Joseph Crehan

Joseph Crehan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American actor whose career spanned stage and screen across five decades. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Crehan. He attended Calvert Hall College and subsequently enrolled at Kent College of Law, which he left to pursue a career in drama. Early in his professional life, Crehan worked in light comedy before transitioning to character roles in his late thirties.

His Broadway career ran from 1914 to 1932. His earliest credited stage appearance was in Yosemite in 1914, and his subsequent credits included Ringside in 1928, Sweet Land of Liberty in 1929, Merry Andrew in 1929, Those We Love in 1930, and three productions in 1932: Twentieth Century, Lilly Turner, and Angels Don't Kiss. He is sometimes confused with fellow actor Charles C. Wilson, with whom he frequently appeared.

Crehan's film career began in 1916 with Under Two Flags and extended through 1965, encompassing more than 300 screen appearances. He became particularly associated with the role of Ulysses S. Grant, which he portrayed nine times between 1939 and 1958. Among the most prominent of these portrayals were his appearances in Union Pacific in 1939 and They Died with Their Boots On in 1941, as well as The Adventures of Mark Twain in 1944. His screen work frequently cast him in authority figures, including police captains, wardens, district attorneys, and editors, across productions such as It Happened One Night in 1934, The Big Sleep in 1946, Monsieur Verdoux in 1947, and Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961. He also played Chief Brandon in three Dick Tracy films between 1945 and 1947.

In television, Crehan appeared in 1961 in the Western series Bat Masterson, playing Thomas Boland in the episode titled The Prescott Campaign, credited as Joe Crehan. He died of a stroke in Hollywood, California, on April 15, 1966.