Lionel Atwill
Biography
Lionel Alfred William Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England, on March 1, 1885. Before beginning his acting career, he studied architecture. He made his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre in London in 1904, became a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He also acted on the stage in Australia and lived and worked mainly in the United States from 1915 until his death. Atwill was most famous for his United States horror roles in the 1930s. His two most memorable parts were as the crazed, disfigured sculptor in Mystery of the Wax Museum in 1933 and as Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein in 1939. He died on April 22, 1946.
Career overview
Lionel Alfred William Atwill was an English and American stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England. Before beginning his acting career, he studied architecture. He made his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre in London in 1904. By 1918, he had become a star in Broadway theatre, and he subsequently made his screen debut in 1919. Over the course of his career, he also acted on the stage in Australia and lived and worked primarily in the United States from 1915 until his death.
Atwill became most famous for his United States horror roles during the 1930s. Among his most memorable parts were his role as the crazed, disfigured sculptor in Mystery of the Wax Museum, released by Warner Brothers in 1933, and his role as Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein in 1939. His performance as Inspector Krogh was later sent up by Kenneth Mars in Mel Brooks's 1974 film Young Frankenstein.
Throughout his career, Atwill established himself as a veteran of stage and screen. His known acting credits include dozens of film appearances. He passed away on April 22, 1946, at the age of sixty-one in Hollywood, California.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
81 titles- Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb (2007) as Dr. Xavier (archive footage)
- The Wolfman's Cure (1998) as Inspector Holtz
- In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes (1996)
- Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991) as Doctor Bohmer / Krogh (archive footage)
- The Horror of It All (1983) as Dr. Otto von Niemann (archive footage)
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- Doom of Dracula (1966) as Arntz, Police Officer (archive footage)
- Lost City of the Jungle (1946) as Sir Eric Hazarias
- Genius at Work (1946) as Latimer Marsh / The Cobra
- House of Dracula (1945) as Police Inspector Holtz
- Crime, Inc. (1945) as Pat Coyle
- Fog Island (1945) as Alec Ritchfield
- Captain America (1944) as Cyrus Maldor
- House of Frankenstein (1944) as Inspector Arnz
- Lady in the Death House (1944) as Charles Finch
- Raiders of Ghost City (1944) as Erich von Rugen, alias Alex Morel
- Secrets of Scotland Yard (1944) as Waterlow
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) as Mayor of Vasaria
- To Be or Not to Be (1942) as Rawitch
- The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) as Dr. Bohmer
- Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) as Professor Moriarty
- Junior G-Men of the Air (1942) as The Baron
- Pardon My Sarong (1942) as Varnoff
- The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942) as Dr. Fish
- Night Monster (1942) as Dr. King
- Dead End Kids Go To War (1942) as The Baron
- Cairo (1942) as Teutonic Gentleman
- The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) as Dr. Ralph Benson, posing as Graham
- Man-Made Monster (1941) as Dr. Paul Rigas
- Boom Town (1940) as Harry Compton
- The Great Profile (1940) as Dr. Bruce
- Johnny Apollo (1940) as Jim McLaughlin
- Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) as Cliveden Compton
- Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940) as Dr. Suderman
- Girl in 313 (1940) as Russell aka Henry Woodruff
- Son of Frankenstein (1939) as Inspector Krogh
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) as Dr. James Mortimer
- The Three Musketeers (1939) as De Rochefort
- Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) as Prof. Roger Chauncey Hildebrand
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939) as Paul Messenger
- Balalaika (1939) as Professor Marakov
- The Gorilla (1939) as Walter Stevens
- The Sun Never Sets (1939) as Hugo Zurof
- The Mad Empress (1939) as General Bazaine
- The Great Waltz (1938) as Count Anton 'Tony' Hohenfried
- Three Comrades (1938) as Breuer
- The Last Train from Madrid (1937) as Col. Vigo
- Lancer Spy (1937) as Col. Fenwick
- The Great Garrick (1937) as M. Beaumarchais
- The Road Back (1937) as Prosecutor
- The Wrong Road (1937) as Mike Roberts
- The High Command (1937) as Maj. Gen. Sir John Sangye
- Till We Meet Again (1936) as Ludwig
- Absolute Quiet (1936) as Gerald A. Axton
- Lady of Secrets (1936) as Mr. Stephen Whittaker
- Captain Blood (1935) as Colonel Bishop
- Mark of the Vampire (1935) as Inspector Neumann
- Rendezvous (1935) as Maj. William Brennan
- The Murder Man (1935) as Captain Cole
- The Devil Is a Woman (1935) as Capt. Don Pasqual 'Pasqualito' Costelar
- The Age of Innocence (1934) as Julius Beaufort
- One More River (1934) as Brough
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) as Henry Dumont
- Nana (1934) as Colonel André Muffat
- Stamboul Quest (1934) as Herr Von Sturm
- Beggars in Ermine (1934) as John 'Flint' Dawson aka John Daniels
- The Firebird (1934) as John Pointer
- Murders in the Zoo (1933) as Eric Gorman
- Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) as Ivan Igor
- The Vampire Bat (1933) as Dr. Otto von Niemann
- The Song of Songs (1933) as Baron von Merzbach
- Secret of the Blue Room (1933) as Robert von Helldorf
- The Solitaire Man (1933) as Inspector Wallace
- The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933) as Aubrey St. John
- The Sphinx (1933) as Jerome Breen
- Doctor X (1932) as Dr. Jerry Xavier
- The Silent Witness (1932) as Sir Austin Howard
- The Knife (1929) as The Surgeon
- The Highest Bidder (1921) as Lester
- The Marriage Price (1919) as Kenneth Gordon
- Eve's Daughter (1918) as Courtenay Urquhart
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Lionel Atwill best known for?
Lionel Atwill is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Tower of Babel (1998), Bananas in Pyjamas (1992), The Mrs Merton Show (1995), Bless This House (1971).
When and where was Lionel Atwill born?
Lionel Atwill was born on February 27, 1885 in Croydon, London, England, UK. They passed away on April 22, 1946.
How many credits does Lionel Atwill have?
Lionel Atwill has accumulated over 81 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1921 to 2007.
What is Lionel Atwill's background in cinema and television?
Lionel Alfred William Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England, on March 1, 1885. Before beginning his acting career, he studied architecture. He made his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre in London in 1904, became a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919...