Editing Walter Pidgeon

{{short description|Canadian-American actor (1897–1984)}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Walter Pidgeon
| image              = Perry-Mason-Pidgeon-1963.jpg
| caption            = Pidgeon on ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' (1963)
| birth_name         = Walter Davis Pidgeon
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1897|9|23}}
| birth_place        = [[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]], [[New Brunswick]], Canada
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1984|9|25|1897|9|23}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| citizenship        = {{ubl|[[British subject]]|United States (from 1943)}}
| education          = [[University of New Brunswick]]<br>[[Boston Conservatory of Music]]
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1925–1977
| party              = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Edna Muriel Pickles|1919|1921|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Ruth Walker<br/>|1931}}
}}
| children           = 1<ref name="Foster, 2003" />
| module2            = {{infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office       = President of the [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| term_start   = 1952
| term_end     = 1957
| predecessor  = [[Ronald Reagan]]
| successor    = [[Leon Ames]]
}}
}}

'''Walter Davis Pidgeon''' (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A major [[leading man]] during the [[Golden Age of Hollywood]], known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise,"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Joseph |date=1984-09-26 |title=WALTER PIDGEON, ACTOR, DIES AT 87 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/26/obituaries/walter-pidgeon-actor-dies-at-87.html |access-date=2024-01-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Pidgeon earned two [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]], for his roles in ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' (1942) and ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' (1943).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sagaftra.org/walter-pidgeon |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=www.sagaftra.org |title=Walter Pidgeon &#124; SAG-AFTRA }}</ref>

Pidgeon also starred in many other notable films, such as ''[[How Green Was My Valley (film)|How Green Was My Valley]]'' (1941), ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952), ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' (1956), ''[[Executive Suite]]'' (1954), ''[[Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea]]'' (1961), ''[[Advise & Consent]]'' (1962), ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' (1968), and ''[[Harry in Your Pocket]]'' (1973).

Aside from his acting career, Pidgeon served as the 10th President of the [[Screen Actors Guild]], between 1952 and 1957. He received the Guild's [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award|Life Achievement Award]] in 1975, and a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1960, for his contributions to the motion picture industry.

==Early life and education==
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Pidgeon was the son of Hannah (née Sanborn), a housewife, and Caleb Burpee Pidgeon, a haberdasher.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Hollywood Reliables| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IiYvAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Caleb+Burpee+Pidgeon%22| first1=James Robert| last1=Parish| first2=Gregory W.| last2=Mank| publisher=Arlington House| date=April 1981| page=147|url-access=subscription | isbn=978-0870004308}}</ref>

Pidgeon received his formal education in local schools and the [[University of New Brunswick]], where he studied law and drama. His university education was interrupted by [[World War I]] when he volunteered with the 65th Battery, as a lieutenant in the [[Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery]]. He never saw action, however, as he was severely injured in an accident when he was crushed between two gun carriages and spent seventeen months in a military hospital.<ref name="Foster, 2003">{{cite book |last1=Foster |first1=Charles |title=Once upon a time in paradise : Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood |date=2003 |publisher=Dundurn Group |location=Toronto |isbn=1-55002-464-7 |pages=233–250}}</ref> His Officer Attestation states he was born in 1895 but further medical records state 1896. 

Following the war, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked as a bank runner, at the same time studying voice at the [[Boston Conservatory at Berklee|Boston Conservatory]].<ref name="Foster, New Brunswick">{{cite web |last1=Foster |first1=Charles |title=The Gentleman from Saint John |url=http://www.new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/fame/pidgeon.html |website=new-brunswick.net |access-date=9 November 2021 |quote=...using the money he earned, he entered the Boston Conservatory of Music. |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804075802/http://www.new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/fame/pidgeon.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career==
While he was performing in amateur theatricals in Boston, Pidgeon was hired by [[Elsie Janis]], a producer, actress and singer looking for a male singer for her revue. Pidgeon moved to New York City in 1923, where he was interviewed by [[E.E. Clive]], a British producer working on Broadway. Pidgeon made his first featured Broadway debut in Janis' 1925 revue ''Puzzles of 1925''.<ref name="Foster, 2003" /> Clive was producing ''[[You Never Can Tell (play)|You Never Can Tell]]'', and he cast Pidgeon in a supporting role despite Pidgeon's lack of theatrical experience. 

