Walter Pidgeon

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Actor Walter Pidgeon was born on September 23, 1897 in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Discontented with banking, Pidgeon moved to New York City, where he walked into the office of E. E. Clive, announced that he could act and sing, and said was ready to prove it. After acting on stage for several years, he made his Broadway debut in 1925. Pidgeon made a number of silent movies in the 1920s. However, he became a huge star with the arrival of talkies. He became associated with musicals; however, when the public grew weary of them, his career began to falter. Film credits include The Bride of the Regiment (1930), Kiss Me Again (1931), Saratoga (1937), and Dark Command (1940). It was not until he starred in How Green was my Valley (1941) that his popularity rebounded. He then starred opposite Greer Garson in Blossoms in the Dust, Mrs. Miniver (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for best actor). He was also nominated in 1944 for Madame Curie, again opposite Garson. His partnership with her continued in the 1950s, and concluding with Scandal at Scourie (1953). He died on September 25, 1984 from a stroke and in accordance with his wishes, his body was donated to the UCLA Medical School for medical research.