Charles McGraw
Biography
Charles McGraw, born Charles Crisp Butters, was an American stage, film, and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. He was born on May 10, 1914, in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, and died on July 29, 1980, at the age of 66. He developed into a leading man, notably appearing in film noir classics during the late 1940s and early 1950s. His gravelly voice and rugged looks enhanced his appeal in the noir stylistic genre, providing him with many roles as cops and military officers. His known acting credits include roles in projects such as The Killers in 1946, T-Men in 1947, Armored Car Robbery in 1950, Roadblock in 1951, and Thunder Over the Plains in 1953, alongside television work including The Lieutenant, Thriller, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Career overview
Charles McGraw was an American stage, film, and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Born Charles Crisp Butters on May 10, 1914, in Des Moines, Iowa, he developed into a leading man, especially in film noir classics during the late 1940s and early 1950s. His gravelly voice and rugged looks enhanced his appeal in the noir stylistic genre, which provided him many roles as cops, military officers, and similar characters.
Throughout his extensive acting career, McGraw accumulated 118 known credits across movies and television shows. His film work included appearances in T-Men in 1947, Ernest Hemingway's The Killers in 1946, Incident v pohraničí in 1949, Armored Car Robbery in 1950, Roadblock in 1951 as Joe Peters, and Thunder Over the Plains in 1953 as Ben Westman alongside Wayne Lee. In television, he was known for his work in programs such as The Lieutenant, Thriller, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
McGraw passed away on July 29, 1980, at the age of 66.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
127 titles- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) as (in "The Killers") (archive footage)
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) as Air Force Gen. Peter Crane
- The Killer Inside Me (1976) as Howard Hendricks
- Perilous Voyage (1976) as Capt. Humphreys
- A Boy and His Dog (1975) as Preacher
- Police Story (1973)
- Hawkins (1973) as Capt. Bates
- Money to Burn (1973) as Neil Davis
- Emergency! (1972)
- Banyon (1972)
- The Night Stalker (1972) as Police Chief Ed Masterson
- The Longest Night (1972) as Father Chase
- Nichols (1971) as Hansen
- Nichols (1971) as Luke
- Monty Nash (1971) as Jeffers
- The Smith Family (1971) as Captain Hughes
- Johnny Got His Gun (1971) as Mike Burkeman
- Chandler (1971) as Bernie Oakman
- The Devil and Miss Sarah (1971) as Marshal Duncan
- O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra (1971) as Agent Joe Flagg
- The Andersonville Trial (1970) as Board of Military Judges
- Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) as Wilson
- Pendulum (1969) as Deputy Chief John P. Hildebrand
- Adam-12 (1968) as Lars Lowell
- Adam-12 (1968) as Rod Decker
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Sheriff
- The Mod Squad (1968)
- The Outcasts (1968)
- Hang 'em High (1968) as Sheriff Ray Calhoun
- Ironside (1967)
- Judd, for the Defense (1967)
- Judd, for the Defense (1967) as Jim Larkin
- Hondo (1967)
- In Cold Blood (1967) as Tex Smith
- The Busy Body (1967) as Fred Harwell
- Mission: Impossible (1966)
- The Wild Wild West (1965)
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Sam Bailey
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Jules Cutter
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964)
- Nightmare in Chicago (1964) as Harry Brockman
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) as Harry Brockman
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) as Nick Stacy
- Grindl (1963)
- The Lieutenant (1963)
- The Birds (1963) as Sebastian Sholes
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as Lt. Matthews
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Simon Oliver
- The Virginian (1962) as Big John Beldon
- The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) as Col. Charles Korotny
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Fred Rainey
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Dr. Kenneth Hasker
- Ben Casey (1961) as Joe Creely
- 87th Precinct (1961) as Douglas King
- Cain's Hundred (1961) as Earl Klegg
