Barry Fitzgerald

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Barry Fitzgerald , actually William Joseph Shields (born March 10, 1888 in Dublin , † January 14, 1961 ibid) was an Irish actor . In 1944 he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Pastor Fitzgibbon in The Way to Happiness .

Life

Fitzgerald's birthplace, Walworth Road, Portobello, Dublin

Barry Fitzgerald was born into an Irish Protestant family in Dublin. At 1.57 meters tall, Fitzgerald initially worked as a civil servant, before starting his acting career in the early 1920s at the Abbey Theater - the Irish national theater . Barry's younger brother Arthur Shields also worked as an actor at the Abbey Theater. In 1930, Barry Fitzgerald made the leap to the screen with the film adaptation of the play Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey and directed by Alfred Hitchcock . This film would be his only one for the next six years, in the meantime it was shown on Broadway . In 1936, with the help of John Ford and his film The Plow and the Stars with Barbara Stanwyck , Fitzgerald made the move to Hollywood . Fitzgerald would collaborate with Ford more frequently during his subsequent Hollywood career.

For the character actor, films followed such as the screwball classic Leopard Don't Kiss (1938) as a drunken gardener and John Ford's The Long Road to Cardiff (1940) in the role of a malicious steward. Fitzgerald specialized in the portrayal of extroverted, mostly comical, owls; often with an Irish background. Through these distinctive supporting roles, he achieved greater prominence in Hollywood in the 1940s. In 1944, Fitzgerald played alongside Bing Crosby in The Road to Happiness . With the impersonation of the very traditional but kind-hearted Father Fitzgibbon , he achieved the unique feat in Oscar history of being nominated for the same role at the 1945 Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. In the end, Fitzgerald was able to look forward to the trophy for Best Supporting Actor .

His most famous film after this success was Der Sieger (1952). There he played on the side of John Wayne , Maureen O'Hara and his brother Arthur Shields. In the 1950s, the actor was also increasingly seen in emerging US television in guest roles. Fitzgerald had his last role in Broth of a Boy in 1959, after which he returned to Dublin. Fitzgerald had never been married and had no children. He died in 1961 at the age of 72.

Barry Fitzgerald has been immortalized with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Filmography (selection)

literature

  • Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 5: L - N. Rudolf Lettinger - Lloyd Nolan. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 6.

Web links

Commons : Barry Fitzgerald  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Boylan 1999, p. 130.
personal data
SURNAME Fitzgerald, Barry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Shields, William Joseph (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Irish actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 10, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Dublin
DATE OF DEATH January 14, 1961
Place of death Dublin