Don Costello

Don Costello
Costello in Another Thin Man (1939)
Born	Eldon Lawrence Costello (1901-09-05)September 5, 1901 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	October 25, 1945(1945-10-25) (aged 44) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1929–1945

Eldon Lawrence Costello (September 5, 1901 – October 25, 1945) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio.

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Background

Eldon Lawrence Costello was born on September 5, 1901, in New Orleans,^[1]^[2] where Jesuit Fathers educated him. His initial plans to study law gave way to his interest in acting.^[3]

Career

In the mid 1920s, Costello was stage manager for the Wright Players in Louisville, Kentucky.^[4] Later in that decade, he acted with the Majestic Players in Elmira, New York.^[5]

Costello entered films in 1935 and in 1939 was put under contract with MGM. Known for his wicked sense of humor, Costello oftentimes played the role of a menace or a tough guy. He is probably best known for his role as Lefty in the movie Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). He appeared in 37 movies (31 times credited), including Another Thin Man (1939), Johnny Eager (1941) and The Blue Dahlia (1946).^{[citation needed]}

Death

Costello died of an overdose of sleeping tablets on October 25, 1945, at the age of 44. His wife, Louise, found him dead in the bedroom of their home in Sherman Oaks. He had earlier complained of being unable to get to sleep.^[6]

Broadway roles

Jerry-for-Short (1929) - Anthony La Vere
The Last Mile (1930) - Drake
Face the Music (1933) - Louis / Mr. O'Ryan
The Ghost of Yankee Doodle (1937) - Ockleford

Partial filmography

Another Thin Man (1939) - 'Diamond Back' Vogel
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939) - Fred
One Crowded Night (1940) - Lefty
Wildcat Bus (1940) - Sid Casey
Sleepers West (1941) - Carl Izzard
Ride on Vaquero (1941) - Redge
I'll Wait for You (1941) - Police Sergeant Brent
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) - Lefty
Whistling in the Dark (1941) - 'Noose' Green
Last of the Duanes (1941) - Jim Bland
Unholy Partners (1941) - Georgie Pelotti
Johnny Eager (1941) - Billiken
Joe Smith, American (1942) - Mead
Sundown Jim (1942) - Dobe Hyde
A-Haunting We Will Go (1942) - Doc Lake
Just Off Broadway (1942) - George Dolphin
A Night to Remember (1942) - Eddie Turner
Truck Busters (1943) - Anthony 'Tony' Bonetti
Air Raid Wardens (1943) - Heydrich
Crime Doctor (1943) - Nick Ferris
A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) - Drunk
Murder on the Waterfront (1943) - Gordon Shane - 'The Great Rajah'
Texas Masquerade (1944) - Ace Maxson
Rationing (1944) - Ace (uncredited)
The Whistler (1944) - Lefty Vigran aka Gorss (uncredited)
Mystery Man (1944) - Bud Trilling
Here Come the Co-Eds (1945) - Diamond (uncredited)
Great Stagecoach Robbery (1945) - Jed Quinlan
It's in the Bag! (1945) - Mickey (uncredited)
Nob Hill (1945) - Steve, Fighting Bartender (uncredited)
Along Came Jones (1945) - Leo Gledhill
Incendiary Blonde (1945) - Gus Vettori (uncredited)
Marshal of Laredo (1945) - Henchman Pretty Boy Murphy
Follow That Woman (1945) - Nick
The Red Dragon (1945) - Charles Masack
Crime of the Century (1946) - Joe, Bartender
The Blue Dahlia (1946) - Leo (final film role)

References

^ "Eldon Lawrence Costello". New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., Birth Records Index, 1790–1915. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
^ "Don Costello". California, U.S., Death Index, 1940–1997. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
^ "Don Costello is dead". The New York Times. October 26, 1945. p. 19. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
^ "Handsome stage manager of Wright Players, doing his work, plays many parts". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky, Louisville. March 7, 1926. p. 31. Retrieved February 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Majestic Play Is Real Drama". Star-Gazette. New York, Elmira. October 11, 1927. p. 13. Retrieved February 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Don Costello, Film Actor, Found Dead". Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.