George E. Stone

A minor prototype of the "Runyon-esque" character for more than three decades, Polish-born actor 'George E. Stone' (qv) (né Gerschon Lichtenstein, on May 18, 1903) was, in actuality, a close friend of writer 'Damon Runyan' (qv) and would play scores of colorful "dees, dem and dos" cronies throughout the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. With great names such as Johnnie the Shiek, Boots Burnett, Ice Box Hamilton, Wires Kagel, Ropes McGonigle, Society Max, and Toothpick Charlie, Stone delighted audiences in scores of crimers for decades.A vaudeville and Broadway hoofer in the interim, the runt-sized Stone (5'3") finally scored in his first "grownup" part as the Sewer Rat in the silent drama _7th Heaven (1927)_ (qv) starring the once-popular romantic pair 'Charles Farrell' (qv) and (Academy Award winner) 'Janet Gaynor' (qv). As "Georgie" sounded too child-like, he began billing himself as "'George E. Stone' (qv)." From there he was featured in a number of "tough guy" potboilers, particularly for Warner Bros. So typed was he as a henchman or thug, that he found few films outside the genre. His gunsels often possessed a yellow streak and could be both broadly comic or threatening in nature, with more than a few of them ending up on a morgue slab before film's end, including his Earl Williams on _The Front Page (1931)_ (qv) and Otero in the classic gangster flick _Little Caesar (1931)_ (qv).Included in George's many films were a number of Oscar-quality pictures , including _The Racket (1928)_ (qv), _Cimarron (1931)_ (qv), _Five Star Final (1931)_ (qv), _42nd Street (1933)_ (qv), _Viva Villa! (1934)_ (qv), _Anthony Adverse (1936)_ (qv), _North West Mounted Police (1940)_ (qv), _Pickup on South Street (1953)_ (qv), _The Robe (1953)_ (qv), _Broken Lance (1954)_ (qv), _The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)_ (qv), _Guys and Dolls (1955)_ (qv), _Some Came Running (1958)_ (qv), _Some Like It Hot (1959)_ (qv), _Pocketful of Miracles (1961)_ (qv). Arguably, Stone's most popular, if not prolific, role was when he replaced 'Charles Wagenheim' (qv) as The Runt in the second of the "Boston Blackie" film series, _Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)_ (qv) that starred 'Chester Morris' (qv) as the title detective. The series lasted eight years.Suffering from failing eyesight in later years, George was virtually blind by the late 1950s but, thanks to friends, managed to secure sporadic film and TV work. From 1958 on, Stone could be glimpsed in a recurring role on the popular courtroom series _Perry Mason (1957)_ (qv) as a court clerk. Married to second wife Marjorie Ramey in 1946, 64-year-old George died following a stroke on May 26, 1967 in Woodland Hills, California, and was survived by two sisters.::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]