Allen Jenkins

Commonly cast as a dimwitted thug in gangster movies, Allen Jenkins was a popular character actor of the '30s and '40s and part of the so-called "Irish Mafia" of Hollywood actors that included James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, and Frank McHugh. Jenkins was born to a show business family, and studied at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts before appearing in numerous Broadway productions throughout the '20s. After replacing Spencer Tracy as the lead in "The Last Mile" he was recruited by Darryl F. Zanuck to work for Paramount Pictures out in Hollywood. For his first film role he recreated his character of Frankie Wells for the 1932 film adaptation of the play "Blessed Event." A series of tough-guy goon roles made Jenkins somewhat of an icon of the '40s, and the image stuck throughout his career. As the style of Hollywood films changed in the '60s and '70s and his steady stream of film roles started to wane, Jenkins went where the work was--television. He often played cops, janitors, or just plain, old blue-collar simpletons on shows like "Adam-12" and "Bewitched." He also voiced the character of Officer Charlie Dibble on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon "Top Cat." His last role was that of a telegrapher in Billy Wilder's 1974 comedy feature "The Front Page" with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. He died later that same year of lung cancer.