1914-04-24 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Larry J. Blake was born in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York on April 24, 1914. At the age of 18, his talent at impersonations and dialects grew into a vaudeville act. Blake eventually became a headliner, playing the Orpheum circuit, as well as the Roxy Theatre and the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. In 1936, he signed to a contract with Universal studios, and his first job was in the serial Secret Agent X-9 (1937). Right after that, he was chosen for a featured role in James Whale's The Road Back (1937), a sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). He appeared in other films for Universal including a string of 1938 films, Trouble at Midnight (1937), Air Devils (1938), Nurse from Brooklyn (1938), and The Jury's Secret (1938). With the outbreak of WWII, Blake joined the U.S. Navy serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific. He was mustered out and treated at a Naval hospital for his alcoholism. A Catholic priest helped Blake join Alcoholics Anonymous, and in 1946 he help start the first A.A. group for members of the motion picture industry. Blake returned to acting in 1946, working steadily in supporting and bit parts throughout the 1950s. He is best known for his roles in Sunset Blvd. (1950) and High Noon (1952). In Sunset Boulevard he played the first finance man who comes to repossess William Holden's car. In High Noon, Blake played Gillis, the owner of the saloon who is punched by Gary Cooper. As television's popularity began, Blake found plenty of work from westerns, crime dramas to comedies. He was a regular in The Pride of the Family (1953) television series, as well as the recurring part of the friendly jailer in Yancy Derringer (1958). His last role was as the museum security guard in Time After Time (1979), when he was forced to retire due to emphysema. Until his death in 1982, Blake continued helping others in the A.A. program. (IMDB)
Time After Time | Guard | 1979-09-28 | |
Demon Seed | Cameron | 1977-04-07 | |
The Strongest Man in the World | Pete | 1975-02-06 | |
Search for the Gods | Jailer | 1975-03-09 | |
Herbie Rides Again | Police Officer | 1974-02-12 | |
The Stone Killer | Police Commissioner | 1973-08-08 | |
Bonnie's Kids | Poker Player with Glasses | 1973-02-08 | |
Diamonds Are Forever | Water Balloon Game Barker-Operator (uncredited) | 1971-12-14 | |
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band | First Outspoken Man (uncredited) | 1968-04-19 | |
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? | Salesman (uncredited) | 1968-06-19 | |
Hang 'em High | Prisoner in Compound | 1968-04-12 | |
The Swinger | Honest Hal (uncredited) | 1966-11-13 | |
That Darn Cat! | Police Officer (uncredited) | 1965-12-02 | |
Sex and the Single Girl | Policeman (uncredited) | 1964-12-25 | |
Portrait of a Mobster | John Murphy | 1961-04-19 | |
Who Was That Lady? | Tenant (uncredited) | 1960-04-08 | |
Elmer Gantry | Mac - Bartender (uncredited) | 1960-07-07 | |
City of Fear | 1959-02-01 | ||
Outcasts of the City | 1958-01-10 | ||
Beginning of the End | Roadblock Sergeant | 1957-06-28 | |
Band of Angels | Auctioneer | 1957-08-03 | |
Man of a Thousand Faces | David T. Stone (uncredited) | 1957-08-15 | |
Escape from San Quentin | Hap's Lead Henchman | 1957-09-01 | |
Inside Detroit | Max Harkness (as Larry Blake) | 1956-01-01 | |
You Can't Run Away from It | Detective | 1956-10-30 | |
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers | Motorcycle cop | 1956-07-04 | |
The Man Is Armed | Ray Perkins | 1956-10-19 | |
While the City Sleeps | Tim | 1956-04-19 | |
The Werewolf | Hank Durgis | 1956-07-01 | |
Creature with the Atom Brain | Reporter #2 | 1955-07-01 | |
I Died a Thousand Times | Healy (uncredited) | 1955-11-09 | |
Dial Red O | Wayne - Waiter (uncredited) | 1955-03-13 | |
Teen-Age Crime Wave | Connors | 1955-11-01 | |
The Twinkle In God's Eye | Deputy sheriff | 1955-10-13 | |
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Drunk (uncredited) | 1954-07-22 | |
So You Want to Know Your Relatives | Capt. Biff McGann (uncredited) | 1954-12-18 | |
Cruisin' Down the River | Dave Singer | 1953-08-02 | |
Never Wave at a WAC | Mr. Devlin (uncredited) | 1953-01-28 | |
The Blue Gardenia | Music Shop Clerk (uncredited) | 1953-03-20 | |
Remains to Be Seen | Minetti | 1953-05-15 | |
High Noon | Gillis - Saloon Owner (uncredited) | 1952-06-09 | |
Stop, You're Killing Me | Police Captain | 1952-12-10 | |
Rhubarb | Police Radio Voice (uncredited) (voice) | 1951-08-29 | |
In Old Amarillo | Stan Benson (uncredited) | 1951-05-15 | |
Iron Man | Ralph Crowley (uncredited) | 1951-09-20 | |
Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison | 1951-05-18 | ||
Destination Big House | Pete Weiss | 1950-06-01 | |
Sunset Boulevard | 1st Finance Man | 1950-08-10 | |
One Too Many | Walt Williams | 1950-12-01 | |
The Blonde Bandit | Capt. Ed Roberts | 1949-12-22 | |
The Lucky Stiff | Louie Perez (as Larry Blake) | 1949-05-26 | |
Flamingo Road | Martin (uncredited) | 1949-04-30 | |
Holiday Affair | Plainclothesman | 1949-12-12 | |
The Hunted | Hollis Smith (as Larry Blake) | 1948-04-07 | |
Call Northside 777 | Police Photographic Technician (uncredited) | 1948-02-13 | |
French Leave | Schultyz (as Larry Blake) | 1948-04-10 | |
Second Chance | Det. Sgt. Sharpe | 1947-07-18 | |
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman | Emcee (uncredited) | 1947-03-01 | |
Backlash | Detective Lieutenant Jerry McMullen | 1947-03-01 | |
The Trap | Rick Daniels | 1946-11-30 | |
Magnificent Doll | Charles | 1946-12-08 | |
Strange Journey | Karl | 1946-10-03 | |
The Undercover Woman | Simon Gillette | 1946-01-01 | |
Maisie Goes to Reno | Policeman (Uncredited) | 1944-08-15 | |
The Boys from Syracuse | Announcer | 1940-07-30 | |
Two Thoroughbreds | Truck Driver | 1939-12-08 | |
They Made Her a Spy | Ben Dawson | 1939-04-14 | |
Sudden Money | Interviewer | 1939-03-31 | |
State Police | Trigger Magee | 1938-03-18 | |
The Nurse from Brooklyn | Larry Craine | 1938-04-29 | |
Young Fugitives | Silent Sam (as Larry Blake) | 1938-06-30 | |
The Jury's Secret | Bill Sheldon | 1938-01-16 | |
Air Devils | John P. 'Horseshoe' Donovan | 1938-05-13 | |
Secret Agent X-9 | Chief FBI Agent Wheeler (as Larry Blake) | 1937-04-12 | |
Trouble at Midnight | Tony Michaels (as Larry Blake) | 1937-10-16 | |
The Road Back | Weil (as Larry Blake) | 1937-06-01 |