Max Wagner
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.
Filmography
Terror in the Wax Museum
as Music Hall Drunk (Uncredited)
Terror in the Wax Museum
as Music Hall Drunk (Uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
as Townsman (uncredited)
Evil Roy Slade
as Townsman (uncredited)
Support Your Local Gunfighter
as Townsman Watching Fight (uncredited)
Support Your Local Gunfighter
as Townsman Watching Fight (uncredited)
True Grit
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
True Grit
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
as Reporter (uncredited)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
as Reporter (uncredited)
Rosemary's Baby
as Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Rosemary's Baby
as Man in Dream Sequence (uncredited)
Hang 'em High
as Prisoner
Hang 'em High
as Prisoner
Return of the Gunfighter
as Barfly (uncredited)
Return of the Gunfighter
as Barfly (uncredited)
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
as Cashier (uncredited)
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
as Cashier (uncredited)
Gunpoint
Gunpoint
The Great Race
as Barfly (uncredited)
The Great Race
as Barfly (uncredited)
Shenandoah
as Church Member
Shenandoah
as Church Member
4 for Texas
as Blackjack Dealer
4 for Texas
as Blackjack Dealer
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Spectator (uncredited)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Spectator (uncredited)
Pressure Point
Pressure Point
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Townsman (uncredited)
Sunrise at Campobello
as Convention Delegate (uncredited)
Sunrise at Campobello
as Convention Delegate (uncredited)
Ice Palace
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Ice Palace
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Public Pigeon No. 1
as Police Detective (uncredited)
Public Pigeon No. 1
as Police Detective (uncredited)
The Spirit of St. Louis
as Reporter (uncredited)
The Spirit of St. Louis
as Reporter (uncredited)
Robbery Under Arms
as Sergeant Goring
Robbery Under Arms
as Sergeant Goring
The Conqueror
as Mongul Guard (uncredited)
The Conqueror
as Mongul Guard (uncredited)
I Died a Thousand Times
as Deputy Charlie (uncredited)
I Died a Thousand Times
as Deputy Charlie (uncredited)
Illegal
as Bartender (uncredited)
Illegal
as Bartender (uncredited)
Tennessee's Partner
as Townsman (uncredited)
Tennessee's Partner
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Country Girl
as Expressman (uncredited)
The Country Girl
as Expressman (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery
as Policeman (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery
as Policeman (uncredited)
Donovan's Brain
as Station Agent (uncredited)
Donovan's Brain
as Station Agent (uncredited)
Invaders from Mars
as Army Sgt. Rinaldi
Invaders from Mars
as Army Sgt. Rinaldi
Flaming Feather
Flaming Feather
The Racket
as Durko (uncredited)
The Racket
as Durko (uncredited)
The Secret of Convict Lake
as Jack Purcell (uncredited)
The Secret of Convict Lake
as Jack Purcell (uncredited)
Pier 23
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Pier 23
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
Frenchie
as Drunk (uncredited)
Frenchie
as Drunk (uncredited)
Reign of Terror
as Citizen (uncredited)
Reign of Terror
as Citizen (uncredited)
It Happens Every Spring
as Umpire (uncredited)
It Happens Every Spring
as Umpire (uncredited)
The Red Pony
as Bartender
The Red Pony
as Bartender
Flaxy Martin
as Charles McMahon
Flaxy Martin
as Charles McMahon
The Sainted Sisters
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Sainted Sisters
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Miracle of the Bells
as Baggage Man
The Miracle of the Bells
as Baggage Man
Half Past Midnight
as Mike
Half Past Midnight
as Mike
Tycoon
Tycoon
Possessed
as Man in Café (uncredited)
Possessed
as Man in Café (uncredited)
Sinbad the Sailor
as Assistant Overseer (uncredited)
Sinbad the Sailor
as Assistant Overseer (uncredited)
That Brennan Girl
as Moving Man (uncredited)
That Brennan Girl
as Moving Man (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful Life
as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful Life
as Cashier / Nick's Assistant Bouncer (uncredited)
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
as Bartender (uncredited)
Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
as Bartender (uncredited)
The Truth About Murder
as Henchman Mike (uncredited)
The Truth About Murder
as Henchman Mike (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
as Bartender (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
as Bartender (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence
as Truck Driver
Circumstantial Evidence
as Truck Driver
A Medal for Benny
as Jake (uncredited)
A Medal for Benny
as Jake (uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful
as Sailor (uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful
as Sailor (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
as Military Police Driver (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
as Military Police Driver (uncredited)
A Night to Remember
as Policeman Temple (uncredited)
A Night to Remember
as Policeman Temple (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
as Tom's Best Man (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
as Tom's Best Man (uncredited)
Sabotage Squad
as Recruiting Sergeant
Sabotage Squad
as Recruiting Sergeant