Pidgeon's success created a rift between Janis and him, leading to Pidgeon's dismissal and his move to Hollywood.<ref name="Foster, 2003" /> His first role was in [[silent film]] ''[[Mannequin (1926 film)|Mannequin]]'' (1925). Discouraged with the quality of the roles he was getting, Pidgeon returned to New York in 1928 to resume his theater career.<ref name="Foster, 2003" /> With the advent of sound  films, Pidgeon starred in musicals ''[[Bride of the Regiment]]'' (1930), ''[[Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930 film)|Sweet Kitty Bellairs]]'' (1930), ''[[Viennese Nights]]'' (1930) and ''[[Kiss Me Again (1931 film)|Kiss Me Again]]'' (1931). In 1935, he appeared onstage on Broadway in ''Something Gay'', ''[[Night of January 16th]]'', and ''[[There's Wisdom in Women]]''.

Pidgeon returned to film in 1937 as a dramatic actor in ''[[Saratoga (film)|Saratoga]]'' (1937), then acted in ''[[The Girl of the Golden West (1938 film)|The Girl of the Golden West]]'' (1938) and ''[[Dark Command]]'' (1940).<ref name="Foster, 2003" />
[[File:Greer teresa pidgeon miniverpic.jpg|left|thumb|Pidgeon with [[Teresa Wright]] and [[Greer Garson]] in ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' (1942)]]

In 1941, Pidgeon starred in the [[14th Academy Awards|Academy Award-winning Best Picture]] ''[[How Green Was My Valley (film)|How Green Was My Valley]]'' (1941). He starred with [[Greer Garson]] in ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]'' (1941), ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' (1942) (for which he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]) and its sequel, ''[[The Miniver Story]]'' (1950). He was also nominated for ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' (1943), again with Garson. His partnership with her continued throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s with ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]'' (1944), ''[[Julia Misbehaves]]'' (1948), ''[[That Forsyte Woman]]'' (1949), and finally ''[[Scandal at Scourie]]'' (1953). He also starred as Chip Collyer in the comedy ''[[Week-End at the Waldorf]]'' (1945) and later as Colonel Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar, who was given the difficult task of repatriating Russians in post-World War II Vienna in ''[[The Red Danube]]'' (1949).

Although he continued to make films, including ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952), ''[[Executive Suite]]'' (1954) and ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' (1956), Pidgeon returned to work on Broadway in the mid-1950s after a 20-year absence. He was featured in ''[[Take Me Along]]'' with [[Jackie Gleason]] and received a [[Tony Award]] nomination for the musical play. He continued making films, playing Admiral Harriman Nelson in 1961's ''[[Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea]]'', James Haggin in [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[Big Red (film)|Big Red]]'' (1962), and the Senate Majority Leader in [[Otto Preminger]]'s ''[[Advise & Consent (film)|Advise & Consent]]''. His role as [[Florenz Ziegfeld]] in ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' (1968) was well received. Later, he played Casey, [[James Coburn]]'s sidekick, in ''[[Harry in Your Pocket]]'' (1973).

Pidgeon guest-starred in the episode "King of the Valley" (November 26, 1959) on ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]''. Pidgeon played Dave King, a prosperous rancher who quarrels with his banker over a $10,000 loan.

