Morgan Wallace (born Maier Weill; July 26, 1881 – December 12, 1953) was an American actor whose career lasted more than thirty years. He acted in over 120 films from 1914 to 1946, often playing supporting roles such as businessmen, authority figures, gangsters, lawyers, or military officers. Wallace is best known for his comedic roles with W.C. Fields, especially in It’s a Gift (1934), where he repeats the line “I want my kumquats,” and in My Little Chickadee (1940), where he played a gambler in the saloon scenes.
He performed in Broadway shows from the early 1900s to the 1940s and was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), holding membership card number 3. Wallace’s career covered the silent film era, the golden age of Hollywood talkies, and the years after World War II, making him a dependable character actor in many classic films.
Here are some key facts about Morgan Wallace:
| Full Name at Birth | Maier Weill |
| Stage Name | Morgan Wallace |
| Date of Birth | July 26, 1881 |
| Date of Death | December 12, 1953 |
| Age at Death | 72 years old |
| Birthplace | Lompoc, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actor (stage and film) |
| Most Famous Roles | Mr. Fitchmueller in It’s a Gift (1934), gambler in My Little Chickadee (1940) |
| Notable Achievement | Founding member of Screen Actors Guild (SAG member #3) |
| Estimated Net Worth at Death (1953) | Modest; typical for a working character actor of the era (no major wealth or estate records survive) |
Morgan Wallace Biography
Morgan Wallace was born Maier Weill on July 26, 1881, in Lompoc, California, a small farming town in Santa Barbara County. His parents were Isidore and Hannah Weill, both part of the local Jewish community. He went to the University of California, where he became interested in theater and acting. After graduating, he began acting professionally and changed his name to Morgan Wallace, following the show-business customs of the time.
Wallace started his stage career in the early 1900s. He appeared in Broadway shows beginning with Romeo and Juliet in 1904, and later in The Widow’s Might (1909), The Acquittal (1920), The Tavern (1920), Nature’s Nobleman (1921), The Law Breaker (1922), Gentle Grafters (1926), Ballyhoo (1927), Women Go On Forever (1927), Congratulations (1929), and Loco (1946). He also toured with his own group, the Morgan Wallace Players, performing in places like Sioux City, Iowa, in 1918 and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1927. In 1922, he acted in Lawful Larceny at London’s Savoy Theatre, showing his international experience.
Wallace began acting in films during the silent era, starting in 1914 with an uncredited part as a spectator in Charlie Chaplin’s Gentlemen of Nerve. He also appeared in silent films like Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914), Bringing Up Betty (1919), Flying Pat (1920), Dream Street (1921), Orphans of the Storm (1921), and One Exciting Night (1922). When sound films arrived in the late 1920s, his career grew, and he became a reliable character actor in Hollywood, appearing in over 120 films until 1946.
Read on for more details.
Some of his most memorable roles came in comedies. In W.C. Fields’ It’s a Gift (1934), Wallace played Mr Fitchmueller, the persistent kumquat buyer who drives Fields’ character to distraction with the repeated line “I want my kumquats.” He supported Fields again in My Little Chickadee (1940), playing a gambler in the saloon scenes. Other notable appearances include The Maltese Falcon (1931) as the district attorney (uncredited), Grand Hotel (1932) as a chauffeur, Fury (1936) as Fred Garrett, The Star Maker (1939) as Lou Morris, and Dick Tracy (1945) as Steve Owens. His final film role was as Bender in The Falcon’s Alibi (1946).
In the 1930s, Wallace was one of the first members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and held membership card number 3. He helped start the group to protect actors’ rights, improve working conditions, and set fair pay in Hollywood. His work with SAG shows his dedication to the acting profession, not just his own career.
Wallace married and spent his later years living quietly in California. He retired from acting in the mid-1940s and died on December 12, 1953, at age 72 in Tarzana, California. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
Age
Morgan Wallace was born on July 26, 1881. He died on December 12, 1953, at the age of 72.
Update
As of January 2026, Morgan Wallace’s legacy lives on through classic film revivals, streaming platforms, and film history studies. His movies, especially the W.C. Fields comedies, are frequently shown on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the Criterion Channel, and public-domain archives. Recent restorations of silent films and early talkies have brought some of his lesser-known roles back into circulation.
