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Charles Wagenheim

Charles Wagenheim

Actor · Died March 6, 1979, aged 83 · Newark, New Jersey, USA

Initially drawn to an acting career to counterbalance an acute case of shyness, diminutive character actor Charles Wagenheim's career comprised hundreds upon hundreds of minor but atmospheric parts on stage, film and TV. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1896, he was the son of immigrant parents. Enlisting in the military during World War I, he was compensated for an education by the government and chose to study dramatics at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, graduating in 1923. After touring with a Shakespearean company, he appeared in a host of Broadway plays, several of them written, directed and/or produced by the prolific George Abbott, including "A Holy Terror" (1925), "Four Walls" (1927) and "Ringside" (1928). Following a stage part in "Schoolhouse on the Lot" (1938), the mustachioed Wagenheim turned to Hollywood for work. His dark, graveside manner, baggy-eyed scowl and lowlife countenance proved ideal for a number of genres, particularly crime thrillers and westerns. In films from 1929, the character player scored well when Alfred Hitchcock chose him to play the assassin in Foreign Correspondent (1940). He went on to enact a number of seedy, unappetizing roles (tramps, drunks, thieves) over the years but never found the one juicy part that could have put him at the top of the character ranks. Usually billed tenth or lower, Wagenheim was more filler than anything else which his blue-collar gallery of cabbies, waiters, deputies, clerks, morgue attendants, junkmen, etc., will attest. Some of his better delineated roles came with Two Girls on Broadway (1940); Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940); Halfway to Shanghai (1942); the cliffhangers Don Winslow of the Navy (1942) and Raiders of Ghost City (1944); The House on 92nd Street (1945); A Lady Without Passport (1950); Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953); and Canyon Crossroads (1955). One of his more promising roles came as "The Runt" in Meet Boston Blackie (1941), which started Chester Morris off in the popular 1940s "B" series as the thief-cum-crimefighter, but the sidekick role was subsequently taken over by George E. Stone. Of his latter films it might be noted that Wagenheim was cast in the very small but pivotal role of the thief who breaks into the storefront in which the Frank family is hiding above in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959). TV took up much of his time in later years and he kept fairly busy throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Wagenheim played the recurring role of Halligan on Gunsmoke (1955) (from 1967-1975) and performed until the very end on such shows as All in the Family (1971) and Baretta (1975). On March 6, 1979, the 83-year-old Wagenheim was bludgeoned to death in his Hollywood apartment following a grocery shopping trip when he surprised a thief in his home. By sheer horrific coincidence, elderly character actor Victor Kilian, of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) fame, was found beaten to death by burglars in his Los Angeles-area apartment just a few days later (March 11th).

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 21, 1896
Died
March 6, 1979 (aged 83)
From
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
55 on MovieCove · 101 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 32% in 30 days

What are Charles Wagenheim's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
50%
Morality
39%
Society
5%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 8 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Thrilling
4
Warm
3
Romantic
3
Melancholic
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Charles Wagenheim's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 55 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Charles Wagenheim's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

101 credits, 55 with a MovieCove page.

  • Mad Bull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Panhandler

  • What's Happening!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Lefty

  • The Missouri Breaks(1976)

    as Freighter

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Six Million Dollar Man(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Farmer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Hepplewhite

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • The Baby Maker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Toy Shop Owner (uncredited)

  • Hello, Dolly!(1969)

    as Pushcart Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • A Time for Dying(1969)

    as Milton

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Bill Barlow

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • To Die in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Trusty

  • The Cincinnati Kid(1965)

    as Old Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Honey West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Desk Clerk

  • The Addams Family(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Boswell

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Fisherman

  • Lonely Are the Brave(1962)

    as Vagrant Convict (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Beauty and the Beast(1962)

    as Mario

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Police Dog Story(1961)

    as Firebug

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Inherit the Wind(1960)

    as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Donovan

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Diary of Anne Frank(1959)

    as Sneaky Thief (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Lonelyhearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Joe

  • The Tunnel of Love(1958)

    as Day Motel Man

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Toughest Gun in Tombstone(1958)

    as Pete Beasley

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Power of the Resurrection(1958)

    as Merchant

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Leave It to Beaver(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Painter

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • The Book of Acts Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Crippled Man at the Temple

  • The Killer Is Loose(1956)

    as Clothing Store Owner (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Kismet(1955)

    as Beggar (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Henlein

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Prodigal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Zubeir

