George Walsh (March 16, 1889 â€" June 13, 1981) was an American
personality in the early decades of the 20th Century. An all-around
athlete, who became an actor and later returned to sport, he enjoyed
40 years of notoriety and was a performer with dual appeal, with women
loving his sexy charm and men appreciating his manly bravura.Known
variously as "the Laughing Athletic Thunderbolt," "the Apollo of the
Silver Sheet," "the Screen's Greatest Athlete" and "the King of
Smiles", Walsh’s movie career stretched from the start of true US
film-making to the Golden Era (20 years) during which time he was
featured in approximately 80 productions. He was attached to such
studios as Mutual, Chadwick, Triangle, Fox, Universal, Goldwyn, United
Artists, and Paramount.Born George Frederick Walsh in New York City to
Catholic parents of Irish descent. He was the middle child of three
siblings. (His older brother was the prolific film director, Raoul
Walsh.) At age 16, he was already accomplished at a variety of sports.
While studying law, at Fordham and Georgetown Universities, his skill
on the football field was such that he became a minor celebrity. He
was also briefly with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
personality in the early decades of the 20th Century. An all-around
athlete, who became an actor and later returned to sport, he enjoyed
40 years of notoriety and was a performer with dual appeal, with women
loving his sexy charm and men appreciating his manly bravura.Known
variously as "the Laughing Athletic Thunderbolt," "the Apollo of the
Silver Sheet," "the Screen's Greatest Athlete" and "the King of
Smiles", Walsh’s movie career stretched from the start of true US
film-making to the Golden Era (20 years) during which time he was
featured in approximately 80 productions. He was attached to such
studios as Mutual, Chadwick, Triangle, Fox, Universal, Goldwyn, United
Artists, and Paramount.Born George Frederick Walsh in New York City to
Catholic parents of Irish descent. He was the middle child of three
siblings. (His older brother was the prolific film director, Raoul
Walsh.) At age 16, he was already accomplished at a variety of sports.
While studying law, at Fordham and Georgetown Universities, his skill
on the football field was such that he became a minor celebrity. He
was also briefly with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.