Lionel Atwill

Lionel Alfred William Atwill was born on 1 March 1885 in Croydon, London, England. Before pursuing a career in performance, he studied architecture. His stage debut came in 1904 at the Garrick Theatre in London, and he subsequently built a reputation as a stage actor before relocating to the United States, where he established himself as a Broadway presence and later a Hollywood film actor. He died on 22 April 1946 from lung cancer and pneumonia at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Atwill's Broadway career spanned 1917 to 1931, and he became a recognized name in New York theatre by 1918. His stage credits were extensive, beginning with several productions in 1917 alone: Eve's Daughter, L'elevation, The Indestructible Wife, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, and A Doll's House. That same year he appeared in Another Man's Shoes, followed by Tiger! Tiger! in 1918. Subsequent Broadway appearances included Deburau in 1920, The Grand Duke in 1921, The Comedian in 1922, Caesar and Cleopatra and The Outsider in 1924, Beau Gallant in 1925, The Thief in 1926, Slaves All in 1926, Napoleon in 1927, Fioretta in 1928, The Silent Witness in 1930, and The King Can Do No Wrong. He also performed on stage in Australia during this period of his career.

Atwill made his screen debut in 1919 and went on to appear in a substantial body of Hollywood films. He became particularly associated with horror productions in the 1930s, taking leading roles in Doctor X in 1932, and in The Vampire Bat, Murders in the Zoo, and Mystery of the Wax Museum, all released in 1933. Among his most recognized screen performances was his portrayal of the one-armed Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein in 1939, a role later parodied by Kenneth Mars in Mel Brooks' 1974 film Young Frankenstein. Atwill appeared in four additional Universal Frankenstein films beyond that entry. His other notable film roles included a romantic lead opposite Marlene Dietrich in Josef von Sternberg's The Devil Is a Woman in 1935, the role of Captain Blood's adversary that same year, Dr. James Mortimer in 20th Century Fox's The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1939, Professor Moriarty in Universal's Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon in 1943, a comedic part in Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be in 1942, and a villainous role in Pardon My Sarong that same year. He also played a crooked insurance investigator in The Wrong Road in 1937.

In 1941, accusations arose that parties held at Atwill's beach home in December and January 1940 had involved indecent activity. The claims surfaced during the trial of Virginia Lopez and Adolphe LaRue, who were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Lopez's defense attorney raised Atwill's name in an attempt to redirect blame. A grand jury convened to investigate the allegations against Atwill and others in the film industry. Atwill testified on 21 May 1941 and denied all accusations. The grand jury declined to indict anyone on 1 June 1941, with foreman Theodore Peirce stating that the witnesses' accounts had strained the jury's credibility beyond endurance.

A second grand jury reopened the matter in June 1942 and indicted Atwill on perjury charges, concluding that he had lied about the nature of the gatherings at his home. A second perjury indictment followed on 11 August 1942. The two indictments were consolidated, and trial was set for 28 September 1942. On 24 September, Atwill changed his plea to guilty, acknowledging that he had possessed and shown lewd films to a small group of friends at his beach house, while continuing to deny any immoral acts. On 15 October he was sentenced to five years of probation. The court noted that witnesses against him were of unsavory character and that Atwill had received character references from law enforcement and prominent figures in Hollywood. Under the Hays Code, the conviction resulted in Atwill being blackballed from the industry.

On 16 April 1943, Atwill petitioned the court to terminate his probation and withdraw his guilty plea. Seven days later, Superior Court Judge William R. McKay granted the motion. After Atwill entered a plea of not guilty, the judge vacated the 1942 conviction, stating that the perjury charges had been brought by a party with a personal motive to retaliate against Atwill.

Atwill married four times. His first marriage, to Phyllis Relph in 1913, ended in divorce in 1919. Their son, John Arthur Atwill, born in 1914, was killed in action in 1941 at the age of 26. Atwill married the actress Elsie Mackay in 1920. In 1930 he married Louise Cromwell Brooks, who had previously been married to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur; that marriage ended in divorce in 1943. His fourth marriage, to Paula Pruter in 1944, lasted until his death. Their son, Lionel Anthony Atwill, became a writer.