O.Z. Whitehead
American character actor of rather bizarre range, a member of the so-called John Ford Stock Company. Originally a New York stage actor of some repute, Whitehead entered films in the 1930s. He played a wide variety of character parts, often quite different from his own actual age and type. He is probably most familiar as Al Joad in John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940). But twenty-two years later, in his fifth film for Ford, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Whitehead at 51 was playing a lollipop-licking schoolboy! He continued to work predominantly on the stage, appearing now and again in films or on television. In his last years, he suffered from cancer and died in 1998 in Dublin, Ireland, where he had lived in semi-retirement for many years.
Filmography (34 titles)
Hello, Stranger
1992
7.0MoviePhiladelphia, Here I Come
Ben Burton · 1975
7.4MovieThe Lion in Winter
Bishop of Durham · 1968
5.9MovieUlysses
Alexander J. Dowie · 1967
6.7MovieSummer Magic
Mr. Perkins · 1963
6.3MoviePanic in Year Zero!
Hogan · 1962
7.8MovieThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Herbert Carruthers · 1962
6.8ShowHazel
1961
6.4MovieTwo Rode Together
Lt. Whitehead · 1961
7.0MovieThe Horse Soldiers
Otis 'Hoppy' Hopkins · 1959
7.2MovieThe Last Hurrah
Norman Cass Jr. · 1958
5.2MovieRally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
Isaac Goodpasture · 1958
7.7ShowPerry Mason
Harry Beacom · 1957
7.8ShowAlfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Newton · 1955
6.7ShowGunsmoke
Hank Blenis · 1955
The Body Beautiful
Oscar Blunt · 1953
4.6ShowCavalcade of America
1952
6.1MovieBeware, My Lovely
Mr. Franks · 1952
4.9MovieThe San Francisco Story
Alfey · 1952
6.3MovieFor Men Only
Prof. Bixby · 1952
6.2MovieFBI Girl
Chauncey · 1951
6.5MovieJourney Into Light
Lippy · 1951
6.2MovieComin' Round the Mountain
Zeke · 1951
6.2MovieThe Hoodlum
Breckenridge · 1951
5.7MovieThe Scarf
Whoopie · 1951
7.2MovieMa and Pa Kettle
Mr. Billings · 1949
5.1ShowSuspense
George Vance · 1949
5.4ShowStudio One
Peter Kovalesky · 1948
6.4MovieA Song Is Born
Professor Oddly · 1948
6.7MovieRoad House
Arthur · 1948