1905-05-16 Grand Island, Nebraska, USA
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor who had a career that spanned five decades in Hollywood. Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in several films now considered to be classics, earning one Academy Award for Best Actor on two nominations. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor and made his Hollywood film debut in 1935. His film career began to gain momentum with roles such as Bette Davis's fiancee in her Academy Award-winning performance in Jezebel (1938), brother Frank in Jesse James (1939), and the future President in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), directed by John Ford. His early career peaked with his Academy Award-nominated performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, about an Oklahoma family who moved to California during the Dust Bowl 1930s. This film is widely considered to be among the greatest American films. In 1941 he starred opposite Barbara Stanwyck in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Eve. Book-ending his service in WWII were his starring roles in two highly regarded westerns: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and My Darling Clementine (1946), the latter directed by John Ford, and he also starred in Ford's western Fort Apache (1948). After a seven-year break from films, during which Fonda focused on stage productions, he returned with the WWII war-boat ensemble Mister Roberts (1955). In 1957 he starred as Juror No.8, the hold-out juror, in 12 Angry Men. Fonda, who was also co-producer, won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Actor. Later in his career, Fonda moved into darker roles, such as the villain in the epic Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), underrated and a box office disappointment at its time of release, but now regarded as one of the best westerns of all time. He also played in lighter-hearted fare such as Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, but also often played important military figures, such as a Colonel in Battle of the Bulge (1965), and Admiral Nimitz in Midway (1976). He finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 54th Academy Awards for his final film role in On Golden Pond (1981), which also starred Katharine Hepburn and his daughter Jane Fonda, but was too ill to attend the ceremony. He died from heart disease a few months later.
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Henry Fonda for President | Self (archive footage) | 2025-01-30 |
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Les Fonda : une dynastie de cinéma | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2023-08-13 |
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'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War | Self (archive footage) | 2020-01-28 |
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John Ford : l'homme qui inventa l'Amérique | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2019-02-03 |
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Spanish Western | Self (archive footage) | 2015-05-04 |
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John Ford & Monument Valley | Self (archive footage) | 2013-03-05 |
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Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | Self (archive footage) | 2013-08-04 |
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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men' | Self (archive footage) | 2008-03-04 |
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Jezebel: Legend of the South | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
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Sacco and Vanzetti | Prof. Tommy Turner (archive footage) | 2006-04-06 |
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Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man' | Self (archive footage) | 2004-09-07 |
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Something to Do with Death | Self (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
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The Wages of Sin | Self (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
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An Opera of Violence | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
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Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' | Self (archive footage) | 2000-10-31 |
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Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults | Self (Archival Footage) | 1999-07-20 |
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Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero | Self (archive footage) | 1997-03-18 |
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Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line | Self (archive footage) | 1997-05-12 |
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La Classe américaine | Hugues (archive footage) | 1993-12-31 |
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Fonda on Fonda | Self (archive footage) | 1992-01-13 |
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Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire | Self (archive footage) | 1991-07-15 |
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Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker | 1991-10-28 | |
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Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To | (archive footage) | 1990-06-04 |
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The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind | Self (archive footage) | 1988-10-01 |
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Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984-01-01 |
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Let Poland Be Poland | Self | 1982-01-31 |
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The Greatest Man in the World | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1981-06-09 |
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On Golden Pond | Norman Thayer Jr. | 1981-12-04 |
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Summer Solstice | Joshua | 1981-12-30 |
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The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-17 |
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The Sky Is Gray | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-01-01 |
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The Jilting of Granny Weatherall | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-03 |
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Paul's Case | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-02-11 |
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Rappaccini's Daughter | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-01-01 |
