Mitchell, Thomas

(1895-1962)

   Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Thomas Mitchell became one of the most beloved motion picture character actors in scores of films during the Golden Age of Hollywood, appearing in Stagecoach (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946), among other. His roots were in the theatre, where he debuted with Ben Greet's company in 1913 and toured in Shakespeare with Charles Coburn's troupe. Mitchell scored popular successes in Marc Connelly's comedy The Wisdom Tooth (1926) and in Little Accident (1928), which he coauthored with Floyd Dell.