Claude Gillingwater

Tall balding character actor in US films from 1921 until the year he died usually portraying obstinate or irascible types A man so disagreeable on celluloid Claude Gillingwaters characters seemed to subsist on a steady diet of persimmons Fondly recalled as the cranky old skinflint whose seemingly cold heart could only be warmed by the actions of a cute little tyke the tall and rangy Gillingwater invariably played much older than he was He with the omnipresent bushy brows crop of silver hair and perpetually sour puss had a much more versatile career than perhaps realized on both stage and in film Most assuredly this caustic screen image he perfected belied a softer gentler offscreen demeanor for he was a kind and sympathetic gent and devoted husband to wife Carlyn Stiletz or Stellith Their only child Claude Gillingwater Jr briefly became an actor himself Sadly Gillingwater Srs thriving character career ended on a grim and tragic note in 1939 A serious accident on the movie set of the picture Florida Special 1936 he fell from a platform and injured his back damaged his health and threatened his career and the death of his longtime wife Carlyn left him irrevocably depressed Fearing the possibility of becoming an invalid and wishing not to become a serious burden to anyone the 69yearold actor committed suicide at his Beverly Hills home with a selfinflicted gunshot to the head Gillingwater left a fine Hollywood legacy and the fun of some of his old films is watching his vinegar turn to sugar Date of Birth 2 August 1870 Louisiana Missouri Date of Death 2 November 1939 Beverly Hills Los Angeles California  suicide