Noel Madison
Noel Madison (born April 30, 1897 in New York City as Noel Nathaniel Moscivitch , † January 6, 1975 in Fort Lauderdale , Florida ) was an American actor and short film director who mainly appeared in supporting roles as a gangster.
life and career
Noel Madison, a native of Noel Nathaniel Moscivitch , grew up in New York as the son of the Jewish actor Maurice Moscovitch . After his studies, including at the University of Lausanne , he began his acting career on British theaters. He returned to the United States and worked as an actor and director on Broadway in the 1920s . From 1930 Madison was seen as an actor in Hollywood films, where he appeared mostly in supporting roles as an eloquent gangster, for example in The Doorway to Hell (1930) and The FBI Agent (1935) on the side of James Cagney . In the Laurel and Hardy films Die Doppelganger (1936) and Die Wunderpille (1943) he formed a part of the comedian duo with his depictions of elegant gangsters.
From 1937 Madison was allowed to play other roles in three British musical films in addition to Jessie Matthews , but in Hollywood he remained committed to gangster characters. With the beginning of the Second World War he appeared in many propaganda films, often as a German or Japanese villain. In the 1940s, Madison increasingly withdrew from acting and directed three musical short films, of which Bombalera (1945) was even nominated for an Oscar . He last played in 1948 in the crime drama The Gentleman from Nowhere, alongside Warner Baxter . He has appeared in around 75 films since 1930. Then Madison returned to the stage, where, in contrast to his film roles, he played mostly cultured upper-class roles.
From 1926 until his death he was married to Marjorie Joyce Nathan and they had a son. Madison was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild .
Filmography (selection)
As an actor
- 1930: Sinners' Holiday
- 1931: The Little Caesar (Little Caesar)
- 1930: The Doorway to Hell
- 1932: Symphony of Six Million
- 1932: Me and My Gal
- 1932: The Hatchet Man
- 1933: Destination Unknown
- 1934: The Rothschilds (The House of Rothschild)
- 1934: Millionaires Preferred (The Girl from Missouri)
- 1934: Murder in Manhattan (Manhattan Melodrama)
- 1934: Harold Lloyd, the straw man (The Cat's Paw)
- 1935: The FBI Agent ('G' Men)
- 1935: The Pace That Kills
- 1936: Laurel and Hardy - The Doppelgangers (Our Relations)
- 1938: Kate Plus Ten
- 1939: City in Darkness
- 1941: Mr. X going astray (Footsteps in the Dark)
- 1942: Bombs Over Burma
- 1943: The Black Raven
- 1943: Laurel and Hardy - The Miracle Pill (Jitterbugs)
- 1948: The Gentleman from Nowhere
As a director
- 1944: Halfway to Heaven (short film)
- 1945: Bombalera (short film)
- 1945: Boogie Woogie (short film)
Web links
- Noel Madison in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ What Was The Film When? The Movies of Laurel and Hardy by Mark Potts, Dave Shephard
- ↑ Noel Madison at Allmovie
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Madison, Noel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Moscivitch, Noel Nathaniel (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American actor and short film director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 30, 1897 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 6, 1975 |
| Place of death | Fort Lauderdale , Florida |