American actor (1890–1949)
Wheeler Oakman
Born Vivian Eichelberger
February 21, 1890Died March 19, 1949(1949-03-19) (aged 59) Resting place Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Occupation Actor Spouse(s) Priscilla Dean (m.1920–div.1926) Virginia Jennings (m.1927–div.1930?) Frances Jones (m.1932–div.?)
Wheeler Oakman (born Vivian Eichelberger ; February 21, 1890 – March 19, 1949) was an American film actor .[ 1] [ 2]
Early years
Oakman was born as Vivian Eichelberger[ 3] in Washington, D.C. , and educated in that city's schools[ 1] [ 4] —specifically Henry School and William McKinley Manual Training School [ 5] —after having spent the bulk of his childhood in Fairfax, Virginia .[ 6]
Career
Doris May , Oakman and Jackie Coogan in Peck's Bad Boy (1921)
Before acting in films, Oakman was active in stock theater in the eastern United States.[ 7]
Oakman appeared in over 280 films between 1912 and 1948. In silent films, he was often a leading man. Among his leading ladies were Priscilla Dean ,[ 7] Kathlyn Williams , Colleen Moore and Annette Kellerman . One of his features was Mickey , a 1918 comedy-drama, in which he played the love interest of Mabel Normand .
In 1928, he portrayed the crime boss in the first all-talking feature movie ever made, Lights of New York . One clip from this feature has often been revived in compilations, with gang boss Oakman speaking deliberately into a microphone disguised as a telephone: "Take... him for... a ride. "[ 8]
Wheeler Oakman, usually wearing a dapper mustache, generally portrayed villains, gangsters, or henchmen, frequently appearing in crime thrillers, melodramas, and westerns . In 1932, he appeared alongside Buck Jones in Sundown Rider and John Wayne in Texas Cyclone .
He worked steadily throughout the 1930s, usually in low-budget westerns and serials, but he did work at the major studios in important feature films like Operator 13 (M-G-M, 1934) and G Men (Warner Bros., 1935).
In 1941 he accepted a leading role in J. D. Kendis 's very-low-budget exploitation feature Escort Girl , opposite another silent-screen veteran, Betty Compson . Their performances were noted by Monogram Pictures , a prolific producer of budget features for neighborhood theaters, and the Kendis film extended their careers. Oakman in particular became a fixture at Monogram, working with Bela Lugosi , ZaSu Pitts , Harry Langdon , Gale Storm , Kay Francis , Shemp Howard , and The East Side Kids , among others.
Oakman became a favorite of Monogram producer Sam Katzman , and when Katzman moved to Columbia Pictures , Oakman followed him. Oakman, now in his late fifties, continued to work in Katzman's Columbia serials despite declining health -- in Jack Armstrong he was visibly frail, and was relieved of much of the action by last-minute replacement Charles Middleton .
Later years
Just prior to his death, Oakman was the assistant manager of a North Hollywood theater.[ 7]
Personal life and death
In 1920, Oakman married popular actress Priscilla Dean , his costar in Outside the Law (1920) and The Virgin of Stamboul (1920).[ 4] They were divorced in 1926. On September 22, 1927, he married Virginia Jennings in Los Angeles.[ 9] On December 27, 1932, he married Frances I. Jones in Las Vegas, Nevada.[ 10]
In 1949, at age 59, Oakman died in Van Nuys, California .[ 1]
Selected filmography
Alas! Poor Yorick! (1913, Short) - Montgomery Irving - the Real Actor
The Spoilers (1914) - The Broncho Kid, alias of Drury
Shotgun Jones (1914, Short) - Shotgun Jones
Chip of the Flying U (1914, Short) - Weary
In the Days of the Thundering Herd (1914) - Chief Swift Wing
The Carpet from Bagdad (1915) - George P.A. Jones
The Melting Pot (1915) - Minor Role (uncredited)
The Rosary (1915) - Bruce Wilton
Sweet Alyssum (1915) - Wynne Garlan
Hell's Hinges (1916) - Rowdy Townsman (uncredited)
The Ne'er-Do-Well (1916) - Kirk Anthony, the Ne're-Do-Well
The Cycle of Fate (1916) - Joe Strong
The Battle of Hearts (1916) - Jo Sprague
The Crisis (1916)
Betrayed (1917) - William Jerome
Princess Virtue (1917) - Basil Demarest
Face Value (1917) - Bertram Van Twiller
I Love You (1918) - Armand de Gautier
Revenge (1918) - Dick Randall