His other television credits included ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' ("The Reunion", 1962). ''[[Breaking Point (1963 TV series)|Breaking Point]]'', ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'', ''[[Marcus Welby, M.D.]]'', and ''[[Gibbsville (TV series)|Gibbsville]]''. In 1963 he guest-starred as corporate attorney Sherman Hatfield in the fourth of four special episodes of ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' while [[Raymond Burr]] was recovering from surgery. In 1965, he played the king in [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s CBS television production of ''[[Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical)#1965 version|Cinderella]]'', starring [[Lesley Ann Warren]]. Pidgeon retired from acting in 1977.

==Politics==
A [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], Pidgeon joined celebrity Republicans in 1944 at a rally in the [[Los Angeles Coliseum]] arranged by [[David O. Selznick]] to support the [[Thomas E. Dewey|Dewey]]−[[John W. Bricker|Bricker]] ticket and Governor [[Earl Warren]] of California, who was Dewey's running mate in 1948. The gathering drew 93,000, with [[Cecil B. DeMille]] as the master of ceremonies and short speeches by [[Hedda Hopper]] and [[Walt Disney]].<ref>{{cite book| first=David M.| last=Jordan| title=FDR, Dewey, and the Election of 1944| location=Bloomington and Indianapolis| publisher=Indiana University Press | url=https://archive.org/details/fdrdeweyelection0000jord| url-access=registration| quote=pidgeon.| year=2011| pages=[https://archive.org/details/fdrdeweyelection0000jord/page/231 231]–32| isbn=978-0253356833}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1919, Pidgeon wed Edna Muriel Pickles, who died during the birth of their daughter, Edna (1921–1978).<ref name="northernstars">{{cite web| url=http://www.northernstars.ca/pidgeon_walter_biography/| title=Walter Pidgeon—Biography| publisher=NorthernStars.ca (The Canadian Movie Database)|access-date=2009-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203100824/https://www.northernstars.ca/pidgeon_walter_biography |archive-date=December 3, 2020 }}</ref> In 1931, Pidgeon married his secretary, Ruth Walker, to whom he remained married until his death.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Joseph |date=1984-09-26 |title=WALTER PIDGEON, ACTOR, DIES AT 87 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/26/obituaries/walter-pidgeon-actor-dies-at-87.html |access-date=2023-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Pidgeon [[Naturalization|became a United States citizen]] on December 24, 1943.<ref>[http://interactive.ancestrylibrary.com/1629/30849_120556-00799/8089522?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestrylibrary.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dWalter%2b%26gsfn_x%3d0%26gsln%3dPidgeon%26gsln_x%3d0%26MSAV%3d0%26uidh%3d57k%26pcat%3d40%26h%3d8089522%26recoff%3d5%2b7%26db%3dUSnatindex_awap%26indiv%3d1%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord Walter Davis Pidgeon's Petition for Naturalization as a United States Citizen], ancestry.com; accessed November 17, 2015.</ref>

==Death==
Pidgeon died on September 25, 1984, age 87, in Santa Monica, California, following a series of strokes.<ref name=obit>{{cite news| url=http://www.reelclassics.com/Actors/Pidgeon/pidgeon-article.htm| title=Walter Pidgeon, Actor, Dies at 87| newspaper=The New York Times| author-link=Joseph Berger (author)| first=Joseph| last=Berger| date=September 26, 1984| quote=Walter Pidgeon, the courtly actor who distinguished his 47-year career with portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise, died yesterday at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 87 years old and had suffered a series of strokes. ...|access-date=2009-10-25}}</ref>

Walter Pidgeon has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6414 Hollywood Boulevard in California.

