Hefty and hearty, Carson was a useful and prolific character player, a near-star popular in the 1940s. Most typically cast as sweaty, pushy agents, anxious businessmen or city slicker types who were really dumber than the rural folks he tried to scam, Carson was memorable in such films as "The Strawberry Blonde" (1941), "Mildred Pierce" (1945), "A Star Is Born" (1954), and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958). Also seen often as the hero's comic relief sidekick, he was cast in this capacity most often opposite Dennis Morgan.