| Charles Russell | |
| Birth Date: | 31 March 1918 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1943–1950 |
| Spouse: | Nancy Guild (married 1947–1950) |
| Children: | 1[1] |
Charles Russell (March 31, 1918 – January 18, 1985) was an American movie and radio actor who appeared in 17 movies between 1943 and 1950. He was also a television producer who worked in Hollywood and Australia.
Born in New York City, Russell made his debut in an uncredited part as a ball player in Ladies' Day (1943). His last film was Chinatown at Midnight (1949).[2] He originated the role of insurance investigator Johnny Dollar in the CBS Radio series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in 1949, playing the role until being replaced by Edmond O'Brien in 1950.[3] [4]
Russell married fellow 20th Century-Fox contract player Nancy Guild in 1947,[5] and they had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1949. They divorced in 1950.
Russell moved into television producing working on shows such as The Untouchables and Naked City.
He worked for a number of years in Australia at the ABC.[6] John Cameron, head of drama at the ABC in the 1970s, said Russell "was a man of great talents, who had developed a drinking problem to help him cope with the pressures of Network American television. He was winning his battle, but still had bad spells. He gave the ABC a great shot in the arm, and built a degree of professionalism in its drama filming that continued to pay dividends long after he returned to America."[7] Russell died in Beverly Hills, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Ladies' Day | Ball Player | Uncredited | |
| 1943 | Bombardier | Instructor | ||
| 1944 | The Purple Heart | Lt. Kenneth Bayforth | ||
| 1945 | Captain Eddie | Sgt. Jim Reynolds | ||
| 1946 | Behind Green Lights | Arthur Templeton | ||
| Johnny Comes Flying Home | Miles Carey | |||
| Wake Up and Dream | Lieutenant Coles | |||
| 1947 | The Late George Apley | Howard Boulder | ||
| Beyond Our Own | Peter Rogers | |||
| 1948 | Give My Regards to Broadway | Arthur Waldron Jr. | ||
| Canon City | Tolley | |||
| Night Wind | Ralph Benson | |||
| Inner Sanctum | Harold Dunlap | |||
| Trouble Preferred | Lt. Rod Brooks | |||
| 1949 | Tucson | Gregg Johnson | ||
| Mary Ryan, Detective | Detective Baker | Uncredited | ||
| Chinatown at Midnight | Fred Morgan | |||
| 1950 | Breakthrough | U.S. Soldier | Uncredited, (final film role) |