==Complete filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Director
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1926 || ''[[Mannequin (1926 film)|Mannequin]]'' || Martin Innesbrook || [[James Cruze]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Outsider, The" | ''[[The Outsider (1926 film)|The Outsider]]'' || Basil Owen || [[Rowland V. Lee]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Old Loves and New]]'' || Clyde Lord Geradine || [[Maurice Tourneur]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Miss Nobody (1926 film)|Miss Nobody]]'' || Bravo || [[Lambert Hillyer]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Marriage License?]]'' || Paul || [[Frank Borzage]] ||
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1927 || data-sort-value="Heart of Salome, The" | ''[[The Heart of Salome]]'' || Monte Carroll || [[Victor Schertzinger]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| data-sort-value="Girl from Rio, The" | ''[[The Girl from Rio (1927 film)|The Girl from Rio]]'' || Paul Sinclair || [[Tom Terriss]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Thirteenth Juror, The" | ''[[The Thirteenth Juror]]'' || Richard Marsden || [[Edward Laemmle]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Gorilla, The" | ''[[The Gorilla (1927 film)|The Gorilla]]'' || Stevens || [[Alfred Santell]] || 
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1928 || data-sort-value="Gateway of the Moon, The" | ''[[The Gateway of the Moon]]'' || Arthur Wyatt || [[John Griffith Wray]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Woman Wise]]'' || United States Consul || [[Albert Ray]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Turn Back the Hours]]'' || Philip Drake || [[Howard Bretherton]] || 
|-
| ''[[Clothes Make the Woman]]'' || Victor Trent || [[Tom Terriss]] || 
|-
| ''[[Melody of Love (1928 film)|Melody of Love]]'' || Jack Clark || [[Arch Heath]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1929 || data-sort-value="Voice Within, The" | ''The Voice Within'' || || || 
|-
| ''[[Her Private Life]]'' || Ned Thayer || [[Alexander Korda]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Most Immoral Lady, A" | ''[[A Most Immoral Lady]]'' || Tony Williams || [[John Griffith Wray]] || 
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1930 || ''[[Showgirl in Hollywood]]'' || Himself – Premiere Emcee || [[Mervyn LeRoy]] || Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Bride of the Regiment]]'' || Col. Vultow || [[John_Francis_Dillon_(director)|John Francis Dillon]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930 film)|Sweet Kitty Bellairs]]'' || Lord Varney || [[Alfred E. Green]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Gorilla, The" | ''[[The Gorilla (1930 film)|The Gorilla]]'' || Arthur Marsden || [[Bryan Foy]] || '''Lost''' film
|-
| ''[[Viennese Nights (film)|Viennese Nights]]'' || Franz von Renner || [[Alan Crosland]] || 
|-
| ''[[Going Wild]]'' || 'Ace' Benton || [[William A. Seiter]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1931 || ''[[Kiss Me Again (1931 film)|Kiss Me Again]]'' || Paul de St. Cyr || [[William A. Seiter]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Hot Heiress, The" | ''[[The Hot Heiress]]'' || Clay || [[Clarence G. Badger]] || 
|-
| 1932 || ''[[Rockabye (1932 film)|Rockabye]]'' || Al Howard || [[George Cukor]] || 
|-
| 1933 || data-sort-value="Kiss Before the Mirror, The" | ''[[The Kiss Before the Mirror]]'' || Lucy's Lover || [[James Whale]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1934 || ''[[Journal of a Crime]]'' || Florestan || [[William Keighley]] || 
|-
| ''Good Badminton'' || Walter || || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1936 || ''[[Big Brown Eyes]]'' || Richard Morey || [[Raoul Walsh]] || 
|-
| ''[[Fatal Lady]]'' || David Roberts || [[Edward Ludwig]] || 
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1937 || ''[[She's Dangerous]]'' || Dr. Scott Logan || [[Lewis R. Foster]] || 
|-
| ''[[Girl Overboard (1937 film)|Girl Overboard]]'' || Paul Stacey || [[Sidney Salkow]] || 
|-
| ''[[As Good as Married]]'' || Fraser James || [[Edward Buzzell]] || 
|-
| ''[[Saratoga (film)|Saratoga]]'' || Hartley Madison || [[Jack_Conway_(filmmaker)|Jack Conway]] || 
|-
| ''[[My Dear Miss Aldrich]]'' || Ken Morley || [[George B. Seitz]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Girl with Ideas, A" | ''[[A Girl with Ideas]]'' || Mickey McGuire || [[S. Sylvan Simon]] || 
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1938 || ''[[Man-Proof]]'' || Alan Wythe || [[Richard Thorpe]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Girl of the Golden West, The" | ''[[The Girl of the Golden West (1938 film)|The Girl of the Golden West]]'' || Jack Rance || [[Robert Z. Leonard]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Shopworn Angel, The" | ''[[The Shopworn Angel]]'' || Sam Bailey || [[H.C. Potter]] || 
