Wally Maher

Wally Maher (August 4, 1908 - December 26, 1951) was an American actor, primarily on old-time radio; he was also known as the original voice of Tex Avery's cartoon character Screwy Squirrel.

Early years

Maher was born in Cincinnati on August 4, 1908.[1] He was the son of Daniel and Mary Maher,[2] and he had three brothers and two sisters.[3] He dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting.[1]

Career

Maher gained early acting experience with a stock theater company in Cincinnati. His radio debut came when he portrayed Paul Baumer in a production of All Quiet on the Western Front. However, a lack of future acting opportunities led him to pray for divine guidance, and soon after he had another acting opportunity.[1] In 1936, he began working on radio dramas from the West Coast.[4]

Partial List of Wally Maher's Roles on Radio Programs
ProgramRole
BrenthouseLance Dudley [5]: 118 
Let George Do ItLieutenant Riley[5]: 391 
The LineupSergeant Matt Grebb[6]
The Main LineNarrator[5]: 423 
Michael ShayneMichael Shayne[5]: 458 
The New Adventures of Nero WolfeArchie Goodwin[5]
This Is Judy JonesLeighton[5]: 664 
Tommy Riggs and Betty LouWilbur[1]

Other radio programs on which he appeared included The Whistler,[5]: 719  NBC Presents: Short Story,[5]: 481  The Eddie Bracken Show,[5]: 220  Camel Caravan, Gang Busters, Suspense, Mr. District Attorney,[3] Hollywood Showcase, I Love a Mystery, and Junior Miss.[1]

On Broadway, Maher portrayed Rittenhoff in Every Man for Himself (1940).[7] Films in which he appeared include Nick Carter, Master Detective (1950), Pound Foolish (1940), The Story of Molly X (1949), Right Cross (1950, and Mystery Street (1950).[8]

Maher provided the voice of Tex Avery's cartoon character Screwy Squirrel for five shorts produced at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Screwball Squirrel, Happy-Go-Nutty, Big Heel-Watha (all 1944), The Screwy Truant (1945), and Lonesome Lenny (1946).

In 1951, Maher and Gene Autry recorded The Story of Little Champ, a two-record album about a young colt.[9]

Maher held offices in the Los Angeles chapter of the American Federation of Radio Artists, including being third vice-president in 1943[10] and a member of the board in 1945.[11]

Personal life and death

Maher married Carmella Bruno,[1] and they had a son and two daughters.[3] Maher died on December 26, 1951, in St. Vincent's Hospital, aged 43.[3]

References
  1. "Budding Star". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 31, 1943. p. 34. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Wally Maher, radio actor, taken by death". Daily News. California, Los Angeles. December 27, 1951. p. 35. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Services Pending For Wally Maher, 43, Radio Actor". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. December 17, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Radio: A Career of Crime". The Cincinnati Post. January 24, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
  6. Adams, Magee (December 31, 1951). "Look and Listen". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 10. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Wally Maher". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  8. "Wally Maher". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  9. "Children: The Story of Little Champ" (PDF). Billboard. May 26, 1951. p. 36. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  10. "Local AFRA Election" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 18, 1943. p. 61. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  11. "Allied Arts" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 8, 1945. p. 48. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
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