The Claim (1918) - John MacDonald
Mickey (1918) - Herbert Thornhill
False Evidence (1919) - Burr Gordon
The Splendid Sin (1919) - Stephen Hartley
Back to God's Country (1919) - Peter Burke
A Woman of Pleasure (1919) - Bobby Ralston
Eve in Exile (1919) - Paul Armitage
The Virgin of Stamboul (1920) - Capt. Carlisle Pemberton
What Women Love (1920) - Willy St. John
Outside the Law (1920) - Dapper Bill Ballard
Peck's Bad Boy (1921) - Dr. Jack Martin - the Man in the Case
Penny of Top Hill Trail (1921) - Kurt Walters
A Wise Fool (1921) - (uncredited)
The Son of the Wolf (1922) - Scruff Mackenzie
The Half Breed (1922) - Delmar Spavinaw (the halfbreed)
Slippy McGee (1923) - Slippy McGee
Mine to Keep (1923) - Clint Mowbray
The Love Trap (1923)- Grant Garrison
Other Men's Daughters (1923) - 'Winnie'
Lilies of the Streets (1925) - Frank Delmore
The Pace That Thrills (1925) - Director
In Borrowed Plumes (1926) - Jack Raymond
Fangs of Justice (1926) - Paul Orr
Heroes of the Night (1927) - Jack Nichols
The Snarl of Hate (1927) - Boy Maxson
Hey! Hey! Cowboy (1927) - John Evans
Out All Night (1927) - Kerrigan
Top Sergeant Mulligan (1928) - The captain
The Broken Mask (1928) - Dr. Gordon White
The Heart of Broadway (1928) - 'Dandy Jim' Doyle
Danger Patrol (1928) - George Gambler
Black Feather (1928)
The Masked Angel (1928) - Luther Spence
Lights of New York (1928) - 'Hawk' Miller
The Good-Bye Kiss (1928) - Sgt. Hoffman
While the City Sleeps (1928) - Eddie 'Mile-Away' Skeeter Carlson
The Power of the Press (1928) - Van
What a Night! (1928) - Mike Corney
Morgan's Last Raid (1929) - John Bland
The Devil's Chaplain (1929) - Nicholay
The Shakedown (1929) - Manager
The Donovan Affair (1929) - Porter
Father and Son (1929) - Anton Lebau
On with the Show (1929) - Durant
Handcuffed (1929) - Tom Bennett
Hurricane (1929) - First Mate (uncredited)
The Girl from Woolworth's (1929) - Lawrence Mayfield
Shanghai Lady (1929) - Repen
Little Johnny Jones (1929) - Wyman
The Show of Shows (1929) - Performer in 'The Pirate' Number (uncredited)
Roaring Ranch (1930) - Ramsey Kane
The Big Fight (1930) - Steve
The Bad Man (1930)
On Your Back (1930) - 'Lucky' Jim Seymour
The Costello Case (1930) - Mile-Away-Harry
The Lawless Woman (1931) - 'Poker' Wilson
Sky Raiders (1931) - Willard
The Good Bad Girl (1931) - Moreland
The Back Page (1931, Short)
First Aid (1931) - Michael Rush
Devil on Deck (1932) - Shanghai Morgan
Texas Cyclone (1932) - Utah Becker
The Airmail Mystery (1932, Serial) - Judson Ward
The Riding Tornado (1932) - Hatch Engall
Two-Fisted Law (1932) - Bob Russell
Beauty Parlor (1932) - Fremont
The Honor of the Press (1932) - Roger Bradley
The Boiling Point (1932) - Holt Norbo - Bank Cashier
Gorilla Ship (1932) - Philip Wells
The Western Code (1932) - Nick Grindell
The Heart Punch (1932) - Spike Patterson
Speed Demon (1932) - Pete Stenner
Guilty or Not Guilty (1932) - Joe
End of the Trail (1932) - Major Jenkins
Sundown Rider (1932) - Laughing Maxey
Man of Action (1933) - Sheriff Clem Norton
Revenge at Monte Carlo (1933) - Spike Maguire
Silent Men (1933) - Ed Wilder
Soldiers of the Storm (1933) - George
Rusty Rides Alone (1933) - Poe Powers
Hold the Press (1933) - Hugh Abbott
Broadway Thru a Keyhole (1933) - Sam (uncredited)
Blood Money (1933) - Gangster with Shotgun (uncredited)
Palooka (1934) - Rafferty (uncredited)
Paradise Valley (1934) - 'Smiley' Mason
The Lost Jungle (1934) - Kirby
One Is Guilty (1934) - Toledo Eddie Marchetti
Operator 13 (1934) - Scout (uncredited)
In Old Santa Fe (1934) - Tracy
Frontier Days (1934) - Henry Jethrow
Undercover Men (1934) - Insp. A.R. McCrae
Murder in the Clouds (1934) - Joe
Square Shooter (1935) - Jim Thorne
The Phantom Empire (1935) - Lord Argo
The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) - Detective Jones (uncredited)
G Men (1935) - Gangster at Lodge Wanting to Quit (uncredited)
The Headline Woman (1935) - Panther Fielding
Motive for Revenge (1935) - Doane
Code of the Mounted (1935) - Duval
Death from a Distance (1935) - Langsdale, aka George Fremont
Born to Gamble (1935) - Jeff Drugan (uncredited)
Trails of the Wild (1935) - Hardy
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935) - Henchman Wheeler
