Harry Woods
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- May 4, 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Died
- December 28, 1968
- Active Years
- 1923–1958 (36 Years)
- Total Credits
- 182 credits in database
Biography
Subject: Harry Woods (actor).
Goal: Write a 90-130 word factual identity profile.
Constraints: Use ONLY provided facts. No inventions. No markdown/asterisks/headings/bullets. Plain text only. Neutral, encyclopedic prose.
Word Count Target: 90-130 words.
Name: Harry Woods (born Harry Lewis Woods).
Birth Date: May 5, 1889 (TMDB Bio/Source 4) or May 4, 1889 (TMDB Source 1). Decision: Use the specific date from the bio provided in the prompt/Source 4 as it is more detailed, or note the discrepancy? Actually, the prompt says "Use ONLY facts present above". Source 4 says May 5. Source 1 says May 4. I will stick to the bio text provided in the prompt/Source 4 for consistency.
Birth Place: Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Death Date: December 28, 1968.
Death Place: Los Angeles, California.
Occupation: Actor.
Pre-acting job: Millinery salesman (selling ladies' hats).
Known for: Monkey Business (1931), Road to Rio (1947), Days of Jesse James (1939).
Specific role: Alky Briggs in Monkey Business (1931).
Film/TV stats: Nearly 250 films between 1923 and 1961, also appeared on television. Known credits: 182 (TMDB).
Spouse: Helen P.
Characterization: Described as one of Hollywood's meanest villains due to his size, scowl, voice, and demeanor.
Harry Woods, born Harry Lewis Woods on May 5, 1889, in Cleveland, Ohio, was an actor known for his roles in Monkey Business (1931), Road to Rio (1947), and Days of Jesse James (1939). Before his acting career, he worked as a millinery salesman selling ladies' hats. Woods
Career overview
Harry Lewis Woods was born on May 5, 1889, in Cleveland, Ohio, though another source lists his birth date as May 4, 1889. Before becoming an actor, he earned a living selling ladies' hats, working as a millinery salesman. Known professionally by his birth name or alternatively as Harry Lewis Wood, he established himself as a prominent screen presence. Recognized as one of Hollywood's all-time meanest villains, Woods utilized his imposing size, perpetual scowl, snarling voice, and all-around evil demeanor to portray screen antagonists across a prolific career.
He appeared in nearly 250 films between 1923 and 1961, as well as working on television. Among his numerous acting credits, Woods is particularly well-known for his role as the gangster Alky Briggs in the Marx Brothers film Monkey Business released in 1931. Other notable films associated with his career include Days of Jesse James in 1939 and Road to Rio in 1947.
Woods was married to Helen P. His career spanned decades of film and television work until his death on December 28, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 79.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
182 titles- The Sheepman (1958) as Rancher (uncredited)
- New Orleans After Dark (1958) as Carl
- Savage Fury (1956) as Borno the Banished
- Hell's Outpost (1954) as Deputy Lud (uncredited)
- Rancho Notorious (1952) as Marshal McDonald (uncredited)
- Lone Star (1952)
- The Living Bible (1952) as King Herod
- Law of the Badlands (1951) as Burt Conroy
- Backfire (1950) as Dick Manning - Man from Detroit (uncredited)
- Short Grass (1950) as Sam Dreen
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) as Karl Rynders (uncredited)
- The Fountainhead (1949) as Quarry Superintendent (uncredited)
- Colorado Territory (1949) as Pluthner
- South of St. Louis (1949)
- Hellfire (1949) as Lew Stoner
- Masked Raiders (1949) as Marshal Barlow
- Silver River (1948) as Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)
- The Gallant Legion (1948) as Lang
- Western Heritage (1948) as Arnold posing as Powell
- A Southern Yankee (1948) as Dentist (uncredited)
- Indian Agent (1948) as Carter
- Code of the West (1947) as Nate Hatfield
- Tycoon (1947) as Holden
- Road to Rio (1947) as Ship's Purser
- Trail Street (1947) as Larkin
- Wild Horse Mesa (1947) as Jay Olmstead
- Thunder Mountain (1947) as Trimble Carson
