| Tammany Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1886 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1936 (aged 49) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1911-1936 |
| Spouse | May Young (?-1936) (his death) Gertrude Savage (? - ?) |
Tammany Young (September 9, 1886 – April 26, 1936) was an American stage and film actor, who appeared with W.C. Fields in seven films.
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Born in New York City, Young appeared on Broadway, in The Front Page (1928) by Ben Hecht and The New Yorkers (1930) (Herbert Fields and Cole Porter), and was considered a “good luck actor” by Broadway producers.[1] He was often cast in bit parts by the likes of The Shuberts, Jed Harris and David Belasco to bring luck to their productions.[2] His reputation in the theater business was such that his likeness was drawn in caricature by Alex Gard for Sardi's restaurant. That picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library.[3]
In Hollywood, Young started out in silent films and then was cast in talkies. Although frequently uncredited, he eventually appeared in over 100 movies with such stars as Myrna Loy, Bing Crosby, Mae West, Shirley Temple and Judy Garland. But he was known most notably for his role as the stooge (straight man) to W.C. Fields with whom he appeared in seven films: Sally of the Sawdust (1925), Six of a Kind (1934), You're Telling Me! (1934), The Old Fashioned Way (1934), It's a Gift (1934), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), and Poppy (1936).
Young also had a reputation as a gate crasher. By claiming to be an ice man, he worked his way into the 1921 Dempsey–Carpentier prize fight in New Jersey[2] and in 1932 he found his way into the Los Angeles Olympics. His exploits in this regard were written about frequently by sportswriters of the era.[4]
Young died in his sleep in Hollywood, California, at the age of 49. At the news of Young's death, W.C. Fields fell into a depression and stopped eating and sleeping.[4]