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Moroni Olsen

Highest Rated: 100% One Foot in Heaven (1941)

Lowest Rated: 40% The Strange Woman (1946)

Birthday: Jun 27, 1889

Birthplace: Ogden, Utah, USA

Named for the angel that allegedly revealed a prophecy to Joseph Smith, character actor Moroni Olsen lives on most prominently as the voice of another angel, albeit one that is unseen. Each Christmas season Olsen can be heard as the senior angel giving orders to Clarence in perennial favorite "It's a Wonderful Life." Reared and educated in Utah, Olsen was born into a family devoted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and carried that devotion with him throughout his career. After performing in several Broadway plays in the early 1920s, he returned to Utah in 1923 and formed the Moroni Olsen Players, a traveling repertory company that toured throughout the western United States. He went back to New York for a couple more years before venturing out to Hollywood in 1935. His first film role was as Porthos in an RKO production of "The Three Musketeers," and such a prominent part suggested that stardom was a possibility, but instead he settled into the life of a constantly working character actor. His tall, commanding presence and sonorous voice led him to be cast most often in positions of authority: military officers, doctors and police officers were common. The distinctive voice also secured his other memorable role, that of the Magic Mirror in Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

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Highest rated movies

100% 56% One Foot in Heaven
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100% 61% Father's Little Dividend
Watchlist 97% 78% Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Watchlist
96% 91% Notorious
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90% 74% Father of the Bride
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88% 90% Mildred Pierce
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88% 71% The Glass Key
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85% 74% The Fountainhead
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82% 77% Possessed
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81% 73% Call Northside 777
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Moroni Olsen

Moroni Olsen A NIGHT IN PARADISE, Turhan Bey, Moroni Olsen, Paul Cavanagh, Merle Oberon, 1946 DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, John Garfield, Raymond Massey, Nancy Coleman, Moroni Olsen, 1942 THE FOUNTAINHEAD, Gary Cooper, Moroni Olsen, 1949 VIRGINIA CITY, from left: Alan Hale, Guinn Williams, Moroni Olsen, 1940 THE THREE MUSKETEERS, Paul Lukas, Moroni Olsen, Onslow Stevens, Walter Abel, 1935 DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE, Nancy Coleman, Raymond Massey, Moroni Olsen, 1942 ANNIE OAKLEY, Moroni Olsen, Barbara Stanwyck, Melvyn Douglas, 1935 AIR FORCE, Willard Robertson, Moroni Olsen, Edward Brophy, James Brown, 1943 MISSION TO MOSCOW, front row: Walter Huston, Minor Watson, Moroni Olsen, second row second from left: Louis Jean Heydt, 1943 View more photos

Filmography

Movies

Credit
55% 78% The Long, Long Trailer Mr. Tewitt (Character) - 1954
43% 33% Sign of the Pagan Pope Leo I (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet 0% So This Is Love Arnold Reuben (uncredited) (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 60% At Sword's Point Porthos (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 58% Lone Star Sam Houston (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 57% Washington Story Speaker of the House (Character) - 1952
100% 61% Father's Little Dividend Herbert Dunstan (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet 67% No Questions Asked Henry Manston (Character) - 1951
90% 74% Father of the Bride Herbert Dunstan (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 60% Task Force Adm. Ames (Character) - 1949
85% 74% The Fountainhead Chairman (Character) - 1949
56% 59% Samson and Delilah Targil (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 33% Up in Central Park Big Jim Fitts (Character) - 1948
81% 73% Call Northside 777 Parole Board Officer (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet 81% Command Decision Congressman Stone (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet Black Gold Don Toland (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 57% That Hagen Girl Trenton Gateley (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 49% The Long Night Chief of Police (Character) - 1947
82% 77% Possessed Dr. Ames (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 52% High Wall Dr. Philip Dunlap (Character) - 1947
96% 91% Notorious Walter Beardsley (Character) - 1946
40% 55% The Strange Woman Rev. Thatcher (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet Boys' Ranch Judge Henderson (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet 58% Weekend at the Waldorf House Detective Blake (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet 76% Pride of the Marines Capt. Burroughs (Character) - 1945
88% 90% Mildred Pierce Inspector Peterson (Character) - 1945
73% 86% Cobra Woman MacDonald (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 45% Buffalo Bill Sen. Frederici (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 58% Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Caliph Hassan (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 20% Mission to Moscow Col. Faymonville (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet No Score Yet We've Never Been Licked Unknown (Character) - 1943
88% 71% The Glass Key Ralph Henry (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 49% Reunion in France Paul Grebeau (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 38% Nazi Agent Brenner (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Favorite Spy Major Allen (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Dr. Olcott (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sundown Jim Andrew Barr (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 42% Dangerously They Live Mr. Goodwin (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 51% Dive Bomber Senior Surgeon at San Diego (Character) - 1941
100% 56% One Foot in Heaven Dr. John Romer (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Three Sons O'Guns Philip Talbot (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Respect the Law Dr. Walter Terriss (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet East of the River Judge R.D. Davis (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 45% If I Had My Way Mr. Blair (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 47% Brigham Young Doc Richards (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 56% Virginia City Cameron (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet No Score Yet Homicide Bureau Captain Haines (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 65% Dust Be My Destiny Slim Jones (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 56% Invisible Stripes The Warden (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 36% The Three Musketeers Bailiff (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 64% Susannah of the Mounties Supt. Andrew Standing (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 39% Allegheny Uprising Tom Calhoon (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Code of the Secret Service The Friar (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bill of Rights Royal Governor Dunmore (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 23% Gold Is Where You Find It Sen. George Hearst (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 43% Kidnapped Douglas (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Manhattan Merry-Go-Round Jonathan (Character) - 1937
97% 78% Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Magic Mirror (Voice) - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Adventure's End First Mate Rand Husk (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 45% Mary of Scotland John Knox (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Yellow Dust Missouri (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mummy's Boys Dr. Edward Sterling (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Grand Jury Davis (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Witness Chair Lieutenant Poole (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Farmer in the Dell Chester Hart (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet M'Liss Jake (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Two in Revolt Cyrus Benton (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 54% Annie Oakley Col. William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Three Musketeers Porthos (Character) - 1935

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 97% I Love Lucy Judge (Guest Star) 1952