Max Wagner
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1901-11-28
Day of Death
1975-11-16 (73 years old)
Place of Birth
Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico
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.
Known For
Acting
(1974)
Young Frankenstein
as Villager
(1973)
Terror in the Wax Museum
as Music Hall Drunk (Uncredited)
(1972)
Evil Roy Slade
as Townsman (uncredited)
(1971)
Support Your Local Gunfighter
as Townsman Watching Fight (uncredited)
(1970)
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
as Barfly (uncredited)
(1969)
True Grit
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
(1968)
Rosemary's Baby
as Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
(1968)
Hang 'em High
as Prisoner
(1968)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
as Reporter (uncredited)
(1967)
Return of the Gunfighter
as Barfly (uncredited)
(1966)
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
as Cashier (uncredited)
(1966)
(1965)
The Great Race
as Barfly (uncredited)
(1965)
Shenandoah
as Church Member
(1963)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Spectator (uncredited)
(1963)
4 for Texas
as Blackjack Dealer
(1962)
To Kill a Mockingbird
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
(1962)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Townsman (uncredited)
(1962)
(1960)
Ice Palace
as Party Guest (uncredited)
(1960)
Sunrise at Campobello
as Convention Delegate (uncredited)
(1957)
The Spirit of St. Louis
as Reporter (uncredited)
(1957)
Public Pigeon No. 1
as Police Detective (uncredited)
(1957)
Robbery Under Arms
as Sergeant Goring
(1955)
East of Eden
as Workman (uncredited)
(1955)
Illegal
as Bartender (uncredited)
(1955)
I Died a Thousand Times
as Deputy Charlie (uncredited)
(1954)
The Great Diamond Robbery
as Policeman (uncredited)
(1953)
Invaders from Mars
as Army Sgt. Rinaldi
(1953)
Donovan's Brain
as Station Agent (uncredited)
(1952)
(1951)
The Racket
as Durko (uncredited)
(1951)
Pier 23
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
(1951)
The Secret of Convict Lake
as Jack Purcell (uncredited)
(1950)
Frenchie
as Drunk (uncredited)
(1949)
Reign of Terror
as Citizen (uncredited)
(1949)
Caught
as Projectionist (uncredited)
(1949)
The Red Pony
as Bartender
(1949)
Flaxy Martin
as Charles McMahon
(1949)
It Happens Every Spring
as Umpire (uncredited)
(1948)
The Miracle of the Bells
as Baggage Man
(1948)
Half Past Midnight
as Mike
(1948)
The Sainted Sisters
as Townsman (uncredited)
(1948)
Shed No Tears
as Second Investigating Detective (Uncredited)
(1947)
Sinbad the Sailor
as Assistant Overseer (uncredited)
(1947)
(1946)
It's a Wonderful Life
as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
(1946)
That Brennan Girl
as Moving Man (uncredited)
(1946)
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
as Bartender (uncredited)
(1946)
The Truth About Murder
as Henchman Mike (uncredited)
(1945)
The Lost Weekend
as Mike (uncredited)
(1945)
Fallen Angel
as Bartender (uncredited)
(1945)
A Medal for Benny
as Jake (uncredited)
(1945)
Circumstantial Evidence
as Truck Driver
(1945)
Radio Stars on Parade
as George
(1944)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
as Military Police Driver (uncredited)
(1944)
Boss of Boomtown
as Sergeant George Dunne
(1943)
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines
as Rudy the Sailor
(1942)
The Talk of the Town
as Moving Man (uncredited)
(1942)
The Spoilers
as Deputy (uncredited)
(1942)
The Palm Beach Story
as Tom's Best Man (uncredited)
(1942)
Sabotage Squad
as Recruiting Sergeant
(1942)
Moontide
as Fisherman (uncredited)
(1942)
Obliging Young Lady
as Jack - Diner Counterman (uncredited)
(1942)
Panama Hattie
as Jailer (uncredited)
(1942)
A Night to Remember
as Policeman Temple (uncredited)
(1942)
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
as Villa Luigi Headwaiter
(1942)
The Wife Takes a Flyer
as Sergeant
(1942)
Come on Danger
as Tough Guy
(1942)
Overland to Deadwood
as Buck
(1942)
Matri-Phony
as Guard (uncredited)
(1941)
Texas
as Fats Delaney
(1941)
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
as Bartender
(1941)
Ride on Vaquero
as Partner
(1941)
Cyclone on Horseback
as Jamison
(1940)
The Grapes of Wrath
as Guard (uncredited)
(1940)
They Drive by Night
as Sweeney, Driver (uncredited)
(1940)
The Ghost Breakers
as Ship Porter (uncredited)
(1940)
Hired Wife
as Streetcar Conductor
(1940)
The Bank Dick
as Shirtless Ditchdigger (uncredited)
(1940)
Lucky Partners
as Waiter (uncredited)
(1940)
The Mad Doctor
as Cab Driver (Uncredited)
(1940)
Mexican Spitfire
as Headwaiter - Mexican Pete's
