Flesh
The World and the Flesh

1932-04-22

Little Tough Guys in Society
Little Tough Guys in Society

1938-11-01

That Brennan Girl
That Brennan Girl

1946-12-23

Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel

1945-11-15

Love Begins at Twenty
Love Begins at Twenty

1936-08-22

The Great Diamond Robbery
The Great Diamond Robbery

1954-01-29

The First Auto
The First Auto

1927-06-27

Mary Burns, Fugitive
Mary Burns, Fugitive

1935-11-15

San Quentin
San Quentin

1937-05-24

The Bank Dick
The Bank Dick

1940-11-29

Hired Wife
Hired Wife

1940-09-13

They Drive by Night
They Drive by Night

1940-07-26

Men Against the Sky
Men Against the Sky

1940-09-06

The Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis

1957-04-01

Lucky Partners
Lucky Partners

1940-08-02

The Mad Doctor
The Mad Doctor

1940-12-20

Rhythm on the River
Rhythm on the River

1940-08-28

Wildcat Bus
Wildcat Bus

1940-08-23

The Ghost Breakers
The Ghost Breakers

1940-06-21

Caught
Caught

1949-02-17

Sons o' Guns
Sons o' Guns

1936-05-13

The Girl on the Front Page
The Girl on the Front Page

1936-09-26

Our Leading Citizen
Our Leading Citizen

1939-08-23

The Sainted Sisters
The Sainted Sisters

1948-04-30

Cafe Society
Cafe Society

1939-03-03

Cyclone on Horseback
Cyclone on Horseback

1941-06-13

Pop Always Pays
Pop Always Pays

1940-06-21

Boss of Boomtown
Boss of Boomtown

1944-05-20

You Can't Fool Your Wife
You Can't Fool Your Wife

1940-05-21

Come on Danger
Come on Danger

1942-06-05

Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

1943-01-01

The Spoilers
The Spoilers

1942-06-11

Sabotage Squad
Sabotage Squad

1942-08-27

Chatterbox
Chatterbox

1936-01-17

Texas
Texas

1941-10-09

The Good Bad Girl
The Good Bad Girl

1931-05-20

The Wife Takes a Flyer
The Wife Takes a Flyer

1942-04-28

Renegades of the West
Renegades of the West

1932-11-25

Rockabye
Rockabye

1932-11-25

Suicide Fleet
Suicide Fleet

1931-11-20

The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

1941-11-28

The House of a Thousand Candles
The House of a Thousand Candles

1936-04-02

Obliging Young Lady
Obliging Young Lady

1942-04-01

Stage Door
Stage Door

1937-10-08

Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant

1942-09-17

Off the Record
Off the Record

1939-01-21

Panama Hattie
Panama Hattie

1942-09-30

Penrod and His Twin Brother
Penrod and His Twin Brother

1938-02-26

The Big Game
The Big Game

1936-10-09

Circumstantial Evidence
Circumstantial Evidence

1945-04-20

Scouts to the Rescue
Scouts to the Rescue

1939-01-17

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

1944-09-18

The Secret of Convict Lake
The Secret of Convict Lake

1951-07-29

The Miracle of the Bells
The Miracle of the Bells

1948-03-27

Half Past Midnight
Half Past Midnight

1948-03-01

A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember

1942-12-10

3 Kids and a Queen
3 Kids and a Queen

1935-10-21

Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror

1949-10-15

A Medal for Benny
A Medal for Benny

1945-04-16

Bullets or Ballots
Bullets or Ballots

1936-06-06

Black Legion
Black Legion

1937-01-30

Moontide
Moontide

1942-05-29

You Only Live Once
You Only Live Once

1937-01-23

Terror in the Wax Museum
Terror in the Wax Museum

1973-05-02

The Palm Beach Story
The Palm Beach Story

1942-08-28

Dancing Pirate
Dancing Pirate

1936-05-22

Painted Desert
Painted Desert

1938-08-12

The Racket
The Racket

1951-10-25

Flaming Feather
Flaming Feather

1952-02-01

The Lost Jungle
The Lost Jungle

1934-06-13

The Lost Jungle
The Lost Jungle

1934-03-22

4 for Texas
4 for Texas

1963-12-21

Before Dawn
Before Dawn

1933-08-04

Tycoon
Tycoon

1947-12-27

She Had to Choose
She Had to Choose

1934-10-01

The Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town

1942-08-20

Ice Palace
Ice Palace

1960-01-02

Return of the Gunfighter
Return of the Gunfighter

1967-03-25

The Legend of Lylah Clare
The Legend of Lylah Clare

1968-08-21

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