Herbert Mundin

Herbert Mundin

1898-08-20 – 1939-03-05 (age 40) St Helens, Lancashire, UK
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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Herbert Mundin (21 August 1898 – 5 March 1939) was an English-born Hollywood character actor. He was frequently typecast in films as an older cheeky eccentric, a type helped by his jowled features and cheerful disposition.

He was born Herbert Thomas Mundin in St Helens, then in Lancashire (now part of Merseyside). His father was a nomadic, Primitive Methodist home missionary. His family moved within a short time of his birth to St Albans in Hertfordshire (the 1901 census data reveal that the family lived at St Helens Villa, Paxton Road, St Albans; his parents William and Jane apparently naming their house after the town where they first met and where Herbert was born).

Mundin was educated at St Albans School, and joined the Royal Navy during World War I. He began his acting career on the London stage during the 1920s. Mundin first travelled to America on 18 December 1923 for a series of theatrical engagements in New York. He sailed from Southampton on the RMS Aquitania and described himself in ship’s passenger manifest as 5'7" tall with a fair complexion, brown hair, blue eyes and a scar over his left eye. His big break as an actor was arguably with Gertrude Lawrence and Beatrice Lillie in Charlot's Revue when it appeared on Broadway in 1925.

In 1931, after working in Australia and London, he permanently moved to the US, where he received a contract with Twentieth Century Fox Studios and enjoyed a successful career as a character actor in over 50 films.

Perhaps his most celebrated role was as Much in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), alongside Errol Flynn. Other film appearances included Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and MGM's David Copperfield (1935).

He died in Van Nuys, California following a car crash. He was killed instantly when the car in which he was riding collided with another car at a street intersection. The force of the impact threw open the door and hurled Mundin to the street.He received a fractured skull and crushed chest.He was 40 years old. The other occupants of the car were not injured.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Herbert Mundin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Known For

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Tarzan Escapes
Tarzan Escapes

1936

as Rawlins

Mutiny on the Bounty
Cavalcade
Cavalcade

1933

as Alfred Bridges

David Copperfield
David Copperfield

1935

as Barkis

Spring Tonic
Spring Tonic

1935

as Thompson

Angel
Angel

1937

as Mr. Greenwood

Orient Express
Orient Express

1934

as Herbert Thomas Peters

Arizona to Broadway
Arizona to Broadway

1933

as Kingfish Miller

You Can't Beat Love
You Can't Beat Love

1937

as Jasper 'Meadows' Hives

Love Me Tonight
Love Me Tonight

1932

as Groom (uncredited)

King of Burlesque
King of Burlesque

1936

as English Impresario

Bottoms Up
Bottoms Up

1934

as Limey Brook aka Lord Brocklehurst

Hell in the Heavens
Hell in the Heavens

1934

as Granny Biggs

Society Lawyer
Society Lawyer

1939

as Layton

The Perfect Gentleman
The Perfect Gentleman

1935

as Frederick Hitch

Love Time
Love Time

1934

as Caesar

Devil's Lottery
Devil's Lottery

1932

as Trowbridge

Lord Jeff
Lord Jeff

1938

as Bosun 'Crusty' Jelks

Chandu the Magician
Chandu the Magician

1932

as Albert Miggles