A prolific staple of Hollywood cinema for over a generation, Walter Abel may not have duplicated some of his early New York stage successes in leading roles once he relocated to the film world out West, but his was a versatile and an intelligent talent. His attractively open face, with its trademark trim mustache, lent a dapper yet sincere quality to the many harried professionals he played so well.

With his clarion voice and controlled yet energetic acting style, Abel enjoyed considerable success onstage in both leads and character roles in the 1920s. Especially notable were his simultaneous