Dooley Wilson
| Dooley Wilson | |
|---|---|
Wilson in Casablanca (1942)
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| Born |
Arthur Wilson April 3, 1886 Tyler, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 30, 1953 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor/Singer |
| Years active | 1908–1951 |
| Spouse(s) | Estelle Wilson (?-1953; his death) |
Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (April 3, 1886 – May 30, 1953) was an American actor and singer, who is best remembered as the piano-player and singer Sam who sings "As Time Goes By" at the request of Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) in Casablanca (1942).
Wilson was a drummer and singer who led his own band in the 1920s, touring nightclubs in London and Paris. In the 1930s he took up acting, playing supporting roles onstage on Broadway and in a series of modest films. His role in Casablanca was by far his most prominent, but his other films included My Favorite Blonde (1942) with Bob Hope, Stormy Weather (1943) with Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers, and the western Passage West (1951).
Arthur Wilson was born in Tyler, Texas, and broke into show business at the age of 12, playing in a vaudeville minstrel show. He sang and played the drums in black clubs in the Tyler area before he moved to Chicago. He received the nickname "Dooley" while working in the Pekin Theatre in Chicago, circa 1908, because of his then-signature Irish song "Mr. Dooley", which he performed in whiteface. He worked in black theatre in Chicago and New York City for most of the period from 1908 to the 1930s, although in the 1920s he toured Europe as a drummer and singer in his own band, the Red Devils.
From the 1930s to the 1950s Wilson worked in motion pictures and Broadway, including with Orson Welles and John Houseman at the Federal Theatre. His breakthrough Broadway appearance came in the role of Little Joe in the musical Cabin in the Sky (1940–1941). This led to his signing with the Paramount studio in Hollywood.
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