|-
| ''[[Too Hot to Handle (1938 film)|Too Hot to Handle]]'' || William O. "Bill" Dennis || [[Jack_Conway_(filmmaker)|Jack Conway]] || 
|-
| ''[[Listen, Darling]]'' || Richard Thurlow || [[Edwin L. Marin]] || 
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1939 || ''[[Society Lawyer]]'' || Christopher Durant || [[Edwin L. Marin]] || 
|-
| ''[[6,000 Enemies]]'' || Steve Donegan || [[George B. Seitz]] || 
|-
| ''[[Stronger Than Desire]]'' || Tyler Flagg || [[Leslie Fenton]] || 
|-
| ''[[Nick Carter, Master Detective (film)|Nick Carter, Master Detective]]'' || Nick Carter / Robert Chalmers || [[Jacques Tourneur]] || 
|-
| rowspan=7 | 1940 || ''[[I Take This Woman (1940 film)|I Take This Woman]]'' || Phil Mayberry || || Scenes deleted
|-
| data-sort-value="House Across the Bay, The" | ''[[The House Across the Bay]]'' || Tim || [[Alfred Hitchcock]] (Uncredited) || 
|-
| ''[[It's a Date]]'' || John Arlen || [[William A. Seiter]] || 
|-
| ''[[Dark Command]]'' || William 'Will' Cantrell || [[Raoul Walsh]] || 
|-
| ''[[Phantom Raiders]]'' || Nick Carter || [[Jacques Tourneur]] || 
|-
| ''[[Sky Murder]]'' || Nick Carter || [[George B. Seitz]] || 
|-
| ''[[Flight Command]]'' || Squadron Cmdr. Billy Gary || [[Frank Borzage]] || 
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1941 || ''[[Man Hunt (1941 film)|Man Hunt]]'' || Captain Alan Thorndike || [[Fritz Lang]] || 
|-
| ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]'' || Sam Gladney || [[Mervyn LeRoy]] || 
|-
| ''[[How Green Was My Valley (film)|How Green Was My Valley]]'' || Mr. Gruffydd || [[John Ford]] || 
|-
| ''[[Design for Scandal]]'' || Jeff Sherman || [[Norman Taurog]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1942 || ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' || Clem Miniver || [[William Wyler]] || 
|-
| ''[[White Cargo]]'' || Harry Witzel || [[Richard Thorpe]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1943 || data-sort-value="Youngest Profession, The" | ''[[The Youngest Profession]]'' || Himself || [[Edward Buzzell]] || 
|-
| ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' || Pierre Curie || [[Mervyn LeRoy]] || 
|-
| 1944 || ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]'' || Major Augustus 'Gus' Parkington || [[Tay Garnett]] || 
|-
| 1945 || ''[[Week-End at the Waldorf]]'' || Chip Collyer || [[Robert Z. Leonard]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1946 || ''[[Holiday in Mexico]]'' || Jeffrey Evans || [[George Sidney]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Secret Heart, The" | ''[[The Secret Heart]]'' || Chris Matthews || [[Robert Z. Leonard]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1947 || ''[[Cass Timberlane]]'' || Himself – Party Guest || [[George Sidney]] || Uncredited
|-
| ''[[If Winter Comes]]'' || Mark Sabre || [[Victor Saville]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1948 || ''[[Julia Misbehaves]]'' || William Sylvester Packett || [[Jack_Conway_(film-maker)|Jack Conway]] || 
|-
| ''[[Command Decision (film)|Command Decision]]'' || Major General Roland Goodlaw Kane || [[Sam Wood]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1949 || data-sort-value="Red Danube, The" | ''[[The Red Danube]]'' || Col. Michael S. "Hooky" Nicobar || [[George Sidney]] || 
|-
| ''[[That Forsyte Woman]]'' || Young Jolyon Forsyte || [[Compton Bennett]] || 
|-
| 1950 || data-sort-value="Miniver Story, The" | ''[[The Miniver Story]]'' || Clem Miniver || [[H.C. Potter]] || 
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1951 || ''[[Soldiers Three (film)|Soldiers Three]]'' || Col. Brunswick || [[Tay Garnett]] || 
|-
| ''[[Calling Bulldog Drummond]]'' || Maj. Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond || [[Victor Saville]] || 
|-
| ''[[Quo Vadis (1951 film)|Quo Vadis]]'' || Narrator || [[Mervyn LeRoy]] || Voice, uncredited
|-
| data-sort-value="Unknown Man, The" | ''[[The Unknown Man]]'' || Dwight Bradley Masen || [[Richard Thorpe]] || 
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1952 || data-sort-value="Sellout, The" | ''[[The Sellout (film)|The Sellout]]'' || Haven D. Allridge || [[/w/index.php|Gerald Mayer]] || 
|-
| ''[[Million Dollar Mermaid]]'' || Frederick Kellerman || [[Mervyn LeRoy]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Bad and the Beautiful, The" | ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' || Harry Pebbel || [[Vincente Minnelli]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1953 || ''[[Scandal at Scourie]]'' || Patrick J. McChesney || [[Jean Negulesco]] || 
|-
| ''[[Dream Wife]]'' || Walter McBride || [[Sidney Sheldon]] || 
