Edward Everett Horton

Edward Everett Horton Jr. (born March 18, 1886 - September 29, 1970) was a remarkable American character actor who had a prolific career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. He started his stage career back in 1906 when he was just 20 years old. His first starring role in a film was in the silent film comedy Too Much Business in 1922. Horton soon cultivated his acting style, particularly known for his own variation of the double take. Throughout the 1930s, Horton starred in many comedy features, usually portraying the character of a man who endures challenges until he finally asserts himself for a happy ending. His best-known work, however, is in supporting roles in films such as The Front Page (1931), Alice in Wonderland (1933), and The Gay Divorcee (1934, the first of several Astaire/Rogers films in which Horton appeared). In addition to his film career, Horton continued to appear in legitimate stage productions, often in summer stock. He also worked in radio and television, and is particularly well-known to younger audiences for his work in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show animation/cartoon program (1959–1961). Horton's impressive career spanned seven decades, from the early 1900s through to the 1970s.