American actor born in San Francisco, California, on 26 January 1905. He began his career at the Pasadena Play House in 1929. Four years later, he became a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. His most notable works include It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Aristocats (1970), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). He was married to Ruth Ransom Covell and they had two children. He died on 9 July 2007 in Santa Monica, California, aged 102.