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IMDbPro

Henry Armetta(1888-1945)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
Henry Armetta in Let's Sing Again (1936)
Sicilian-born character actor who appeared in scores of American films, usually as an exuberant and demonstrative Italian. As a teenager in 1902, Armetta stowed away on a boat bound for New York. There he did menial jobs until landing a position as a valet and presser at the Lambs Club, the New York actors' club. One of the members took a liking Armetta and arranged a small role for him in a Broadway show. Armetta followed this with many stage roles both in New York and in stock. In the early Twenties, he moved to California in search of work in movies, of which he'd had a taste while in New York. In Hollywood, Armetta slowly gained a name for himself as a character actor, and by the end of the decade, he had carved a niche for himself as a portrayer of humorous and sympathetic Italian immigrants, a position he maintained into the 1940s. He died of heart failure at 57.
BornJuly 4, 1888
DiedOctober 21, 1945(57)
BornJuly 4, 1888
DiedOctober 21, 1945(57)
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank

Photos44

Claudette Colbert and Henry Armetta in Imitation of Life (1934)
Henry Armetta and Jack Norton in Once Upon a Time (1944)
Henry Armetta in A Farewell to Arms (1932)
Henry Armetta and Priscilla Lane in Dust Be My Destiny (1939)
Mary Astor, Henry Armetta, George Bancroft, Lawford Davidson, and Stanley Fields in Ladies Love Brutes (1930)
Henry Armetta and Charles Miller in Caught in the Act (1941)
Henry Armetta and Iris Meredith in Caught in the Act (1941)
Henry Armetta and Maxine Leslie in Caught in the Act (1941)
Henry Armetta, Amanda Duff, Edward Norris, Frank Reicher, and Kane Richmond in The Escape (1939)
Basil Rathbone, Henry Armetta, Marion Claire, and Leon Errol in Make a Wish (1937)
"Anchors Aweigh" Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly 1945 MGM
Joan Bennett, Henry Armetta, Bill Burrud, Elisha Cook Jr., Reginald Denny, Joel McCrea, and Alison Skipworth in Two in a Crowd (1936)

Known for

Henry Armetta, Lynn Bari, Marvin Stephens, and Michael Whalen in Speed to Burn (1938)
Speed to Burn
7.1
  • Papa Gambini
  • 1938
Henry Armetta and Fay Bainter in The Lady and the Mob (1939)
The Lady and the Mob
6.3
  • Zambrogio
  • 1939
Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, and Thelma Todd in The Devil's Brother (1933)
The Devil's Brother
7.1
  • Matteo
  • 1933
Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
Poor Little Rich Girl
7.0
  • Tony
  • 1936

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Joan Bennett, Charles Coburn, and William Eythe in Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946)
    Colonel Effingham's Raid
  • Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, and José Iturbi in Anchors Aweigh (1945)
    Anchors Aweigh
  • Eric Blore, Edward Brophy, Lois Collier, Minna Gombell, Kirby Grant, and Lenee in Penthouse Rhythm (1945)
    Penthouse Rhythm
  • Gene Tierney, William Bendix, and John Hodiak in A Bell for Adano (1945)
    A Bell for Adano
  • Noah Beery Jr., Henry Armetta, David Bruce, Martha O'Driscoll, and Franklin Pangborn in Allergic to Love (1944)
    Allergic to Love
  • Gloria Jean, Chic Johnson, Ella Mae Morse, Martha O'Driscoll, and Ole Olsen in Ghost Catchers (1944)
    Ghost Catchers
    • (uncredited)
  • Cary Grant, Janet Blair, Ted Donaldson, and James Gleason in Once Upon a Time (1944)
    Once Upon a Time
    • (uncredited)
  • Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, Jack Carson, Eddie Cantor, Joan Leslie, Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Ann Sheridan, Dinah Shore, and Alexis Smith in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
    Thank Your Lucky Stars
    • (uncredited)
  • Jess Barker and Claire Trevor in Good Luck, Mr. Yates (1943)
    Good Luck, Mr. Yates
  • William Terry and Cheryl Walker in Stage Door Canteen (1943)
    Stage Door Canteen
  • Slick Chick
  • Groucho Marx, Douglass Dumbrille, Margaret Dumont, Virginia Grey, Tony Martin, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx in The Big Store (1941)
    The Big Store
  • Henry Armetta, Robert Baldwin, Iris Meredith, Joey Ray, and Richard Terry in Caught in the Act (1941)
    Caught in the Act
  • Lana Turner and John Shelton in We Who Are Young (1940)
    We Who Are Young
  • Gabriel Dell, Nan Grey, Huntz Hall, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Bernard Punsly, and The Dead End Kids in You're Not So Tough (1940)
    You're Not So Tough

Soundtrack

  • Henry Armetta, Bobby Breen, Leo Carrillo, and Lee Patrick in Fisherman's Wharf (1939)
    Fisherman's Wharf
  • Henry Armetta, Lynn Bari, Marvin Stephens, and Michael Whalen in Speed to Burn (1938)
    Speed to Burn
  • Spencer Charters, Russ Columbo, June Knight, and Roger Pryor in Wake Up and Dream (1934)
    Wake Up and Dream
  • Richard Dix and Lois Wilson in Lovin' the Ladies (1930)
    Lovin' the Ladies
    • (uncredited)

Personal details

Edit
    • July 4, 1888
    • Palermo, Sicily, Italy
    • October 21, 1945
    • San Diego, California, USA(heart attack)
    • 1920 - October 21, 1945 (his death, 3 children)
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Articles

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.

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