WALTER PIDGEON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
 
Walter Pidgeon was born on September 23rd, 1897 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada with the birth name Walter Davis Pigeon.  He was raised in Canada attending local schools for his Elementery, junior and High School education.  Walter then went on to study law and drama at the University of New Brunswick.  He briefly took a break from his studies during World War I to serve his country and was injured spending 17 months in a military hospital.

Upon his discharge, Pidgeon relocated to Boston and worked as a bank runner and continued to pursue an education in the entertianment industry studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music.

After worknig in the banking industry for a while, he realized he realyl wanted to a career in entertianment and therefore, Pidgeon relocated to New York City and convinced E.E. Clive, an actor who owned his own stock company, that he was a telented actor who could also sing and dance.

Pidgeon was given the chance to work on the stage and after just a couple years of proving himself, he debuted on Broadway in 1925.  He was also cast in small bit parts on a variety of silent films in the early 1920's.  As talkies came about in the new era of film making, this was when Pidgeon was about to shine.  He had an amzing singing voice and was cast in a number of films including, "The Bride of the Regiment" (1930), "Sweet Kitty Bellairs" (1930), "Viennese Nights" (1930) and "Kiss Me Again" (1931). 

Just as he thought his career was heading in the right direction, musicals began to become less popular and due to his associatino as mostly an actor in musicals his popularity and demand began to decline.  Walter continued to work in the industry, but mostly in secondary film roles such as on, "The Girl of the Golden West" (1938) and "The Dark Command" (1940) alongside of the likes of John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Claire Trevor. 

Luckily in 1941 he was cast in a film that helped in crease in popularity again in Academy Award Winner, "How Green Was My Valley" which was follwed by a role in, "Mrs. Miniver" (1942) in which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.  His career was finally moving up with another Academy Award Oscar nomination in 1944 for his role in the film, "Madame Curie".

Alongside a continued successful film career, Pidgeon did return back to working on Broadway after taking a twenty year break from the stage.  Throughout the late 50's early 60's he worked on more films such as, "Forbidden Planet" (1956), "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1961), "Big Red" (1962) and "Funny Girl" (1968).

Pidgeon also made various gueat appearances on a variety of televisin shows such as, "Perry Mason", "Breaking Point", "The F.B.I." and "Marcus Welby M.D." to name a few.

Walter Pidgeon retired from the acting industry in 1978 and a couple years later on, September 25th, 1984 he passed away in Santa Monica, California from a stroke.  His body was donated to the UCLA Medical School for medical research.  

Pidgeon only married twice during his life time, and his first wife, Edna Pickes whom he married in 1919 passed away in 1921 while giving birth to his daughter.  His second marriage was to his secretary, Ruth Walker in 1931 whom he remanied with until he passed away and the couple had no children together. 

Pidgeon was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He was very active in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) during his career being president from 1952-1957.  
 
 
Filmography

1978   Sextette 
1976   Two-Minute Warning 
1976   Gibbsville
1976   Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood 
1976   Ellery Queen
1976   The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case
1975   Murder on Flight 502
1975   You Lie So Deep, My Love
1974   The Girl on the Late, Late Show
1974   Live Again, Die Again
1974   The Snoop Sisters
1974   Yellow-Headed Summer 
1973   Harry in Your Pocket 
1973   The Neptune Factor 
1972   Skyjacked 
1972   The Screaming Woman 
1971   Dan August
1971   Marcus Welby, M.D.
1970   Bracken's World 
1970   The Mask of Sheba
1970   House on Greenapple Road
1969   Medical Center 
1969   Rascal 
1968   Funny Girl 
1968   The Vatican Affair 
1968   The Danny Thomas Hour 
1967   Cosa Nostra, Arch Enemy of the FBI
1967   The F.B.I.
1967   Warning Shot
1967   How I Spent My Summer Vacation
1965   Cinderella
1965   Burke's Law
1964   Daniel Boone 
1964   Dr. Kildare
1963   Breaking Point 
1963   Perry Mason
1963   The Shortest Day 
1963   Anniversary 
1962   Two Colonels 
1962   Big Red 
1962   Advise & Consent 
1962   Rawhide 
1962   Checkmate
1961   Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 
1958-1959  Zane Grey Theater
1959   Meet Me in St. Louis
1958   Swiss Family Robinson  
1956   The Rack 
1956   These Wilder Years 
1956   Forbidden Planet 
1955   The Glass Slipper 
1955   Hit the Deck 
1954   Deep in My Heart  
1954   The Last Time I Saw Paris 
1954   Men of the Fighting Lady  
1954   Executive Suite 
1953   Dream Wife 
1953   Scandal at Scourie 
1952   The Bad and the Beautiful 
1952   Million Dollar Mermaid 
1952   The Sellout 
1951   The Unknown Man 
1951   Quo Vadis 
1951   Calling Bulldog Drummond 
1951   Soldiers Three 
1950   The Miniver Story  
1949   That Forsyte Woman 
1949   The Red Danube 
1948   Command Decision 
1948   Julia Misbehaves 
1947   If Winter Comes 
1946   The Secret Heart 
1946   Holiday in Mexico 
1945   Week-End at the Waldorf 
1944   Mrs. Parkington 
1943   Madame Curie 
1942   White Cargo 
1942   Mrs. Miniver 
1941   Design for Scandal 
1941   How Green Was My Valley 
1941   Blossoms in the Dust
1941   Man Hunt 
1940   Flight Command 
1940   Sky Murder 
1940   Phantom Raiders 
1940   Dark Command
1940   It's a Date
1940   The House Across the Bay 
1940   I Take This Woman 
1939   Nick Carter, Master Detective 
1939   Stronger Than Desire 
1939   6,000 Enemies 
1939   Society Lawyer 
1938   Listen, Darling
1938   Too Hot to Handle 
1938   The Shopworn Angel 
1938   The Girl of the Golden West 
1938   Man-Proof 
1937   A Girl with Ideas 
1937   My Dear Miss Aldrich 
1937   Saratoga 
1937   As Good as Married 
1937   Girl Overboard 
1937   She's Dangerous 
1936   Fatal Lady 
1936   Big Brown Eyes 
1934   Journal of a Crime 
1933   The Kiss Before the Mirror 
1932   Rockabye 
1931   The Hot Heiress 
1930   Going Wild 
1930   Viennese Nights 
1930   The Gorilla 
1930   Kiss Me Again 
1930   Sweet Kitty Bellairs 
1930   Bride of the Regiment
1929   A Most Immoral Lady 
1929   Her Private Life 
1929   The Voice Within
1928   Melody of Love 
1928   Clothes Make the Woman 
1928   Turn Back the Hours 
1928   Woman Wise 
1928   The Gateway of the Moon 
1927   The Gorilla 
1927   The Thirteenth Juror 
1927   Sumuru
1927   Heart of Salome 
1926   Marriage License? 
1926   Miss Nobody 
1926   Old Loves and New 
1926   The Outsider 
1926   Mannequin