Walter Pidgeon, a handsome, tall and dark haired man, began his career studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He then did theater, mainly stage musicals. He went to Hollywood in the early 1920s where he made silent films, such as Mannequin and Sumuru. When talkies arrived, Pidgeon made some early talkie musicals, but never received top billing or recognition. In 1937, MGM put Walter under contract but only in supporting roles and the other man roles - such as in Saratoga opposite Jean Harlow and Clark Gable and in The Girl of the Golden West opposite Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Although the 2 films were big successes, Pidgeon was overlooked for his contribution to the films. MGM loaned him out to Fox where he finally had top-billing in How Green Was My Valley. When he returned to MGM, they tried to give him bigger roles and cast him opposite frequent co-star Greer Garson. But Greer seemed to come up on top in _Blossom in the Dust (1941)_ and Mrs. Miniver, although Pidgeon did receive an Oscar nomination for his role in the latter movie. He remained with MGM till the mid-1950s, making films like Dream Wife and Hit the Deck with Jane Powell and old pal, Gene Raymond. In 1956, he left the movies to do some theater, but returned in 1961. He retired in 1977, and suffered several strokes which eventually led to his death in 1984.
First wife died in childbirth. President of the Screen Actors Guild [1952-1956] Became U.S.Citizen Featured baritone in the Broadway production "The Puzzles of 1925." His body donated to UCLA Medical School, Los Angeles, California, USA. President of Screen Actors Guild (SAG). [1952-1957] Had a notoriously poor memory for names, referring to anyone whose name he could not remember as "Joe." This became such a habit that, for his birthday one year, the cast and crew of the picture he was working on bought him a present: A director's chair enscribed "Joe Pidgeon." Daughter, Edna Pidgeon Atkins, born in 1923. 2 Grandaughters, Pat and Pam. Wife Ruth was his secretary before he married her. Was nominated for Broadway's 1960 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Take Me Along" -- a award that was won by his co-star Jackie Gleason . According to Salt of the Earth producer Paul Jarrico, who had been blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, Pidgeon tried to stop the production of the film (which was being made by blacklistees) in his capacity as president of the Screen Actors Guild, which had signed off on the blacklist. In a 1997 interview, Jarrico said, "There was a concerted effort to stop the making of the film after it became known that we were making the film. We had started the film in quite a normal fashion with contracts with Pate Lab to develop our film and rental of the equipment from Hollywood, people who supplied such things. A whistle was blown by Walter Pidgeon, the then president of the Actors Guild, and the FBI swung into action and movie industries swung into action and we found ourselves barred from laboratories, barred from sound studios, barred from any of the normal facilities available to film makers, and we found ourselves hounded by all kinds of denunciations on the floor of Congress and by columnists. The public was told that we were making a new weapon for Russia, that since we were shooting in New Mexico, where you find atom bombs, you find Communists, and every kind of scurrilous attack - vigilante attacks - on us while we were still shooting developed."