Richard "Skeets" Gallagher

For other uses, see Richard Gallagher (disambiguation).
For the Scottish boxer (born 1925), see Skeets Gallacher.

Richard "Skeets" Gallagher
Richard Skeets Gallagher
Gallagher in 1944
Born(1891-07-28)July 28, 1891
Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
DiedMay 22, 1955(1955-05-22) (aged 63)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other namesSkeets Gallagher
OccupationActor
Years active1915–1952
Spouse(s)Irene Martin (divorced)
Pauline Mason
​
​
(m. 1929)​
Children2

Richard "Skeets" Gallagher (July 28, 1891 – May 22, 1955) was an American actor.[1] He had blue eyes and his naturally blond hair was tinged with gray from the age of 16.[citation needed]

Biography

Gallagher was born on July 28, 1891 in Terre Haute, Indiana. As a child he was nicknamed Skeets, short for mosquito, because of his frequent speedy bursts of running.[2]

Gallagher was educated at Rose Polytechnic Institute and Indiana University. He first studied civil engineering and then law. His stage career began by writing a one-act skit that he took to a local theatre group. [citation needed] He started acting in vaudeville, and later signed with Paramount Pictures.

He appeared in Frank Capra's first feature film For the Love of Mike (1927), a silent film now considered a lost film, and in several early sound films.

He died on May 22, 1955 in Santa Monica, California from a heart attack.[1]

Gallagher campaigned for the reelection of President Herbert Hoover in 1932.[3]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b "Skeets Gallagher, Comedian, Dies at 64. Vaudeville Headliner. Acted in Movies". New York Times. May 23, 1955. Retrieved December 23, 2013. Mr. Gallagher, who had been retired for the last four years, suffered a heart attack ...
  2. ^ p. 133 Quinlan, David Quinlan's Illustrated Directory of Film Character Actors Batsford, 1995
  3. ^ "Editorial". The Napa Daily Register. November 2, 1932. p. 6.

Further reading

  • Film Star: Who's Who on the Screen (1938), British Film Magazine
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