Wally Maher (August 4, 1908 – December 26, 1951) was an American actor, primarily on old-time radio; he was also known as the original voice of Tex Avery's cartoon character Screwy Squirrel.
Early years
Maher was born in Cincinnati on August 4, 1908.[1] He was the son of Daniel and Mary Maher,[2] and he had three brothers and two sisters.[3] He dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting.[1]
Career
Theater
Maher gained early acting experience with a stock theater company in Cincinnati. His radio debut came when he portrayed Paul Baumer in a production of All Quiet on the Western Front. However, a lack of future acting opportunities led him to pray for divine guidance, and soon after he had another acting opportunity.[1]
On Broadway, Maher portrayed Rittenhoff in Every Man for Himself (1940).[4]
Radio
In 1936, he began working on several radio dramas from the West Coast.[5] That same year he had one of his most prominent film performances as the reporter who films the mob attempting to lynch Spencer Tracy's character in MGM's Fury, directed by Fritz Lang.
Partial List of Wally Maher's Roles on Radio Programs
Maher held offices in the Los Angeles chapter of the American Federation of Radio Artists, including being third vice-president in 1943[8] and a member of the board in 1945.[9]
^ abcdefghiDunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 10. ISBN978-0-19-507678-3.
^Adams, Magee (December 31, 1951). "Look and Listen". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 10. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Local AFRA Election"(PDF). Broadcasting. October 18, 1943. p. 61. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
^"Allied Arts"(PDF). Broadcasting. October 8, 1945. p. 48. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
^"Wally Maher". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2022.