Matt McHugh

Matthew O. McHugh was born on January 22, 1894, and died on February 22, 1971. An American stage and film actor, he came from a theatrical family whose parents operated a stock theatre company. McHugh performed on stage from a young age, and by the time he was fourteen, he was working alongside his brother Frank and sister Kitty as part of a family act. His brother Frank later became a member of the Warner Bros. stock company during the 1930s and 1940s, while another brother, Ed, went on to work as an agent in New York. The family left the stage around 1930.

McHugh's Broadway career spanned from 1929 to 1936. He made his Broadway debut in Elmer Rice's Street Scene in 1929, appearing in the production alongside his brother Ed. He returned to Broadway in 1936 with Swing Your Lady.

In addition to his stage work, McHugh appeared in more than 200 films between 1931 and 1955, predominantly in small parts. He was frequently cast as characters from Brooklyn and typically performed those roles with a Brooklyn accent. In the 1941 film Star Spangled Rhythm, he delivered an extended monologue during the climactic "Old Glory" sequence, playing a character who embodies the spirit of Brooklyn.