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Gideon's Trumpet | Clarence Earl Gideon | 1980-04-30 |
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The Oldest Living Graduate | Col. J.C. Kincaid | 1980-04-07 |
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The Golden Honeymoon | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-02-04 |
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Barn Burning | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-17 |
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The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's | Self (archive footage) | 1980-01-04 |
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The Man Who Loved Bears | Self | 1979-06-17 |
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Wanda Nevada | Old Prospector | 1979-06-01 |
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Meteor | The President | 1979-10-19 |
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City on Fire | Fire Chief Risley | 1979-07-11 |
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Il grande attacco | Generale Foster | 1978-02-07 |
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The Swarm | Dr. Walter Krim | 1978-07-14 |
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Fedora | President of the Academy | 1978-06-29 |
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Home to Stay | Grandpa George | 1978-05-02 |
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Inside 'the Swarm' | Self | 1978-01-01 |
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A Special Sesame Street Christmas | Self | 1978-12-08 |
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The Great Smokey Roadblock | Elegant John | 1978-06-21 |
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The Displaced Person | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-12 |
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The Blue Hotel | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-19 |
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Tentacoli | Mr. Whitehead | 1977-02-25 |
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Rollercoaster | Simon Davenport | 1977-06-10 |
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Underground Doctors | Self - Host | 1977-01-01 |
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Soldier's Home | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-26 |
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I'm a Fool | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-05 |
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Bernice Bobs Her Hair | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1976-10-06 |
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Midway | Adm. Chester W. Nimitz | 1976-06-18 |
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Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur | Gen. Douglas MacArthur | 1976-01-04 |
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Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda | Self | 1975-11-01 |
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Henry James' The Jolly Corner | Narrator | 1975-01-01 |
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The Music School | Narrator (voice) | 1974-01-01 |
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Mussolini - Ultimo atto | Kardinal Schuster | 1974-03-27 |
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Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1974-04-11 |
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Clarence Darrow | Clarence Darrow | 1974-09-04 |
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Parker Adderson, Philosopher | Narrator (Voice) | 1974-01-08 |
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The Alpha Caper | Mark Forbes | 1973-10-06 |
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The Red Pony | Carl Tiflin | 1973-03-18 |
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Le Serpent | Alan Davies | 1973-04-07 |
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Ash Wednesday | Mark Sawyer | 1973-11-01 |
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Il mio nome è Nessuno | Jack Beauregard | 1973-12-13 |
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Directed by John Ford | 1971-09-06 | |
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Sometimes a Great Notion | Henry Stamper | 1971-12-17 |
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The American West of John Ford | Self - Narrator | 1971-12-05 |
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There Was a Crooked Man... | Woodward W. Lopeman | 1970-09-18 |
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Too Late the Hero | Capt. John G Nolan | 1970-05-20 |
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The Cheyenne Social Club | Harley Sullivan | 1970-06-12 |
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An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer | John Steinbeck (voice) | 1969-01-01 |
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Stiletto | 1969-07-30 | |
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Firecreek | Bob Larkin | 1968-01-24 |
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Madigan | Commissioner Anthony X. Russell | 1968-03-29 |
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Yours, Mine and Ours | Frank Beardsley | 1968-04-24 |
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Pat Paulsen for President | Narrator (voice) | 1968-10-20 |
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A Space to Grow | Narrator | 1968-01-01 |
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C'era una volta il West | Frank | 1968-12-21 |
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The Boston Strangler | John S. Bottomly | 1968-10-08 |
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Welcome to Hard Times | Mayor Will Blue | 1967-04-30 |
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Stranger on the Run | Ben Chamberlain | 1967-10-31 |
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To Save a Soldier | Narrator (voice) | 1966-10-23 |
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The Really Big Family | Self - Narrator | 1966-01-01 |
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Born to Buck | Narrator | 1966-09-01 |
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A Big Hand for the Little Lady | Meredith | 1966-06-08 |
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In Harm's Way | CINCPAC II | 1965-04-06 |
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The Dirty Game | Dimitri Koulov | 1965-06-23 |
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Battle of the Bulge | Lt Col Kiley | 1965-12-16 |
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The Rounders | Marion 'Howdy' Lewis | 1965-01-08 |
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The Best Man | William Russell | 1964-04-05 |
