Barry Fitzgerald
Brother of actor Arthur Shields, with whom he performed in several films, most notably John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). One of the very few character actors ever to achieve star status. Fitzgerald was the only player ever nominated for the Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year for the same role. The recognition was for Going My Way (1944). After he received this double nomination, the Academy immediately changed their rules to prevent this from happening again, rules which have remained unchanged to this day. One of Hollywood's finest character actors and most accomplished scene stealers, Barry Fitzgerald was born William Joseph Shields in 1888 in Dublin, Ireland. Educated to enter the banking business, the diminutive Irishman with the irresistible brogue was bitten by the acting bug in the 1920s and joined Dublin's world-famous Abbey Players. He subsequently starred in the Abbey Theatre production of Sean O'Casey's Juno And The Paycock, a role that he recreated in his film debut for director Alfred Hitchcock in 1930. He was coaxed to the U.S. in 1935 by John Ford to appear in Ford's film adaptation of another O'Casey masterpiece, The Plough and the Stars (1936). Fitzgerald took up residence in Hollywood and went on to give outstanding performances in such films as The Long Voyage Home (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), None But the Lonely Heart (1944), And Then There Were None (1945), Two Years Before the Mast (1946) and what is probably the role for which he is most fondly remembered, The Quiet Man (1952). He won the Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of gruff, aging Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way (1944). He was also nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for the same role and was the only actor to ever be so honored. Barry Fitzgerald died in his beloved Dublin in 1961.
Known For
Credits
- 2014 · Bing Crosby: Rediscovered as Self (archive footage)
- 1960 · Cradle of Genius as Self
- 1959 · Play of the Week as
- 1959 · Broth of a Boy as Patrick Farrell
- 1958 · Rooney as Grandfather
- 1956 · The Catered Affair as Uncle Jack Conlon
- 1955 · Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Harold 'Stretch' Sears
- 1954 · Happy Ever After as Thady O'Heggarty
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as
- 1952 · The Quiet Man as Michaleen Oge Flynn
- 1952 · Ha da venì... don Calogero! as Don Calogero
- 1951 · Silver City as R.R. Jarboe
- 1950 · Union Station as Inspector Donnelly
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Barry Flynn
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1949 · The Story of Seabiscuit as Shawn O'Hara
- 1949 · Top o' the Morning as Sergeant Briany McNaughton
- 1948 · Miss Tatlock's Millions as Denno Noonan
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- 1948 · The Sainted Sisters as Robbie McCleary
- 1948 · The Naked City as Lt. Dan Muldoon
- 1947 · Variety Girl as Barry Fitzgerald
- 1947 · Welcome Stranger as Dr. Joseph McRory
- 1947 · Easy Come, Easy Go as Martin L. Donovan
- 1947 · California as Michael Fabian
- 1946 · Two Years Before the Mast as Terence O'Feenaghty
- 1945 · The Stork Club as Jerry B. 'J.B.' / 'Pop' Bates
- 1945 · And Then There Were None as Francis Quinncannon
- 1945 · Duffy's Tavern as Bing Crosby's Father
- 1945 · Incendiary Blonde as Michael 'Mike' Guinan
- 1944 · None But the Lonely Heart as Henry Twite
- 1944 · I Love a Soldier as Murphy
- 1944 · Going My Way as Father Fitzgibbon
- 1943 · Corvette K-225 as Stooky
- 1943 · Two Tickets to London as Capt. McCardle
- 1943 · The Amazing Mrs. Holliday as Timothy Blake
- 1941 · Tarzan's Secret Treasure as Dennis O'Doul
- 1941 · How Green Was My Valley as Cyfartha
- 1941 · The Sea Wolf as Cooky
- 1940 · San Francisco Docks as The Icky
- 1940 · The Long Voyage Home as Cocky
- 1939 · Full Confession as Michael O'Keefe
- 1939 · The Saint Strikes Back as Zipper Dyson
- 1939 · Pacific Liner as Britches
- 1938 · The Dawn Patrol as Bott
- 1938 · Marie Antoinette as Peddler (uncredited)
- 1938 · Four Men and a Prayer as Mulcahay
- 1938 · Bringing Up Baby as Aloysius Gogarty
- 1937 · Ebb Tide as Huish
- 1936 · The Plough and the Stars as Fluther Good
- 1935 · Guests of The Nation as Captured British soldier
- 1930 · Juno and the Paycock as The Orator