- Wyoming (1947) as Ben Jackson
- My Darling Clementine (1946) as Luke (uncredited)
- Sunset Pass (1946) as Cinnabar
- South of Monterey (1946) as Bennet
- West of the Pecos (1945) as Brad Sawtelle
- Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945) as Guerd Eliott
- Flame of the West (1945) as Wisdon (as Harry Lewis Woods)
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944) as Mongol Guard (uncredited)
- Tall in the Saddle (1944) as George Clews
- Call of the Rockies (1944) as J. B. Murdock
- Nevada (1944) as Joe Powell
- Westward Bound (1944) as Roger Caldwell
- Gun to Gun (1944) as Land Commissioner Harkness
- Marshal of Gunsmoke (1944) as Lon Curtiss
- Silver City Kid (1944) as Judge Ballard
- Beyond the Last Frontier (1943) as Big Bill Hadley
- Outlaws of Stampede Pass (1943) as Ben Crowley
- Cheyenne Roundup (1943) as Blackie Dawson
- Bordertown Gun Fighters (1943) as Dave Strickland
- The Ghost Rider (1943) as Lash Edwards
- Reap the Wild Wind (1942) as Mace
- Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) as Kurt (uncredited)
- The Spoilers (1942) as Disgruntled Miner (uncredited)
- Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942) as Bixby
- Romance on the Range (1942) as Cabin Henchman Steve
- Deep in the Heart of Texas (1942) as Sergeant Idaho
- Dawn on the Great Divide (1942) as Jim Corkle
- Riders of the West (1942) as Duke Mason
- Jackass Mail (1942) as Ranch Owner to Hang Baggot
- West of the Law (1942) as Jim Rand
- Down Texas Way (1942) as Bert Logan
- Today I Hang (1942) as Henry Courtney
- Last of the Duanes (1941) as Sheriff Red Morgan
- The Lady from Cheyenne (1941) as Assessor Mitch Harrigan
- Sheriff of Tombstone (1941) as Shotgun Cassidy
- The Long Voyage Home (1940) as Amindra First Mate
- The House of the Seven Gables (1940) as Mr. Wainwright
- Dark Command (1940) as Man in Fight with Seton
- The Ranger and the Lady (1940) as Kincaid
- Winners of the West (1940) as King Carter
- South of Pago Pago (1940) as Black Mike Rafferty
- Boss of Bullion City (1940) as Sheriff Jeff Salters
- West of Carson City (1940) as Mack Gorman
- Triple Justice (1940) as Al Reeves
- Isle Of Destiny (1940) as Capt. Lawson
- Bullet Code (1940) as Cass Barton
- Meet the Missus (1940) as Elmer Shillingford
- The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) as First Officer
- Union Pacific (1939) as Al Brett
- Beau Geste (1939) as Renoir
- Mr. Moto in Danger Island (1939) as Grant
- Days of Jesse James (1939) as Captain Worthington
- Frontier Marshal (1939) as Curly Bill's Henchman
- In Old Caliente (1939) as Curly Calkins
- Blue Montana Skies (1939) as Jim Hendricks
- Joy of Living (1938) as Cop (Uncredited)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Meade (1938) as Harper
- Crime Takes a Holiday (1938) as Stoddard
- The Spy Ring (1938) as Capt. Holden
- Men with Wings (1938) as Baker
- Panamint's Bad Man (1938) as Craven
- Stagecoach Days (1938) as Moose Ringo
- Hawaiian Buckaroo (1938) as J. P. M'Tigue
- Come On, Rangers (1938) as Morgan Burke
- Rolling Caravans (1938) as Thad Dalton
- In Early Arizona (1938) as Bull
- The Last Train from Madrid (1937) as Government Man (uncredited)
- Wells Fargo (1937) as Timekeeper
- Land Beyond the Law (1937) as Tascosa
- Courage of the West (1937) as Al Wilkins, aka Jed Newman
- The Singing Marine (1937) as First Marine Sergeant
- Outcast (1937) as Grant, the Head Lyncher
- Range Defenders (1937) as John Harve
- Border Cafe (1937) as Bert (uncredited)
- Reckless Ranger (1937) as Barlowe
- The Plainsman (1936) as Quartermaster Sergeant
- Rose of the Rancho (1936) as Bull Bangle
- Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) as Pete
- Heroes of the Range (1936) as Bull Lamton
- The Lawless Nineties (1936) as Charles K. Plummer
- Human Cargo (1936) as Ira Conklin
- Silly Billies (1936) as Hank Bewley
- Ticket to Paradise (1936) as John Dawson
- Conflict (1936) as 'Ruffhouse' Kelly
- The Unknown Ranger (1936) as Vance Rand
- The Phantom Rider (1936) as Harvey Delaney
- Call of the Wild (1935) as Soapy Smith (uncredited)
- The Call of the Savage (1935) as Borno
- Let 'em Have It (1935) as Big Bill
- The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935) as Crawford
