Biographies: Arthur Shields - Actor

Biographies

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An Irish actor of theatre, film and television, born in Dublin, Ireland, the United Kingdom, as Arthur Lewis Shields. He was not as well known as his older brother, Oscar winner Barry Fitzgerald, who was an established actor at the Dublin Abbey Theatre when Arthur Shields joined him in 1914, aged 17. He had a diverse career from 1914 to 1939 in the theater as an actor, assistant director, director and stage manager. He participated in more than 350 plays. He made some silent Irish films, such as Knocknagow (1918). In late 1918, he headed to the United States and brought Irish drama and comedy with him to Broadway. He then returned to the British theater and worked intermittently on the movie screen. In 1939, he decided to live permanently in California. He made the film Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) and continued to work extensively in cinema during the forties. He appeared with his brother Fitzgerald in 7 films, beginning in 1936 and ending in 1952 with the film The Quiet Man. He continued his film and television work, with his last television appearance being Death Valley Days (1961) and his last film being The Pigeon that Took Rome (1962). He was married three times and had two children. Among his notable credits are The Plough and the Stars (1936), National Velvet (1944) and Apache Drums (1951). He died of emphysema in Santa Barbara, California, United States on April 27, 1970.

• 30 November 2023
• Shaimaa Saied