Emerson Treacy

Emerson Treacy (September 17, 1900 – January 10, 1967) was an American actor whose career spanned Broadway, film, radio, and television. Born in Philadelphia, he attended St. Joseph College there before his professional path was redirected by family circumstances. Following his father's death in an automobile accident, Treacy assumed executive responsibility for the family-owned sporting goods factory in Philadelphia, setting aside earlier plans to pursue a career in law.

Treacy launched his acting career through a Provincetown Players production of Inheritors and subsequently spent two years working in a company led by Jasper Deeter. He went on to perform in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, appearing in stage productions that included The Master Builder, Take My Advice, Pigs, and Skidding. He and Gay Seabrook, described at the time as two of the best-known portrayers of youthful roles in the country, appeared together in the play Tommy. His Broadway career included a 1936 appearance in Searching for the Sun, in which he portrayed the character Purdy.

In film, Treacy played the flustered father of Spanky McFarland in the Our Gang short films Bedtime Worries and Wild Poses. He accumulated dozens of additional film credits, including small roles in Adam's Rib and The Wrong Man. His television work included appearances on The Lone Ranger, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Perry Mason. In 1949, Treacy filed a $150,000 lawsuit against Eddie Cantor and RKO Pictures, alleging that the film If You Knew Susie incorporated material from a play he had submitted to the studio in 1938.

During World War II, Treacy contributed to the United States Office of War Information as a writer. He also served the American Red Cross in two capacities: as press agent for its chairman, Basil O'Connor, and as director of entertainment in the Southwest Pacific.

On June 12, 1928, Treacy married actress Ann McKay at Loyola College chapel. The couple had one son, Robert Emerson Treacy. Treacy died on January 10, 1967, at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital following surgery, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.