The Talk of the Town
as Moving Man (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
as Moving Man (uncredited)
The Spoilers
as Deputy (uncredited)
The Spoilers
as Deputy (uncredited)
The Wife Takes a Flyer
as Sergeant
The Wife Takes a Flyer
as Sergeant
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
as Bartender
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
as Bartender
Ride on Vaquero
as Partner
Ride on Vaquero
as Partner
The Bank Dick
as Shirtless Ditchdigger (uncredited)
The Bank Dick
as Shirtless Ditchdigger (uncredited)
Hired Wife
as Streetcar Conductor
Hired Wife
as Streetcar Conductor
Men Against the Sky
as Max - Radioman
Men Against the Sky
as Max - Radioman
Rhythm on the River
as Cherry's Cabbie
Rhythm on the River
as Cherry's Cabbie
Wildcat Bus
as Bus Driver Jackson (uncredited)
Wildcat Bus
as Bus Driver Jackson (uncredited)
They Drive by Night
as Sweeney, Driver (uncredited)
They Drive by Night
as Sweeney, Driver (uncredited)
Pop Always Pays
as Bill - Policeman in Car 43
Pop Always Pays
as Bill - Policeman in Car 43
Buck Benny Rides Again
as Cowboy
Buck Benny Rides Again
as Cowboy
The Grapes of Wrath
as Guard (uncredited)
The Grapes of Wrath
as Guard (uncredited)
Millionaire Playboy
as Highway Patrol Officer
Millionaire Playboy
as Highway Patrol Officer
Charlie Chan in Panama
as Soldier
Charlie Chan in Panama
as Soldier
Mexican Spitfire
as Headwaiter - Mexican Pete's
Mexican Spitfire
as Headwaiter - Mexican Pete's
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Truck Driver
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
as Truck Driver
The Roaring Twenties
as Gangster (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
as Gangster (uncredited)
The Day the Bookies Wept
as Bet Placing Taxi Driver (uncredited)
The Day the Bookies Wept
as Bet Placing Taxi Driver (uncredited)
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Thug
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Thug
The Girl from Mexico
as Headwaiter
The Girl from Mexico
as Headwaiter
I'll Tell the World
as Salesman
I'll Tell the World
as Salesman
Cafe Society
as Guest
Cafe Society
as Guest
Off the Record
as Visitor (uncredited)
Off the Record
as Visitor (uncredited)
Scouts to the Rescue
as Joe - Truck Driver-Henchman
Scouts to the Rescue
as Joe - Truck Driver-Henchman
Submarine Patrol
as Marine Corporal (uncredited)
Submarine Patrol
as Marine Corporal (uncredited)
Tarnished Angel
as Tough Casino Decoy
Tarnished Angel
as Tough Casino Decoy
The Arkansas Traveler
as Hobo
The Arkansas Traveler
as Hobo
Professor Beware
as Chinatown Barker
Professor Beware
as Chinatown Barker
Cocoanut Grove
as Brakeman
Cocoanut Grove
as Brakeman
Born to Be Wild
as Jake - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
Born to Be Wild
as Jake - Trucker in Cafe (uncredited)
Many Unhappy Returns
as Ernie - Counter Girl's Boyfriend
Many Unhappy Returns
as Ernie - Counter Girl's Boyfriend
Alcatraz Island
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Alcatraz Island
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Stage Door
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
Stage Door
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
Step Lively, Jeeves!
as Joey
Step Lively, Jeeves!
as Joey
Border Cafe
as Shakey
Border Cafe
as Shakey
San Quentin
as Prison Runner
San Quentin
as Prison Runner
The Great O'Malley
as School Bus Driver (uncredited)
The Great O'Malley
as School Bus Driver (uncredited)
Black Legion
as Truck Driver in Diner (uncredited)
Black Legion
as Truck Driver in Diner (uncredited)
You Only Live Once
as Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
You Only Live Once
as Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
We Who Are About to Die
as Cell Block E Convict (uncredited)
We Who Are About to Die
as Cell Block E Convict (uncredited)
The Big Game
as Man Outside Hotel
The Big Game
as Man Outside Hotel
Walking on Air
as Sam, Second Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Walking on Air
as Sam, Second Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Dancing Pirate
as Pirate (uncredited)
Dancing Pirate
as Pirate (uncredited)
The Crime Patrol
as Bennie
The Crime Patrol
as Bennie
Two in Revolt
as Davis
Two in Revolt
as Davis
Paddy O'Day
as Milkman's Helper on Dock
Paddy O'Day
as Milkman's Helper on Dock
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
as Pug O'Leary
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
as Pug O'Leary
3 Kids and a Queen
as Reporter
3 Kids and a Queen
as Reporter
Dr. Socrates
as Gangster
Dr. Socrates
as Gangster
The Daring Young Man
as Reporter
The Daring Young Man
as Reporter
She Had to Choose
as Hold-Up Man
She Had to Choose
as Hold-Up Man
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
The Personality Kid
as Max
The Personality Kid
as Max
Hell Bent for Love
as Ernest Dallas
Hell Bent for Love
as Ernest Dallas
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
The Lost Jungle
as Slade
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Grip
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Grip
Arizona to Broadway
as Pete
Arizona to Broadway
as Pete
Renegades of the West
as Bob
Renegades of the West
as Bob
Suicide Fleet
as Radio Operator (uncredited)
Suicide Fleet
as Radio Operator (uncredited)
Numbered Men
as Convict Road Laborer (extra)
Numbered Men
as Convict Road Laborer (extra)
The Relay
as Sophomore
The Relay
as Sophomore
Making Good
as Student
Making Good
as Student