(1940)
Trail of the Vigilantes
as Joe
(1940)
The House Across the Bay
as Jim
(1940)
Wildcat Bus
as Bus Driver Jackson (uncredited)
(1940)
Millionaire Playboy
as Highway Patrol Officer
(1940)
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Truck Driver
(1940)
You Can't Fool Your Wife
as Burglar
(1940)
Charlie Chan in Panama
as Soldier
(1940)
Buck Benny Rides Again
as Cowboy
(1940)
Pop Always Pays
as Bill - Policeman in Car 43
(1940)
Men Against the Sky
as Max - Radioman
(1940)
Rhythm on the River
as Cherry's Cabbie
(1939)
The Roaring Twenties
as Gangster (uncredited)
(1939)
Reno
as Police Lt. Joe Wilson
(1939)
The Girl from Mexico
as Headwaiter
(1939)
Fifth Avenue Girl
as Policeman (uncredited)
(1939)
Cafe Society
as Guest
(1939)
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
as Sailor at Wrestling Match
(1939)
Fast and Loose
as Nolan's Henchman (uncredited)
(1939)
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Thug
(1939)
Wings of the Navy
as Boss Mechanic
(1939)
Money to Loan
as Hanley's Strong-Arm Man
(1939)
Off the Record
as Visitor (uncredited)
(1939)
Our Leading Citizen
as Workman
(1939)
The Return of the Cisco Kid
as Brings in Rustler
(1939)
The Day the Bookies Wept
as Bet Placing Taxi Driver (uncredited)
(1939)
Scouts to the Rescue
as Joe - Truck Driver-Henchman
(1939)
I'll Tell the World
as Salesman
(1938)
Professor Beware
as Chinatown Barker
(1938)
Cocoanut Grove
as Brakeman
(1938)
Tarnished Angel
as Tough Casino Decoy
(1938)
Painted Desert
as Henchman Kincaid
(1938)
Penrod and His Twin Brother
as Blackie
(1938)
Maid's Night Out
as Sam Johnson - Milk Man (uncredited)
(1938)
Born to Be Wild
as Jake - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
(1938)
The Arkansas Traveler
as Hobo
(1938)
Little Tough Guys in Society
as Guest
(1937)
Stage Door
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
(1937)
You Only Live Once
as Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
(1937)
Black Legion
as Truck Driver in Diner (uncredited)
(1937)
Border Cafe
as Shakey
(1937)
Smart Blonde
as Chuck Cannon
(1937)
San Quentin
as Prison Runner
(1937)
Alcatraz Island
as Party Guest (uncredited)
(1937)
(1937)
We Who Are About to Die
as Cell Block E Convict (uncredited)
(1937)
The Great O'Malley
as School Bus Driver (uncredited)
(1937)
Step Lively, Jeeves!
as Joey
(1937)
Wings Over Honolulu
as Marine
(1937)
Many Unhappy Returns
as Ernie - Counter Girl's Boyfriend
(1936)
Dancing Pirate
as Pirate (uncredited)
(1936)
Bullets or Ballots
as Actor Impersonating Kruger in Newsreel (uncredited)
(1936)
The Big Game
as Man Outside Hotel
(1936)
The Crime Patrol
as Bennie
(1936)
Walking on Air
as Sam, Second Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
(1936)
Chatterbox
as Himself (uncredited)
(1936)
Love on a Bet
as Reporter
(1936)
Love Begins at Twenty
as Lester - O'Bannion's Driver
(1936)
Night Waitress
as Diner Trying to Date Helen
(1936)
Sons o' Guns
as Soldier
(1936)
The Girl on the Front Page
as Fireman
(1936)
The Girl from Mandalay
as Drunken Brawler
(1936)
Paddy O'Day
as Milkman's Helper on Dock
(1936)
The House of a Thousand Candles
as Henchman
(1936)
Two in Revolt
as Davis
(1936)
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
as Pug O'Leary
(1935)
Dr. Socrates
as Gangster
(1935)
3 Kids and a Queen
as Reporter
(1935)
The Daring Young Man
as Reporter
(1935)
Charlie Chan in Shanghai
as Taxi Driver Henchman
(1935)
Mary Burns, Fugitive
as Sailor
(1935)
The Miracle Rider
as Morley
(1935)
The Fighting Marines
as Gibson
(1934)
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
(1934)
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
(1934)
The Oil Raider
as Simmons
(1934)
Blind Date
as Evans - Bob's Chauffeur
(1934)
Name the Woman
as Reporter
(1934)
Hell Bent for Love
as Ernest Dallas
(1934)
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Grip
(1934)
The Personality Kid
as Max
(1934)
She Had to Choose
as Hold-Up Man
(1934)
Gridiron Flash
as Convict Football Player
(1933)
Before Dawn
as Policeman in Car (uncredited)
(1933)
Arizona to Broadway
as Pete
(1932)
Rockabye
as Reporter (uncredited)
(1932)
Cock of the Air
as Military Policeman
(1932)
The World and the Flesh
as Vorobiov
(1932)
Renegades of the West
as Bob
(1931)
Suicide Fleet
as Radio Operator (uncredited)
(1931)
The Good Bad Girl
as Thug
(1930)
Numbered Men
as Convict Road Laborer (uncredited)
(1930)
Going Wild
as Ferguson - Pilot
(1930)
(1927)
The First Auto
as Bartender
(1927)
The Relay
as Sophomore
(1927)
Flashing Oars
as Student
(1927)
The Thrill Seekers
as A Hood
(1926)
Making Good
as Student
Crew
(2024)
The Garden
Art Direction