In 2024 and 2025, several online retrospectives and podcasts featured his supporting roles in pre-Code Hollywood and his early work with SAG. No major new biographies, documentaries, or lost performances have appeared in 2025, but his SAG membership (number 3) is still mentioned in discussions about Hollywood labor history and the guild’s founding. His kumquat scene in It’s a Gift is still a favorite in comedy clips on YouTube and social media.
Movies
Morgan Wallace acted in over 120 films between 1914 and 1946. Here are some of his most notable roles:
- Gentlemen of Nerve (1914) – Spectator (film debut, uncredited)
- Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914) – Thief in “A Thief’s Fate” (uncredited)
- Bringing Up Betty (1919) – Duke of Medonia
- Flying Pat (1920) – William Endicott
- Dream Street (1921) – Masked Violinist
- Orphans of the Storm (1921) – Marquis de Praille
- One Exciting Night (1922) – J. Wilson Rockmaine
- The Hotel Mouse (1923) – Honourable Harry Hurlingham
- The Fighting Blade (1923) – Lord Robert Erisey
- The Dangerous Maid (1923) – Col. Percy Kirk
- Torment (1924) – Jules Carstock
- Daring Love (1924) – Jerry Hayden
- A Woman Who Sinned (1924) – George Ransdell
- Sandra (1924) – François Molyneaux
- Reckless Romance (1924) – Harold Shrewsbury
- Sisters (1930) – William Tully
- Up the River (1930) – Frosby (uncredited)
- Big Money (1930) – Durkin
- It Pays to Advertise (1931) – L.R. McChesney
- The Maltese Falcon (1931) – District Attorney (uncredited)
- Smart Money (1931) – District Attorney Black (uncredited)
- Alexander Hamilton (1931) – James Monroe
- Safe in Hell (1931) – Mr Bruno, the Hangman
- Hell’s House (1932) – Frank Gebhardt
- The Final Edition (1932) – Neil Selby
- The Beast of the City (1932) – Police Captain (uncredited)
- Steady Company (1932) – Tuxedo Carter
- The Wet Parade (1932) – Bootlegger Leader (uncredited)
- Grand Hotel (1932) – Chauffeur
- The Mouthpiece (1932) – E.A. Smith
- Fast Companions (1932) – Cueball Kelly
- Lady and Gent (1932) – Cash Enright
- Blonde Venus (1932) – Dr Pierce
- Wild Girl (1932) – Phineas Baldwin
- If I Had a Million (1932) – Mike, Jackson’s Gangster Friend (uncredited)
- Central Park (1932) – District Attorney (uncredited)
- Smoke Lightning (1933) – Sheriff Archie Kyle
- Terror Aboard (1933) – Morton Hazlitt
- Jennie Gerhardt (1933) – O’Brien (uncredited)
- Mama Loves Papa (1933) – Mr McIntosh
- The Song of Songs (1933) – Admirer (uncredited)
- Golden Harvest (1933) – Trading Centre Spokesman (uncredited)
- Bombshell (1933) – H.E. Gillette (uncredited)
- The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) – Mr Black, Fight Promoter (uncredited)
- Above the Clouds (1933) – Chandler
- Mr Skitch (1933) – Jones (uncredited)
- The Meanest Gal in Town (1934) – Sydney Sterling (uncredited)
- David Harum (1934) – Mr Blake (uncredited)
- Three on a Honeymoon (1934) – Dunning (uncredited)
- I Believed in You (1934) – Oliver Lang
- The Trumpet Blows (1934) – Police Inspector
- Sleepers East (1934) – Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)
- Many Happy Returns (1934) – Nathan Silas
- The Merry Widow (1934) – Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)
- We Live Again (1934) – The Colonel
- Cheating Cheaters (1934) – Holmes
- The Third Sex (1934) – Paul Van Dyne
- College Rhythm (1934) – Broker’s Manager, First Tramp (uncredited)
- It’s a Gift (1934) – Jasper Fitchmueller
- Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) – McArthur, aka Arthur Mack
- The Devil Is a Woman (1935) – Dr Mendez (uncredited)
- Goin’ to Town (1935) – J. Henry Brash (uncredited)
- The Headline Woman (1935) – Clarkey
- Dante’s Inferno (1935) – Capt. Morgan
- Orchids to You (1935) – Attorney (uncredited)
- Thunder Mountain (1935) – Rand Leavitt
- Confidential (1935) – H. Van Cleve
- 1,000 Dollars a Minute (1935) – Big Jim Bradley
- Rendezvous (1935) – Gardner (uncredited)
- Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935) – Managing editor
- Dangerous Waters (1936) – Heegan (uncredited)
- Sutter’s Gold (1936) – General Fremont
