Historical Figures Codexery

Barry Fitzgerald

Irish stage and screen legend, Oscar winner for Going My Way.

The actor known as Barry Fitzgerald, whose birth name was William Joseph Shields, was born on 10 March 1888 and passed away on 4 January 1961.[1][2] A 2020 ranking by The Irish Times placed Fitzgerald as the 11th greatest film actor from Ireland.[3]

Quick Facts

Birth name
William Joseph Shields
Born
10 March 1888
Birthplace
Portobello, Dublin, Ireland
Died
4 January 1961
Place of death
Dublin, Ireland
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1924–1961
Relatives
Arthur Shields (brother)

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Fitzgerald was born at Walworth Road, Portobello, Dublin, to an Irish father and German mother, and was the elder brother of actor Arthur Shields.[2] He was raised in the Church of Ireland, though often cast as stereotypical Irish Catholic characters.[4] To prevent problems with his civil service employers, Fitzgerald adopted the stage name Barry Fitzgerald when he joined the Abbey Theatre in 1915.[5] Fitzgerald's major career advancement at the Abbey occurred in 1919 with his role in Lady Gregory's The Dragon, though he remained a part-time actor until 1929.[6]

The world premiere of Juno and the Paycock in 1924 featured Fitzgerald in the role of Captain Jack Boyle.[7] During the 1926 premiere of O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars, Fitzgerald performed as Fluther Good, and the production sparked riots and protests.[8] Fitzgerald relocated to Hollywood in March 1936 to appear in the film adaptation of The Plough and the Stars, which John Ford directed.[9] At St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin on 4 January 1961, Fitzgerald died from a heart attack at age 72.[10]

What the cited sources add

The Irish Times list notes Fitzgerald as a "golden age veteran" with credits in Bringing Up Baby, How Green Was My Valley, and The Quiet Man.[11]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Obituaries: Barry Fitzgerald", Variety, 18 January 1961, p. 70 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "General Registrar's Office", IrishGenealogy.ie; Boylan 1999, p. 130.; Cowell, "Where they lived in Dublin", O'Brien Press, 1980 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clarke, "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order", The Irish Times (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stanley, "Fitzgerald Meets Fame — and He Frowns", The New York Times, 14 January 1945, p. 120 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "BARRY FITZGERALD DIES IN DUBLIN HOSPITAL". The Irish Times. Dublin. 5 January 1961: 4. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "SOME IRISH ARTISTS: XXI.--Mr. Barry Fitzgerald Bruyere". The Irish Times. Dublin. 18 August 1923: 9.; Strauss, "Barry Fitzgerald: Mr. Fitzgerald, Driver Of 'The White Steed'", The New York Times, 12 February 1939, p. 129; "SOME IRISH ARTISTS: XXI.--Mr. Barry Fitzgerald Bruyere". The Irish Times. Dublin. 18 August 1923: 9. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Monks, Michael (28 August 1953). "BARRY FITZGERALD AIDS TOURIST DRIVE". The Irish Times:Dublin. 6.; "Barry Fitzgerald", AllMovie (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "ABBEY KIDNAPPING PLOT FAILS: WENT TO WRONG HOUSE "GUNBOYS" IN SEARCH OF MR. FITZGERALD". The Irish Times. Dublin. 15 February 1926: 5. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Boylan 1999, p. 130.; "BARRY FITZGERALD DIES IN DUBLIN HOSPITAL". The Irish Times. Dublin. 5 January 1961: 4. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Barry Fitzgerald" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "General Registrar's Office", IrishGenealogy.ie, February 2025; "Actor Barry Fitzgerald dies in Dublin", Los Angeles Times, 5 January 1961; "BARRY FITZGERALD DIES IN DUBLIN HOSPITAL". The Irish Times. Dublin. 5 January 1961: 4. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Clarke, "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order", The Irish Times. facts only, no text reused. irishtimes.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Barry Fitzgerald (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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