The Man from Guntown (1935) - Henry DeLong
Annapolis Farewell (1935) - Cmdr. Lawson
Special Agent (1935) - Julie's Kidnapper (uncredited)
Timber War (1935) - Murdock
The Mysterious Avenger (1936) - Brophy
Roarin' Guns (1936) - Walton
Darkest Africa (1936, Serial) - Durkin
Song of the Trail (1936) - Bob Arnold
Thoroughbred (1936) - Duke Foster
Aces and Eights (1936) - Ace Morgan
Kelly the Second (1936) - Bookie (uncredited)
Ghost Patrol (1936) - Kincaid
Gambling with Souls (1936) - 'Lucky' Wilder
Death in the Air (1936) - Lt. Douglas Thompson
Bank Alarm (1937) - Joe Karlotti
Slaves in Bondage (1937) - Jim Murray
Radio Patrol (1937, Serial) - Stevens
Land of Fighting Men (1938) - Wallace
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938, Serial) - Tarnak
Code of the Rangers (1938) - Blackie Miller
The Texans (1938) - Union Captain (uncredited)
Red Barry (1938, Serial) Weaver
In Old Montana (1939) - Jim Dawson
The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939, Serial) - Manny - Fake Drunk (Ch. 9) (uncredited)
Buck Rogers (1939, Serial) - Lieutenant Patten
Wolf Call (1939) - Carson
Mutiny in the Big House (1939) - Prison Guard Benson
Torture Ship (1939) - John Ritter
Buried Alive (1939) - Manning
Power Dive (1941) - Sam - 1st Bartender (uncredited)
The Medico of Painted Springs (1941) - Fred Burns
Escort Girl (1941) - Gregory Stone
Double Trouble (1941) - Kimble
So's Your Aunt Emma (1942) - Blackie Hale, Henderson's Triggerman (uncredited)
Bowery at Midnight (1942) - Stratton
Fall In (1942) - Army Officer (uncredited)
The Adventures of Smilin' Jack (1943, Serial) - Freighter Mate [Chs. 7-8] (uncredited)
The Fighting Buckaroo (1943) - Sam Thatcher (uncredited)
Kid Dynamite (1943) - Tony - Bookie
The Ape Man (1943) - Police Detective Brady
Saddles and Sagebrush (1943) - Henchman Ace Barko
Ghosts on the Loose (1943) - Tony
Spotlight Scandals (1943) - Promoter
The Girl from Monterrey (1943) - Fight Announcer
Campus Rhythm (1943) - Sponsor (uncredited)
What a Man! (1944) - Tim - 1st Detective
Sundown Valley (1944) - Cab Baxter (uncredited)
Riding West (1944) - Captain Amos Karnes
Three of a Kind (1944) - Oliver
Bowery Champs (1944) - Tom Wilson
Mom and Dad (1945) - Bourbon Drinker on Train
Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Serial) - Joe Heller / Lew Heller (uncredited)
Rough Ridin' Justice (1945) - Virgil Trent (uncredited)
Trouble Chasers (1945) - Dek Sharp
Allotment Wives (1945) - Bartender (uncredited)
Who's Guilty? (1945, Serial) - Smiley
Hop Harrigan (1946, Serial) - Alex Ballard
In Fast Company (1946) - Cabbie-Henchman with graying mustache (uncredited)
Son of the Guardsman (1946, Serial) - Lord Markham (uncredited)
Jack Armstrong (1947, Serial) - Prof. Hobart Zorn
Brick Bradford (1947, Serial) - Louis Walthar
Superman (1948, Serial) - Dr. Fredrick Larkin (uncredited) (final film role)
References
^ a b c "Wheeler Oakman" . The New York Times . March 20, 1949.
^ "Seven Reels of Speech" . The New York Times . July 9, 1928.
^ "Wheeler Oakman" . B-Westerns . Retrieved December 4, 2020 .
^ a b Katchmer, George A. (September 22, 2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses . McFarland. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-7864-4693-3 . Retrieved June 3, 2017 .
^ "School Year Closes; Promotions to High School; Second Division . The Evening Star . June 20, 1905. p. 12. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^ Spiller, L.P. (August 1915). "Wheeler Oakman, Youngest Leading Man" . The Movie Magazine . 1 (6): 36. Retrieved June 13, 2018 .
^ a b c "Star of Silent Films Succumbs in Hollywood" . The Joplin Globe . Associated Press . March 20, 1949. p. 9. Retrieved June 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Crafton, Donald (1997). The Talkies: American Cinema's Transition to Sound, 1926-1931 . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 117. ISBN 0-520-22128-1.
^ "California Marriage Records: Index to Marriages" . Ancestry.com .
^ "Actor Oakman weds" . New York Daily News . December 28, 1932. p. 8. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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