- Love on a Bet (1936) – Morton, Escaped Convict
- Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) – Hacendado Wanting to Fight (uncredited)
- Human Cargo (1936) – Gilbert Fender
- Fury (1936) – Fred Garrett
- Mr Cinderella (1936) – Mr Emmett Fawcett
- House of Secrets (1936) – Dr Kenmore
- Pennies from Heaven (1936) – Restaurant Partner (uncredited)
- Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) – Honourable Charles Zaraka
- The Californian (1937) – Tod Barsto
- Under Suspicion (1937) – Carey MacGregor
- The Lady in the Morgue (1938) – Layman
- Hold That Kiss (1938) – Mr Wood, Tommy’s Boss (uncredited)
- Numbered Woman (1938)
- Three Comrades (1938) – Owner of Wrecked Car (uncredited)
- Woman Against Woman (1938) – Morton
- Delinquent Parents (1938) – Charles Wharton, as an adult
- Letter of Introduction (1938) – Editor (uncredited)
- Billy the Kid Returns (1938) – J. B. Morganson
- Gang Bullets (1938) – “Big Bill” Anderson
- Star Reporter (1939) – Joe Draper / Charles Benton
- The Mystery of Mr Wong (1939) – Brendan Edwards
- Broadway Serenade (1939) – Mr Park (uncredited)
- Union Pacific (1939) – Sen. Smith (uncredited)
- Timber Stampede (1939) – Dunlap
- Mr Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) – David Perez
- The Star Maker (1939) – Lou Morris
- Parole Fixer (1940) – Ben
- My Little Chickadee (1940) – Gambler (uncredited)
- I Love You Again (1940) – Mr Belenson
- Spring Parade (1940) – Frederick, Aide-de-Camp (uncredited)
- Three Men from Texas (1940) – Captain Andrews
- Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) – Zachary
- Blame It on Love (1940) – Mr Wadsworth
- In Old Colorado (1941) – Sheriff Jack Collins
- Adventure in Washington (1941) – Senator Burrows (uncredited)
- Scattergood Meets Broadway (1941) – Reynolds
- Harmon of Michigan (1941) – Alumni Committee Man (uncredited)
- Honky Tonk (1941) – Mayor Adams (uncredited)
- Sea Raiders (1941, Serial) – Capt. Lester [Chapters 1-3, 6-7]
- Design for Scandal (1941) – Man Whose Head is Painted (uncredited)
- Gaslight (1944) – Fred Garrett (uncredited)
- Kismet (1944) – Merchant (uncredited)
- Song of the Sarong (1945) – Cyrus P. Adams
- I’ll Remember April (1945) – Henry Childs
- Dick Tracy (1945) – Steve Owens
- The Falcon’s Alibi (1946) – Bender (final film role)
Wallace was a prolific character actor who often played small but memorable roles in comedies, dramas, and crime films.
Songs
Morgan Wallace was not a singer or musician and did not record or perform songs. He was an actor, not a recording artist. There are no known songs written or performed by him, and he is not associated with any film soundtracks except for background music in his movies. His career was focused only on acting for stage and screen.
Facts
Here are some important and interesting facts about Morgan Wallace:
- Born Maier Weill on July 26, 1881, in Lompoc, California, to Isidore and Hannah Weill.
- Attended the University of California before pursuing acting.
- Began his career on stage; appeared in Broadway shows from 1904 (Romeo and Juliet) to 1946 (Loco).
- Managed his own acting troupe, the Morgan Wallace Players, performing in Sioux City, Iowa (1918) and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (1927).
- Acted in London’s Savoy Theatre in Lawful Larceny (1922).
- Made his film debut in 1914 in Charlie Chaplin’s Gentlemen of Nerve (uncredited spectator).
- Appeared in over 120 films, spanning the silent era to the mid-1940s talkies.
- Best remembered for comedic role in W.C. Fields’ It’s a Gift (1934) as the kumquat-obsessed Mr Fitchmueller.
- Supported W.C. Fields again in My Little Chickadee (1940) as a gambler.
- Founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG member #3) in the 1930s.
- Died December 12, 1953, at age 72 in Tarzana, California.
- Buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.
- No known recordings, songs, or musical performances; career was strictly acting.
- His work is preserved in classic film libraries, TCM broadcasts, and public domain silent films available online.