- When a Man's a Man (1935) as Nick Gambert
- Rustlers of Red Dog (1935) as Rocky
- Ship Cafe (1935) as Donovan (uncredited)
- Stormy (1935) as Mack - Red Wing's Owner (uncredited)
- Gallant Defender (1935) as Barr Munro
- Heir to Trouble (1935) as 'Honest' John Motley
- Lawless Riders (1935) as Big Bart Grimwald
- The Scarlet Empress (1934)
- Belle of the Nineties (1934) as Slade
- Journal of a Crime (1934) as Detective with Inspector (uncredited)
- The St. Louis Kid (1934) as Louie Munn
- I Believed in You (1934) as State Trooper
- School for Girls (1934) as Detective
- The President Vanishes (1934) as Kramer
- Caravan (1934) as Romeo (Uncredited)
- The Circus Clown (1934) as Ajax
- Devil Tiger (1934) as Ramsey Doyle
- Ten Baby Fingers (1934)
- Hoopla (1933) as Side Show Troublemaker
- Shadows of Sing Sing (1933) as Al Rossi
- The World Changes (1933) as Sam (uncredited)
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Night World (1932) as Gang Leader (uncredited)
- Law and Order (1932) as Walt Northrup
- Haunted Gold (1932) as Joe Ryan
- Hot Spot (1932) as Husband
- Radio Patrol (1932) as Kloskey
- Texas Gun Fighter (1932) as Kells
- Monkey Business (1931) as Alky Briggs
- Palmy Days (1931) as Yolando's Henchman
- The Range Feud (1931) as Vandall
- The Texas Ranger (1931) as Matt Taylor
- West of Cheyenne (1931) as Kurt Raymer, aka The Laramie Kid
- In Old Cheyenne (1931) as Clyde Winslow
- Men Without Law (1930) as Murdock
- The Lone Rider (1930) as Ed Farrell
- Pardon My Gun (1930) as Cooper
- China Bound (1929) as Officer
- Gun Law (1929) as Bull Driscoll
- Faro Nell or, In Old Californy (1929)
- The Desert Rider (1929) as Williams
- 'Neath Western Skies (1929) as Jim Canfield
- The Viking (1928) as Egil (as Harry Lewis Woods)
- When the Law Rides (1928) as The Raven
- Red Riders of Canada (1928) as Monsieur Le Busard
- Tyrant of Red Gulch (1928) as Ivan Petrovitch
- The Sunset Legion (1928) as Honest John
- Hello Lafayette (1927)
- Cyclone of the Range (1927) as The Black Rider / Don Alvarado
- Splitting the Breeze (1927) as Dave Matlock
- Silver Comes Through (1927) as Stanton
- Jesse James (1927) as Bob Ford
- Tom's Gang (1927) as Bart Haywood
- A Trip to Chinatown (1926) as Norman Blood
- A Man Four-Square (1926) as Ben Taylor
- 30 Below Zero (1926) as Cavender
- A Regular Scout (1926) as Scar Stevens
- The Bandit's Baby (1925) as Matt Hartigan
- Wolves of the North (1924) as Bob Hunter
- Ten Scars Make a Man (1924) as Buck Simpson
- A Cafe in Cairo (1924) as Kali
- Dynamite Dan (1924) as Brute Lacy
- The Fast Express (1924) as Tom Boyd
- Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande (1923) as A Knight
- Star of Bethlehem (1912) as Pharisee Scribe
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Harry Woods best known for?
Harry Woods is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Sheepman (1958), Rancho Notorious (1952), Lone Star (1952), Backfire (1950).
When and where was Harry Woods born?
Harry Woods was born on May 4, 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. They passed away on December 28, 1968.
How many credits does Harry Woods have?
Harry Woods has accumulated over 182 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1923 to 1958.
What is Harry Woods's background in cinema and television?
Subject: Harry Woods (actor). Goal: Write a 90-130 word factual identity profile. Constraints: Use ONLY provided facts. No inventions. No markdown/asterisks/headings/bullets. Plain text only. Neutral, encyclopedic prose. Word Count Target: 90-130 words. Name: Harry Woods (born Harry Lewis Woods). Birth Date: May 5, 188...
Harry Woods by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Code of the West (1947) as Nate Hatfield — aged about 58
- My Darling Clementine (1946) as Luke (uncredited) — aged about 57
- Palmy Days (1931) as Yolando's Henchman — aged about 42
- Colorado Territory (1949) as Pluthner — aged about 60
- The Sheepman (1958) as Rancher (uncredited) — aged about 69
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) as Karl Rynders (uncredited) — aged about 60
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