- The New Breed (1961) as Dr. Cameron Hill
- Thriller (1960) as Sheriff Cliff Wrights
- Route 66 (1960)
- Spartacus (1960) as Marcellus
- Cimarron (1960) as Bob Yountis
- Bonanza (1959) as Sheriff Gains
- The Untouchables (1959) as Johnny Torrio
- The Detectives (1959)
- Johnny Staccato (1959)
- The Wonderful Country (1959) as Dr. Stovall
- The Man in the Net (1959) as Sheriff Steve Ritter
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- The Defiant Ones (1958) as Capt. Frank Gibbons
- Saddle the Wind (1958) as Larry Venables
- Twilight for the Gods (1958) as Yancy
- Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1957) as Lt. Anthony Vosnick
- Joe Dakota (1957) as Cal Moore
- Joe Butterfly (1957) as Sgt. Jim McNulty
- Away All Boats (1956) as Lieut. Mike O'Bannion
- Toward the Unknown (1956) as Col. 'Mickey' McKee
- The Cruel Tower (1956) as Harry 'Stretch' Clay
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Calvin
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Dolen
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Squawman
- Casablanca (1955)
- The Whistler (1954)
- Adventures Of The Falcon (1954)
- The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) as Cmdr. Wayne Lee
- Loophole (1954) as Gus Slavin
- General Electric Theater (1953)
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Forel
- Thunder Over the Plains (1953) as Ben Westman
- War Paint (1953) as Sgt. Clarke
- Cavalcade of America (1952) as Wilkie Bowman
- Cavalcade of America (1952)
- Mr. & Mrs. North (1952)
- The Narrow Margin (1952) as Det. Sgt. Walter Brown
- One Minute to Zero (1952) as Sfc. Baker
- His Kind of Woman (1951) as Thompson / Narrator
- Roadblock (1951) as Joe Peters
- Double Crossbones (1951) as Capt. Ben Wickett
- Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950) as Shotgun Mike Munger
- Armored Car Robbery (1950) as Lt. Jim Cordell
- Side Street (1950) as Det. Stan Simon
- Reign of Terror (1949) as Sergeant
- The Threat (1949) as Arnold 'Red' Kluger
- Border Incident (1949) as Jeff Amboy
- The Story of Molly X (1949) as Police Capt. Breen
- Once More, My Darling (1949) as Herman Schmelz
- Blood on the Moon (1948) as Milo Sweet
- Berlin Express (1948) as USET Col. Johns (uncredited)
- Hazard (1948) as Chick
- The Hunted (1948) as Detective
- T-Men (1947) as Moxie
- The Farmer's Daughter (1947) as Fisher - Finley's Henchman (uncredited)
- The Long Night (1947) as Policeman Stevens
- The Gangster (1947) as Dugas
- Roses Are Red (1947) as Duke Arno
- On the Old Spanish Trail (1947) as Harry Blaisdell
- The Big Fix (1947) as Armiston
- The Killers (1946) as Al
- The Impostor (1944) as Menessier
- Destroyer (1943) as Assistant Chief Engineer (uncredited)
- Corvette K-225 (1943) as Chief Engineer
- The Moon Is Down (1943) as Ole (uncredited)
- They Came to Blow Up America (1943) as Zellerbach
- The Mad Ghoul (1943) as Detective Garrity
- Two Tickets to London (1943) as Hendrik (uncredited)
- The Undying Monster (1942) as Strud Strudwick (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Charles McGraw best known for?
Charles McGraw is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977), A Boy and His Dog (1975), Police Story (1973).
When and where was Charles McGraw born?
Charles McGraw was born on May 10, 1914 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. They passed away on July 29, 1980.
How many credits does Charles McGraw have?
Charles McGraw has accumulated over 127 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1942 to 1982.
What is Charles McGraw's background in cinema and television?
Charles McGraw, born Charles Crisp Butters, was an American stage, film, and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. He was born on May 10, 1914, in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, and died on July 29, 1980, at the age of 66. He developed into a leading man, notably appearing in film noir classics during ...
Charles McGraw by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Banyon (1972) — aged about 58
- The Untouchables (1959) as Johnny Torrio — aged about 45
- Emergency! (1972) — aged about 58
- Hawkins (1973) as Capt. Bates — aged about 59
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) — aged about 50
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Simon Oliver — aged about 48
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