  • The Unlighted Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Roy Montana

  • Canyon Crossroads(1955)

    as Pete Barnwell

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Day of Triumph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Lazarus

  • Suddenly(1954)

    as Iz Kaplan (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Executive Suite(1954)

    as Luigi Cassoni (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Vicki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Seedy Movie House Patron (uncredited)

  • I Beheld His Glory(1953)

    as Eltheas' Friend

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Tangier Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Actor

  • The Captive City(1952)

    as Phone Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Street Bandits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gus Betts

  • A Streetcar Named Desire(1951)

    as Passerby (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Tall Target(1951)

    as Telegraph Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The House on Telegraph Hill(1951)

    as Man At Accident

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Pier 23 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Lefty - Policy Man

  • The Company She Keeps(1951)

    as Pete (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Dial 1119 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Man on Street (uncredited)

  • A Lady Without Passport(1950)

    as Ramon Santez

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Street(1950)

    as Baggage Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Motor Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bud Haynes

  • The Great Sinner(1949)

    as Gambler with Ring (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Set-Up(1949)

    as Hamburger Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • I Cheated the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Al Markham

  • Criss Cross(1949)

    as Waiter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • A Woman's Secret(1949)

    as Algerian Piano Player (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Siren of Atlantis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Doctor

  • Man-Eater of Kumaon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Panwah's Father

  • The Miracle of the Bells(1948)

    as Mr. Kummer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Pirates of Monterey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Juan

  • Monsieur Verdoux(1947)

    as Bank Manager's Friend (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lighthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Quimby, Insurance Adjustor

  • The Brute Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Pawnbroker (uncredited)

  • The Dark Corner(1946)

    as Real Fred Foss (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mr. Cohn (uncredited)

  • Night Editor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Phillips (Uncredited)

  • From This Day Forward(1946)

    as Hoffman

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Spiral Staircase(1946)

    as Desk Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The House on 92nd Street(1945)

    as Gustav Hausmann

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Jungle Captive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Fred

  • Dangerous Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Little Man at Lunch Counter (uncredited)

  • The Scarlet Clue(1945)

    as Rausch (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • A Song to Remember(1945)

    as Waiter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • House of Frankenstein(1944)

    as Jailer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Raiders of Ghost City(1944)

    as Hugo Metzger, alias Abel Rackerby [Chs. 8-9]

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Summer Storm(1944)

    as Bit Part (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Man at Flophouse (Uncredited)

  • Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves(1943)

    as Barber (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Calling Dr. Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Coroner

  • Appointment in Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Julius Hoffman - Florist (uncredited)

  • Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Mussanti

  • Sin Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as 'Dry-Hole'

  • Half Way to Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Jonathan Peale

  • The Mystery of Marie Roget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Subordinate

  • Fingers at the Window(1942)

    as Fred F. Bixley

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Get-Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Hutch / Hoodlum in Montage

  • They Dare Not Love(1941)

    as Valet

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Out of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Traitorous Assistant Editor (uncredited)

  • Meet Boston Blackie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as The Runt

  • Dark Streets of Cairo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dumiel - Captive Jeweller

  • Sky Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Ricoro - Flight Attendant

  • Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Willie Fern

  • He Stayed for Breakfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Timid Waiter

  • Buyer Beware (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Doctor (uncredited)

  • Foreign Correspondent(1940)

    as Assassin

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • I Love You Again(1940)

    as Malavinksy - Fingerprint Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Sporting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Man at Race Track

  • Andy Hardy Meets Debutante(1940)

    as Waiter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Two Girls on Broadway(1940)

    as Bartell's Assistant

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Know Your Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Brand the Printer (uncredited)

  • Jezebel(1938)

    as Customer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Smiling Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Arresting Officer (uncredited)

  • Gentlemen of the Press (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Copy Boy (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 100 titles from 1929 to 1977; peak year 1976.

Highest rated

The Tunnel of Love (1958)

Midcredits 37th

Film career

19291977

Peak 1976 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting100 of 100: 100 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s2 · acting1940s49 · acting1950s31 · acting1960s11 · acting1970s6 · acting

Billing

usually 18th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
3146

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Charles Wagenheim's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 48; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 36th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

18thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 55 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

34 of their 55 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser34
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Power of the Resurrection (1958)

84th percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 54/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Charles Wagenheim work with?

People who share at least 2 of Charles Wagenheim's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Orville H. Hampton shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers