Biography for
Grady Sutton (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

5 April 1906, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Date of Death

17 September 1995, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

Grady Harwell Sutton

Height

6' 2" (1.88 m)

Mini Biography

Grady Sutton was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He arrived in California in 1924. He got his first break in Hollywood from director William A. Seiter who used him as an extra in The Mad Whirl (1925) starring May McAvoy. Grady remained a Hollywood staple for the next 55 years.

He specialized in playing naive, slightly befuddled young men and country bumpkins, adding comedic bits to many films. His most famous association came from appearing in four movies with W.C. Fields: The Pharmacist (1933), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939) and The Bank Dick (1940). He can also be seen in such classics as My Man Godfrey (1936), Stage Door (1937), Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939), Anchors Aweigh (1945), White Christmas (1954) and A Star Is Born (1954). He was also a regular on "The Egg and I" (1951) and "The Phyllis Diller Show" (1966) television series.

In total, he appeared in over 200 feature films and short subjects spanning 1924 to 1979. His final film appearance was in Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). In 1994 he moved to the Motion Picture and Television Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California where he died September 17, 1995, of natural causes.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gregory Riley

Trivia

See him as the would-be bridegroom to Carole Lombard in La Cava's My Man Godfrey (1936).

The never-married character actor was known for his rather unflattering blank-looking country bumpkin portrayals and, though unbilled in many of his movies, usually enjoyed a side-splitting one-liner or two.

Did a slew of commercials over the years for such products as Chevrolet, Ford and Mean Mary Jean.

Signed for a series of Hal Roach two-reelers called the "Boy Friends" which also co-starred Mickey Daniels from the original "Our Gang" shorts.

During World War II he was refused by the Army because of a bad stomach so he worked at Lockheed in order to support his country's war effort.

Came to Hollywood during a summer vacation with his roommate, the younger brother of director William A. Seiter. Grady was invited onto the set of one of Seiter's films and by chance given a job as an extra. He stayed in town for over six decades.

Personal Quotes

When a fan approached the reclusive actor in 1988 (at age 80) and asked for an autograph, he is reported to have said, "Haven't you anything better to do with your life than this?"