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J.M. Kerrigan

J.M. Kerrigan

Acting

Born: December 16, 1884Dublin, Ireland

Joseph Michael Kerrigan (16 December 1884 – 29 April 1964), better known as J.M. Kerrigan, was an Irish character actor. Kerrigan was born in Dublin, Ireland. He worked as a newspaper reporter until 1907 when he joined the famous Abbey Players. There he became a stalwart, appearing in plays by Lady Gregory, William Butler Yeats and John Millington Synge (for whom he played the role of Shawn Keogh in The Playboy of the Western World. His first screen appearance was in the silent film Food of Love in 1916. By the 1920s he was appearing on Broadway, often in plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Sheridan. He settled permanently in Hollywood in 1935, having been recruited along with several other Abbey performers, to appear in John Ford's The Informer. In that film and in Ford's The Long Voyage Home, he plays similar roles, that of a leech who attaches himself to men until they run out of money. Perhaps his best known role was in The General Died at Dawn, where he plays a character actually named Leach, in which he steals scenes from Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll and William Frawley. In it he plays a sinister little petty thief who, holding a gun on Cooper, says, "I may be fat, but I'm agile." He had little screen time in films which he starred as minor roles, such as the "First Drayman" in Merely Mary Ann (1931) with Janet Gaynor. One of his most recognizable minor roles was in Gone with the Wind (1939), in which he played John Gallegher, the seemly jovial mill owner who whips his convict labour in to "co-operation". He appeared in Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), the famous film version of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in a minor role at the beginning of the film. In 1946, he tried breaking into Broadway shows, playing the discombobulated leprechaun Jackeen J. O'Malley in the show "Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley", based on the Crockett Johnson comic strip. J. M. Kerrigan died in Hollywood on 29 April 1964, aged 79. Kerrigan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6621 Hollywood Blvd.

Known For
Filmography
The Fastest Gun Alive

The Fastest Gun Alive

Kevin McGovern

1956
It's a Dog's Life

It's a Dog's Life

Paddy Corbin

1955
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Billy

1954
The Silver Whip

The Silver Whip

Riley

1953
My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel

Reverend Pascoe

1952
Park Row

Park Row

Dan O'Rourke

1952
The Wild North

The Wild North

Callahan

1952
Two of a Kind

Two of a Kind

1951
Sealed Cargo

Sealed Cargo

Skipper Ben

1951
Mrs. Mike

Mrs. Mike

Uncle John

1949
The Fighting O'Flynn

The Fighting O'Flynn

Timothy

1949
The Luck of the Irish

The Luck of the Irish

Tatie the Innkeeper

1948
Call Northside 777

Call Northside 777

Sullivan - Court Bailiff (uncredited)

1948
Abie's Irish Rose

Abie's Irish Rose

Patrick Murphy

1946
Black Beauty

Black Beauty

John

1946
She Went to the Races

She Went to the Races

Jeff Habbard

1945
The Spanish Main

The Spanish Main

Pillery Gow

1945
The Crime Doctor's Warning

The Crime Doctor's Warning

Robert MacPherson (uncredited)

1945
The Great John L.

The Great John L.

Father O'Malley

1945
Tarzan and the Amazons

Tarzan and the Amazons

Splivens

1945
The Big Bonanza

The Big Bonanza

'Judge' Jasper Kincaid

1944
Wilson

Wilson

Edward Sullivan

1944
The Fighting Seabees

The Fighting Seabees

Sawyer Collins

1944
Mr. Lucky

Mr. Lucky

Mr. McDougal (uncredited)

1943
Action in the North Atlantic

Action in the North Atlantic

Caviar Jinks (uncredited)

