Wally Maher

Wally Maher (August 4, 1908 – December 27, 1951) was an American actor best known for his work in old-time radio and as the original voice of Screwy Squirrel, the cartoon character created by Tex Avery. Born in Cincinnati on August 4, 1908, to Daniel and Mary Maher, he grew up alongside three brothers and two sisters. He left high school before graduating in order to pursue acting.

Maher began building his craft through work with a stock theater company in Cincinnati. His radio career launched with a portrayal of Paul Baumer in a production of All Quiet on the Western Front, and a lack of subsequent opportunities briefly stalled his momentum before new work materialized. He made his Broadway appearance in 1940, playing the role of Rittenhoff in Every Man for Himself.

Beginning in 1936, Maher established himself on the West Coast radio circuit, contributing to a wide range of programs including The Whistler, Gang Busters, Suspense, Mr. District Attorney, I Love a Mystery, Junior Miss, The Eddie Bracken Show, Camel Caravan, Hollywood Showcase, and NBC Presents: Short Story. That same year he appeared on screen in MGM's Fury, directed by Fritz Lang, playing the reporter who films a mob attempting to lynch Spencer Tracy's character. His other film appearances included Pound Foolish (1940), The Story of Molly X (1949), Mystery Street (1950), Right Cross (1950), and Nick Carter, Master Detective (1950). Within the radio industry, Maher held organizational roles in the Los Angeles chapter of the American Federation of Radio Artists, serving as third vice-president in 1943 and as a board member in 1945.

At Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Maher voiced Screwy Squirrel across five animated shorts: Screwball Squirrel, Happy-Go-Nutty, and Big Heel-Watha, all released in 1944, followed by The Screwy Truant in 1945 and Lonesome Lenny in 1946. He also provided the voice of the Jimmy Durante-sounding turkey in the 1945 short Jerky Turkey. In 1951, he and Gene Autry recorded The Story of Little Champ, a two-record album centered on a young colt.

Maher married Carmella Bruno, and the couple had one son and two daughters. He died on December 26, 1951, at St. Vincent's Hospital at the age of 43.