Actor. The older brother of star Wallace Beery, he was called "The King of The Bad Guys" for his memorable portrayals of ruthless, lecherous villains. His best work was done during the silent era, in such films as "The Mark of Zorro" (1920), "The Sea Wolf" (1920), "The Spoilers" (1923), "Lord Jim" (1925), and especially "Beau Geste" (1926), as the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune. Talkies brought a new dimension to his nastiness as his thunderous bass voice was perfect for barking threats and intimidating toadies, but his acting style was on the florid side and he was employed mainly to enliven B westerns. Among Beery's 200 other credits are "The Squaw Man" (1918), "Flesh and Blood" (1922), "Main Street" (1923), "The Fighting Coward" (1924), "The Thundering Herd" (1925), "The Rough Riders" (1927), "The Dove" (1928), "The Four Feathers" (1929), "She Done Him Wrong" (1933), "David Harum" (1934), the serials "Zorro Rides Again" (1937) and "The Adventures of Red Ryder" (1940), and "Tennessee Johnson" (1942). A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Beery left home at 16 and performed on Broadway and in stock before entering films in 1916. He added "Sr." to his name not long after his son, Noah Beery, Jr., made his acting debut in 1920. He died of a heart attack at 64, at a party celebrating his brother's birthday. In a strange coincidence, Wallace Beery would die at the same age and from the same cause, three years (almost to the day) later.
Actor. The older brother of star Wallace Beery, he was called "The King of The Bad Guys" for his memorable portrayals of ruthless, lecherous villains. His best work was done during the silent era, in such films as "The Mark of Zorro" (1920), "The Sea Wolf" (1920), "The Spoilers" (1923), "Lord Jim" (1925), and especially "Beau Geste" (1926), as the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune. Talkies brought a new dimension to his nastiness as his thunderous bass voice was perfect for barking threats and intimidating toadies, but his acting style was on the florid side and he was employed mainly to enliven B westerns. Among Beery's 200 other credits are "The Squaw Man" (1918), "Flesh and Blood" (1922), "Main Street" (1923), "The Fighting Coward" (1924), "The Thundering Herd" (1925), "The Rough Riders" (1927), "The Dove" (1928), "The Four Feathers" (1929), "She Done Him Wrong" (1933), "David Harum" (1934), the serials "Zorro Rides Again" (1937) and "The Adventures of Red Ryder" (1940), and "Tennessee Johnson" (1942). A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Beery left home at 16 and performed on Broadway and in stock before entering films in 1916. He added "Sr." to his name not long after his son, Noah Beery, Jr., made his acting debut in 1920. He died of a heart attack at 64, at a party celebrating his brother's birthday. In a strange coincidence, Wallace Beery would die at the same age and from the same cause, three years (almost to the day) later.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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