1943
Captains of the Clouds

Captains of the Clouds

Foster

1942
The Vanishing Virginian

The Vanishing Virginian

John Phelps

1942
The Wolf Man

The Wolf Man

Charles Conliffe

1941
Appointment for Love

Appointment for Love

Timothy

1941
The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home

Crimp

1940
No Time for Comedy

No Time for Comedy

Jim

1940
The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk

Eli Matson

1940
One Crowded Night

One Crowded Night

Brother 'Doc' Joseph

1940
Untamed

Untamed

Mr. Angus McGavity

1940
Curtain Call

Curtain Call

Mr. Middleton

1940
Young Tom Edison

Young Tom Edison

Mr. McCarney

1940
Congo Maisie

Congo Maisie

Captain Finch

1940
Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind

Johnny Gallagher

1939
Two Thoroughbreds

Two Thoroughbreds

Jack Lenihan

1939
Sabotage

Sabotage

Mel

1939
The Witness Vanishes

The Witness Vanishes

Flinters

1939
Two Bright Boys

Two Bright Boys

Mike Casey

1939
6,000 Enemies

6,000 Enemies

Dan Barrett

1939
The Zero Hour

The Zero Hour

Timothy

1939
Union Pacific

Union Pacific

Monahan

1939
Sorority House

Sorority House

Lew Fisher

1939
Undercover Agent

Undercover Agent

Tom 'Pop' Madison

1939
The Kid From Texas

The Kid From Texas

Farr

1939
The Flying Irishman

The Flying Irishman

Mr. Clyde Corrigan Sr.

1939
The Great Man Votes

The Great Man Votes

Hot Shot Gillings

1939
Ride a Crooked Mile

Ride a Crooked Mile

Sgt. Flynn

1938

Little Orphan Annie

Tom Jennings

1938
Spring Madness

Spring Madness

Mr. Maloney (uncredited)

1938
Vacation from Love

Vacation from Love

Danny Dolan, Hansom Cabbie

1938
London by Night

London by Night

Tims

1937
Motor Madness

Motor Madness

Henry John 'Cap' McNeil

1937
The Plough and the Stars

The Plough and the Stars

Uncle Peter

1936
Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's of London

Brook Watson

1936
The General Died at Dawn

The General Died at Dawn

Leach

1936
Let's Make a Million

Let's Make a Million

Sam Smith

1936
Spendthrift

Spendthrift

Pop O'Connell

1936
Special Investigator

Special Investigator

Judge Plumgate

1936
Colleen

Colleen

Pop Reilly

1936
Laughing Irish Eyes

Laughing Irish Eyes

Tim

1936
The Prisoner of Shark Island

The Prisoner of Shark Island

Judge Maiben

1936
Timothy's Quest

Timothy's Quest

Dr. Cudd

1936
A Feather in Her Hat

A Feather in Her Hat

Pobjoy

1935
Barbary Coast

Barbary Coast

Judge Harper

1935
Hot Tip

Hot Tip

Matt

1935
Werewolf of London

Werewolf of London

Hawkins

1935
The Informer

The Informer

Terry

1935
Vanessa: Her Love Story

Vanessa: Her Love Story

Perkins (uncredited)

1935
The Mystery of Edwin Drood

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Chief Verger Tope

1935
The Fountain

The Fountain

Shordley

1934
The Key

The Key

O'Duffy

1934
A Modern Hero

A Modern Hero

Mr. Ryan

1934
The Lost Patrol

The Lost Patrol

Quincannon

1934
Lone Cowboy

Lone Cowboy

Mr. Curran

1933
Paddy the Next Best Thing

Paddy the Next Best Thing

Collins

1933
A Study in Scarlet

A Study in Scarlet

Jabez Wilson

1933
Air Hostess

Air Hostess

Pop Kearny

1933
Rockabye

Rockabye

Fagin

1932
Vanity Street

Vanity Street

Dan - Irish Cop (uncredited)

1932
Careless Lady

Careless Lady

Trowbridge

1932
The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail

Paddy Harrigan

1932
Merely Mary Ann

Merely Mary Ann

First Drayman

1931
The Black Camel

The Black Camel

Thomas MacMasters

1931
Don't Bet on Women

Don't Bet on Women

Chipley Duff

1931
Under Suspicion

Under Suspicion

Doyle

1930
Lightnin'

Lightnin'

Judge Lemuel Townsend

1930
New Movietone Follies of 1930

New Movietone Follies of 1930

Gateman in Show

1930
Song o' My Heart

Song o' My Heart

Peter

1930

Lucky In Love

Connors

1929
Little Old New York

Little Old New York

John O'Day

1923