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1954 || ''[[Executive Suite]]'' || Frederick Y. Alderson || [[Robert Wise]] || 
|-
| ''[[Men of the Fighting Lady]]'' || Comdr. Kent Dowling || [[Andrew Marton]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Last Time I Saw Paris, The" | ''[[The Last Time I Saw Paris]]'' || James Ellswirth || [[Richard Brooks]] || 
|-
| ''[[Deep in My Heart (1954 film)|Deep in My Heart]]'' || J.J. Shubert || [[Stanley Donen]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1955 || ''[[Hit the Deck (1955 film)|Hit the Deck]]'' || Rear Adm. Daniel Xavier Smith || [[Roy_Rowland_(film_director)|Roy Rowland]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Glass Slipper, The" | ''[[The Glass Slipper (film)|The Glass Slipper]]'' || Narrator || [[Charles Walters]] || Voice, uncredited
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1956 || ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' || Dr. Morbius || [[Fred_M._Wilcox_(director)|Fred M. Wilcox]] || 
|-
| ''[[These Wilder Years]]'' || James Rayburn || [[Roy_Rowland_(film_director)|Roy Rowland]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Rack, The" | ''[[The Rack (1956 film)|The Rack]]'' || Col. Edward W. Hall, Sr. || [[Arnold Laven]] || 
|-
| 1958 || ''Swiss Family Robinson'' || Father || || 
|-
| 1959 || ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis (1959 film)|Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' || Mr. Alonzo Smith || || TV Movie
|-
| 1961 || ''[[Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea]]'' || Adm. Harriman Nelson || [[Irwin Allen]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1962 || ''[[Advise and Consent (film)|Advise and Consent]]'' || Senate Majority Leader || [[Otto Preminger]] || 
|-
| ''[[Big Red (film)|Big Red]]'' || James Haggin || [[Norman Tokar]] || 
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1963 || data-sort-value="Two Colonels, The" | ''[[The Two Colonels]]'' || Colonello Timothy Henderson || [[Steno_(director)|Steno]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Shortest Day, The" | ''[[The Shortest Day]]'' || Ernest Hemingway || [[Sergio Corbucci]] || Uncredited
|-
| ''Anniversary'' || Narrator || || 
|-
| 1964 || ''Mr. Kingston'' || || || 
|-
| 1965 || ''[[Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical)#1965 version|Cinderella]]'' || King || [[Ralph Nelson]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1967 || ''[[How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967 film)|How I Spent My Summer Vacation]]'' || Lewis Gannet || || 
|-
| ''[[Warning Shot (1967 film)|Warning Shot]]'' || Orville Ames || [[Buzz Kulik]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1968 || data-sort-value="Vatican Affair, The" | ''[[The Vatican Affair]]'' || Professor Herbert Cummings || [[Emilio Miraglia]] || 
|-
| ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' || Florenz Ziegfeld || [[William Wyler]] || 
|-
| 1969 || ''[[Rascal (film)|Rascal]]'' || Sterling North || [[Norman Tokar]] || Voice
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1970 || ''House on Greenapple Road'' || Mayor Jack Parker || [[Robert Day (director)|Robert Day]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Mask of Sheba, The" | ''[[The Mask of Sheba]]'' || Dr. Max van Condon || [[David Lowell Rich]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1972 || data-sort-value="Screaming Woman, The" | ''[[The Screaming Woman]]'' || Dr. Amos Larkin || [[Jack Smight]] || 
|-
| ''[[Skyjacked (film)|Skyjacked]]'' || Sen. Arne Lindner || [[John Guillermin]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1973 || data-sort-value="Neptune Factor, The" | ''[[The Neptune Factor]]'' || Dr. Samuel Andrews || [[Daniel Petrie]] || 
|-
| ''[[Harry in Your Pocket]]'' || Casey || [[Bruce Geller]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1974 || ''[[Live Again, Die Again]]'' || Thomas Carmichael || [[Richard A. Colla]] || 
|-
| data-sort-value="Girl on the Late, Late Show, The" | ''[[The Girl on the Late, Late Show]]'' || John Pahlman || [[Gary Nelson (director)|Gary Nelson]] || 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1975 || ''You Lie So Deep, My Love'' || Uncle Joe Padway || [[David Lowell Rich]] || 
|-
| ''[[Murder on Flight 502]]'' || Charlie Parkins || [[George McCowan]] || 
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1976 || data-sort-value="Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, The" | ''[[The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case]]'' || Judge Trenchard || [[Buzz Kulik]] || 
|-
| ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' || Grayson's Butler || [[Michael Winner]] || 
|-
| ''[[Two-Minute Warning]]'' || The Pickpocket || [[Larry Peerce]] || 
|-
| 1978 || ''[[Sextette]]'' || The Chairman || [[Ken Hughes]] || 
|-
|}

