1896-1970
Irish born actor Arthur Shields was born on this day into a Protestant family in Dublin; he was the younger brother of character actor Barry Fitzgerald (William Shields). Along with his brother, he began acting at the Abbey Theater in his home town when he was 17 years of age. Unlike his brother, he was much more involved with national and political action (which he no doubt got from their father who was a labour organiser). This led to Arthur participating in and being captured/arrested during the 1916 Easter Rising--he was held in a prison camp in Wales afterward. After his release and return to his native country, he returned to the stage and eventually made his moving picture debut. He had a "largish" named role in Knocknagow, a crime film directed by Irish producer/actor Fred O'Donovan in 1918. He appeared in just one other silent film; a comedic short Rafferty's Rise (1918)--this time O'Donovan was the lead actor and fellow Irishman J. M. Kerrigan directed. Shields did not make an appearance in film again until 1936 when he turned up in the John Ford film The Plough and the Stars--he would subsequently have roles in other Ford films, and was, reportedly, well liked by the director (he has a credit for DeMille's The Sign of the Cross released in 1932, but he credit dates to material he added in 1944 for a re-release of the film). He would spend the rest of his acting career in the Hollywood area and, mostly, in front of camera. He had a very early recurring role in a television series, when he was cast as "The Bookshop Man"--essentially the presenter--in Your Show Time, which premiered in 1949 on NBC. He would also make appearances on Perry Mason, Bat Masterson, Bonanza and Death Valley Days (just four of many!). Shields last filmed role came in the 1962 war comedy The Pigeon That Took Rome. He then retired and lived the Santa Barbara area until he passed some eight years later. Emphesema took his life on the 27th of April in 1970 in California; he was 74. His ashes are buried at Deans Grange Cemetery in Dublin, next to his brother William (Barry).