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Fail Safe | The President | 1964-10-07 |
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Sex and the Single Girl | Frank Broderick | 1964-12-25 |
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Spencer's Mountain | Clay Spencer | 1963-05-16 |
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Hollywood: The Great Stars | Self - Host | 1963-02-20 |
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Advise & Consent | Robert Leffingwell | 1962-06-06 |
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Hollywood: The Fabulous Era | Narrator / Host | 1962-11-28 |
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President Kennedy's Birthday Salute | Self | 1962-05-19 |
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The Longest Day | Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. | 1962-09-25 |
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How the West Was Won | Jethro Stuart | 1962-11-02 |
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Hollywood: The Selznick Years | Self - Narrator | 1961-12-31 |
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The Fabulous Fifties | Narrator (segment "Fifties Dead Sequence") (voice) | 1960-01-22 |
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Warlock | Clay Blaisedell | 1959-05-15 |
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The Man Who Understood Women | Willie Bauche | 1959-10-02 |
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Stage Struck | Lewis Easton | 1958-04-22 |
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12 Angry Men | Juror 8 | 1957-04-10 |
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The Tin Star | Morgan Hickman | 1957-11-06 |
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War and Peace | Pierre Bezukhov | 1956-08-21 |
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The Wrong Man | Manny Balestrero | 1956-12-22 |
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The Petrified Forest | Alan Squier | 1955-05-30 |
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Mister Roberts | Lieutenant Roberts | 1955-07-10 |
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The Real Miss America | Narrator (voice) | 1952-02-02 |
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Pictura | Narrator: Grant Wood episode (voice) | 1951-06-01 |
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Benjy | Narrator (voice) | 1951-01-01 |
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Jigsaw | Nightclub Waiter (uncredited) | 1949-03-11 |
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On Our Merry Way | Lank Solsky | 1948-02-03 |
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Fort Apache | Lt. Col. Owen Thursday | 1948-05-21 |
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The Long Night | Joe Adams | 1947-05-28 |
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The Fugitive | A Fugitive | 1947-11-11 |
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Daisy Kenyon | Peter Lapham | 1947-12-25 |
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My Darling Clementine | Wyatt Earp | 1946-10-17 |
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Immortal Sergeant | Corporal Colin Spence | 1943-04-29 |
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The Ox-Bow Incident | Gil Carter | 1943-03-11 |
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The Big Street | Agustus 'Little Pinks' Pinkerton, II | 1942-08-13 |
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The Male Animal | Tommy Turner | 1942-03-12 |
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Rings on Her Fingers | John Wheeler | 1942-03-20 |
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Tales of Manhattan | George | 1942-08-05 |
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It's Everybody's War | Narrator | 1942-09-06 |
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The Magnificent Dope | Thadeus Winship 'Tad' Page | 1942-07-01 |
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The Battle of Midway | Narrator (voice) | 1942-09-14 |
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The Lady Eve | Charles Pike | 1941-02-25 |
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Wild Geese Calling | John Murdock | 1941-08-15 |
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You Belong to Me | Peter Kirk | 1941-10-22 |
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The Return of Frank James | Frank James | 1940-08-10 |
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Lillian Russell | Alexander Moore | 1940-05-24 |
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Chad Hanna | Chad Hanna | 1940-12-25 |
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The Grapes of Wrath | Tom Joad | 1940-03-15 |
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Drums Along the Mohawk | Gilbert Martin | 1939-11-10 |
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Let Us Live | "Brick" Tennant | 1939-03-29 |
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Young Mr. Lincoln | Abraham Lincoln | 1939-06-09 |
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Jesse James | Frank James | 1939-01-14 |
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The Story of Alexander Graham Bell | Thomas Watson | 1939-04-04 |
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Jezebel | Preston Dillard | 1938-03-26 |
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I Met My Love Again | Ives Towner | 1938-01-14 |
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Blockade | Marco | 1938-06-17 |
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Spawn of the North | Jim Kimmerlee | 1938-08-26 |
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Breakdowns of 1938 | Self (archive footage) | 1938-12-31 |
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The Mad Miss Manton | Peter Ames | 1938-10-21 |
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Slim | Slim Kincaid | 1937-06-24 |
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You Only Live Once | Eddie Taylor | 1937-01-23 |
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That Certain Woman | Jack V. Merrick, Jr. | 1937-08-30 |
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Wings of the Morning | Kerry Gilfallen | 1937-02-19 |
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The Moon's Our Home | Anthony Amberton / John Smith | 1936-04-10 |
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Spendthrift | Townsend Middleton | 1936-07-22 |
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The Trail of the Lonesome Pine | Dave Tolliver | 1936-03-13 |
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Way Down East | David Bartlett | 1935-10-25 |
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I Dream Too Much | Johnny Street | 1935-11-29 |
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The Farmer Takes a Wife | Dan Harrow | 1935-07-05 |