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1946|| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]''<ref>{{cite news| title='Lux' Guest| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217198/harrisburg_telegraph/| newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph| date=November 23, 1946| page=19| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| 1946|| ''Lux Radio Theatre'' || ''[[Together Again (film)|Together Again]]''<ref>{{cite news| title='Together Again' With Irene Dunn [sic] Next 'Lux' Drama| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3211428/harrisburg_telegraph/| newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph| date=December 7, 1946| page=19| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=September 12, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''[[The Screen Guild Theater|Screen Guild Theatre]]'' || "[[Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]"<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2426009/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=April 6, 1952| page=52| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=May 16, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| 1953|| ''Lux Radio Theatre'' || ''[[The People Against O'Hara]]''<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2675786/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=March 8, 1953| page=46| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=June 23, 2015}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name|682074}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{tcmdb name}}

{{ScreenActorsGuildAward LifeAchievement 1960–1979}}
{{SAG Presidents}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Canada|New York City|United States|Los Angeles|California|Theatre|Radio|Film|Television|Music|Organized labor|Conservatism}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pidgeon, Walter}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:American male silent film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Canadian male film actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male radio actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male silent film actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Canadian male television actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:New England Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Screen Actors Guild]]
[[Category:University of New Brunswick alumni]]
[[Category:University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:Actors from Saint John, New Brunswick]]