Chester Morris (February 16, 1901 - September 11, 1970) was an American actor. Born in New York City, the son of actor William Morris, Morris is most famous for his role in the Boston Blackie detective series of the 1940s, but his film career began in 1917 in An Amateur Orphan.
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for 1929's Alibi, but perhaps his finest role is in the early prison film The Big House, which was a huge success and propelled his career. His career gradually declined in the late 1930's, with roles in B-movies such as Smashing the Rackets and Five Came Back.
Morris's career began to fade in the 1950s, and he only appeared in three films from 1948 until his final role in 1970's The Great White Hope.
Morris was dying of cancer when he committed suicide by taking an overdose of barbiturates in 1970. He had been appearing in a stage production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania at the time of his death.
The Great White Hope (1970)
