Noah Nicholas Beery

 Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946)

Beery was an actor who appeared in films from 1913 to 1945. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery and the father of character actor Noah Beery Jr. Beery was billed as either Noah Beery or Noah Beery Sr. depending upon the film. Noah Beery found work in vaudeville and in the chorus of musical comedies during his early years in New York. After a dozen years on the stage, he joined his brother Wallace in Hollywood in 1915 to make motion pictures. He became a respected character actor, adept at playing the villain but sometimes portraying the hero. One of his most memorable characterizations was as Sergeant Gonzales in The Mark of Zorro (1920) opposite Douglas Fairbanks. Beery acted through the silent film era, and successfully made the transition to "talkies". He appeared in lavish early Technicolor musicals, such as The Show of Shows (1929), Song of the Flame (1930), Bright Lights (1930), Under a Texas Moon (1930) and Golden Dawn (1930). He reached his peak in popularity in 1930, even recording a phonograph record for Brunswick Records with songs from two of his films. However, his popularity gradually declined while his brother Wallace became the highest-paid actor in the world, winning an Oscar and arranging a contract with MGM in which he would be paid $1 more than any other actor on their roster. Noah Beery Sr. played the flamboyant supporting role of Mae West's bar-owning lover until she leaves him for Cary Grant in She Done Him Wrong (1933). Noah Beery Sr. and Noah Beery Jr. appeared together in The Trail Beyond (1934) with John Wayne, in which Noah Jr. played Wayne's sidekick throughout the picture.

Beery was married to actress Marguerite Lindsey from 1910 until his death, they had two children, including Noah Lindsey Berry (Stage name Noah Beery Jr.). Beery died on April 1, 1946 after suffering a heart attack at the Beverly Hills home of his brother Wallace Beery. He is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills.