Biography
Scratch a sniveling prison "stoolie" or cowardly henchman and if he were not
Paul Guilfoyle or
George Chandler, he would be the diminutive Ernie S. Adams, a ubiquitous presence in scores of Hollywood films of the 1930s and '40s. Surprisingly, the weasel-looking Adams had begun his professional career in musical comedy -- appearing on Broadway in such shows as
Jerome Kern's Toot Toot (1918) -- prior to entering films around 1919. A list of typical Adams characters basically tells the story: "The Rat" (
Jewels of Desire, 1927), "Johnny Behind the 8-Ball" (
The Storm, 1930), "Lefty" (
Trail's End, 1935), "Jimmy the Weasel" (
Stars Over Arizona, 1937), "Snicker Joe" (
West of Carson City, 1940), "Willie the Weasel" (
Return of the Ape Man, 1944) and, of course "Fink" (
San Quentin, 1937). The result, needless to say, is that you didn't quite trust him even when playing a decent guy, as in the 1943 Columbia serial
The Phantom. One of the busiest players in the '40s, the sad-faced, little actor worked right up until his death in 1947. His final four films were released posthumously. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide