James Flavin

James Flavin Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: May 14, 1906

Death Date: April 23, 1976

Birth Place: Portland, Maine

Spouses: Lucile Browne

The Irish cop is a stereotypical character who appears in numerous films in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. James Flavin is one of the reasons this character became ingrained in the public's consciousness. Flavin appeared in more than 400 films in a career that stretched over half a century, frequently playing policemen or other authority figures, often in uncredited roles.

In reality only a quarter Irish, Flavin was a former West Point student who fell into acting in 1929 while living in Portland, Maine. Flavin tried to break into the New York Theater but had more success when he ventured west to work in the film industry. He landed the lead in the now-lost '32 serial "The Airmail Mystery," but it was to be his only leading role.

Instead, Flavin was ubiquitous in tiny roles, including small parts in the '33 version of "King Kong" (playing a ship's mate) and John Ford's classic "The Grapes of Wrath" (playing a guard). Television was also kind to Flavin; he made over 100 appearances between the mid-'50s and the mid-'70s.

His final role was one of his more prestigious: playing President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the '76 TV docudrama "Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident." Flavin died in '76, a few weeks before his wife Lucille Brown, who had been his leading lady in his first film, 54 years earlier.

Credits

Law and Order

Actor
Capt. Toomey
Movie
1976

Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident

Actor
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Movie
1976

The Brady BunchStream

Guest Star
Series
1969
78%

Good Times

Actor
Detective Lieutenant
Movie
1967

In Cold BloodStream

Actor
Clarence Duntz
Movie
1967
81%

The Addams FamilyStream

Guest Star
Lt. Poston
Series
1964
100%

Mr. Novak

Guest Star
Show
1963

Vacation Playhouse

Actor
Fire Chief
Show
1963

The Lucy ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
1962

Alfred Hitchcock HourStream

Actor
Series
1962

HazelStream

Guest Star
Series
1961

Surfside 6

Guest Star
Series
1960

The Untouchables

Guest Star
Series
1959

The Twilight ZoneStream

Actor
1962 Policeman
Series
1959
92%

Man With a CameraStream

Actor
Lt. Donovan
Series
1958

Mike Hammer

Guest Star
Show
1958

Timmy & Lassie

Guest Star
Show
1957

Alcoa Theatre

Actor
Gavin Marshall
Show
1957

Night Passage

Actor
Tim Riley
Movie
1957
50%

Wild Is the Wind

Actor
Wool Buyer
Series
1957

Francis in the Haunted House

Actor
Police Chief Martin
Movie
1956

Alfred Hitchcock PresentsStream

Actor
Dan
Series
1955

Apache Ambush

Actor
Col. Marshall
Movie
1955

Climax!

Actor
Series
1954

Lassie

Guest Star
Mark Ryan
Series
1954

I Beheld His Glory

Actor
Longinus
Movie
1953

Death Valley DaysStream

Guest Star
Perry
Series
1952

Dangerous Assignment

Guest Star
Show
1952

Carrie

Actor
Mike (uncredited)
Movie
1952

Million Dollar MermaidStream

Actor
Train conductor
Movie
1952
86%

The Red Skelton ShowStream

Guest Star
Variety Show
1951

Retreat and Decision

Actor
Longinus
Movie
1951

Fighting Coast Guard

Actor
Cmdr. Rogers
Movie
1951

Oh! Susanna

Actor
Captain Worth
Movie
1951

According to Mrs. Hoyle

Actor
Prosecuting Attorney
Movie
1951

Follow the Sun

Actor
Henry Gibbs
Movie
1951

Armored Car Robbery

Actor
Lt. Phillips
Movie
1950

Destination: Murder

Actor
Police Lt. Brewster
Movie
1950

The Lone RangerStream

Guest Star
Sam Kirk
Series
1949

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff

Actor
Insp. Wellman
Movie
1949

Mighty Joe YoungStream

Actor
Schultz
Movie
1949
91%

Prison Warden

Actor
Guard Capt. Peter Butler
Movie
1949

Mississippi Rhythm

Actor
Stan Caldwell
Movie
1949

The Velvet Touch

Actor
Sergeant Oliphant
Movie
1948

One Touch of VenusStream

Actor
Det. Kerrigan
Movie
1948

The Fabulous Dorseys

Actor
Gorman
Movie
1947

Desert Fury

Actor
Sheriff Pat Johnson
Movie
1947

Nora Prentiss

Actor
District Attorney
Movie
1947

Angel on My Shoulder

Actor
Bellamy
Movie
1946

A Stolen LifeStream

Actor
Investigator
Movie
1946

Easy to Wed

Actor
Joe
Movie
1946

Step by Step

Actor
Woods
Movie
1946

Cloak and Dagger

Actor
Col. Walsh
Movie
1946

The Missing Lady

Actor
Police Insp. Cardona
Movie
1946

The Big SleepStream

Actor
Capt. Cronjager
Movie
1946
97%

Anchors AweighStream

Actor
Radio Cop
Movie
1945
53%

Don Juan Quilligan

Actor
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Movie
1945

LauraStream

Actor
Det. McEveety
Movie
1944
100%

Uncertain Glory

Actor
Captain of Mobile Guard
Movie
1944

So Proudly We Hail

Actor
Capt. O'Brien
Movie
1943
100%

Murder on the Waterfront

Actor
Cmdr. George Kalin
Movie
1943

Fingers at the Window

Actor
Police Lieutenant Schaeffer
Movie
1942

Mr. and Mrs. North

Actor
Police Captain (uncredited)
Movie
1942

Gentleman JimStream

Actor
George Corbett
Movie
1942

Life Begins at 8:30

Actor
Policeman
Movie
1942

Texas

Actor
Abilene Fight Announcer
Movie
1941

Affectionately Yours

Actor
Tomassetti
Movie
1941

Kathleen

Actor
Moving Man
Movie
1941

The Cisco Kid and the Lady

Actor
Sergeant
Movie
1940

Remember the NightStream

Actor
Court Attendant (uncredited)
Movie
1940
100%

Give Us Wings

Actor
Mr. White
Movie
1940

The Great Profile

Actor
Detective
Movie
1940

Gospel Films Archive

Actor
Show
1939

Irish Luck

Actor
Hotel Detective Fluger
Movie
1939

They Shall Have Music

Actor
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Movie
1939

Mr. Wong in Chinatown

Actor
Police Sgt. Jerry
Movie
1939

The Wrong Way Out

Actor
Detective
Movie
1938

Charlie Chan in Honolulu

Actor
Homicide Division Desk Sergeant
Movie
1938

Thanks for Everything

Actor
Policeman
Movie
1938

Girls Can Play

Actor
Bill O'Malley
Movie
1937

Charlie Chan on Broadway

Actor
Detective (uncredited)
Movie
1937

Live, Love and Learn

Actor
Marine Who Likes Painting
Movie
1937

I Promise to Pay

Actor
Movie
1937

Secrets of Chinatown

Actor
Brandhma
Movie
1935

Shipmates Forever

Actor
Instructing Officer
Movie
1935

Baby, Take a Bow

Actor
Flannigan
Movie
1934

Brand of Hate

Actor
Holt Larkins
Movie
1934

King KongStream

Actor
Second Mate Briggs
Movie
1933
97%

Riot Squad

Actor
Det. Mack McCue
Movie
1933

McKenna of the Mounted

Actor
Corp. Randall McKenna
Movie
1932

The All-American

Actor
Don Lindsay
Movie
1932