Alan Baxter was an American actor known for his roles in “Saboteur,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” and “The Set-Up.” His performances often featured him as despicable characters, notably in films from the 1930s and 1940s.
Personal and Family Life
Baxter was born on November 19, 1908, in East Cleveland, Ohio. He was the son of Edwin C. Baxter, a vice president at the Cleveland Trust Company, and Marguerite Noakes. He graduated from Williams College, where he formed a close bond with future director Elia Kazan. Alan was married twice, first to Barbara Barker Williams and later to Christy Palmer, whom he was married to until his death.
Career
Baxter began his career in theater, performing with the Group Theatre. His major film debut came in 1935 with “Mary Burns, Fugitive.” He became known for playing gangsters and tough characters in various films, particularly throughout the late 1930s and 1940s. Despite a decline in his film career post-World War II, he found success in theater and television with roles in series like “The Rifleman” and “Gunsmoke.”
Death and Legacy
Alan Baxter passed away on May 8, 1976, at the Motion Picture Country Home in Los Angeles due to cancer. He left behind a legacy as a versatile actor who adeptly portrayed complex, often villainous characters in both film and television. His contributions to the arts have been remembered, particularly for the significant impact he had during the golden age of cinema.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment at Nuremberg | 1961-12-18 | Matt Merrin |
| Santa Fe Trail | 1940-12-20 | Oliver Brown |
| Saboteur | 1942-04-24 | Freeman |
| Gangs of New York | 1938-05-23 | Dancer |
| Night Key | 1937-04-18 | John Baron aka The Kid |
| The Last Gangster | 1937-11-12 | Frankie ‘Acey’ Kile |
| Each Dawn I Die | 1939-08-19 | Pole Cat Carlisle |
| Shadow of the Thin Man | 1941-11-21 | ‘Whitey’ Barrow |
| Abe Lincoln in Illinois | 1940-02-22 | Billy Herndon |
| This Property Is Condemned | 1966-08-03 | Knopke |
| The Set-Up | 1949-03-29 | Little Boy |
| Face of a Fugitive | 1959-05-01 | Reed Williams |
| Let Us Live | 1939-03-29 | Joe Linden |
| The Human Comedy | 1943-03-02 | Brad Stickman |
| China Girl | 1942-12-09 | Flyer Bill Jones |
| The True Story of Jesse James | 1957-03-22 | Barney Remington |
| The Lone Wolf Strikes | 1940-01-26 | Jim Ryder |
| The End of the Line | 1957-12-01 | Mike Selby |