Biography
The son of American actress Lillian Elliott, Lloyd Corrigan began working in films as a bit actor in the silent era. But Corrigan's heart was in writing and directing during his formative professional years. He was among
Raymond Griffith's writing staff for the Civil War comedy
Hands Up (1926), and later penned several of
Bebe Daniels' Paramount vehicles. Corrigan worked on the scripts of all three of Paramount's "Fu Manchu" films (1929-30) starring Warner Oland; he also directed the last of the series,
Daughter of the Dragon (1930). In contrast to his later light-hearted acting roles, Corrigan's tastes ran to mystery and melodrama in most of his directing assignments, as witness
Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) and
Night Key (1937). In 1938, Corrigan abandoned directing to concentrate on acting. A porcine little man with an open-faced, wide-eyed expression, Corrigan specialized in likable businessmen and befuddled millionaires (especially in Columbia's
Boston Blackie series). This quality was often as not used to lead the audience astray in such films as
Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) and
The Thin Man Goes Home (1944), in which the bumbling, seemingly harmless Corrigan would turn out to be a master criminal or murderer. Lloyd Corrigan continued acting in films until the mid '60s; he also was a prolific TV performer, playing continuing roles in the TV sitcoms
Happy (1960) and
Hank (1965), and showing up on a semi-regular basis as Ned Buntline on the long-running western
Wyatt Earp (1955-61). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide