Actor
Jack Oakie
Born 12 November 1903 · Sedalia, Missouri, USA — died 23 January 1978
Jack Oakie (1903–1978) was an American actor who rose from Broadway to become a popular comic presence in Hollywood from the late 1920s. He excelled as a brash, good-natured comedian in college and musical comedies, and later earned acclaim as Napaloni in Chaplin's The Great Dictator.
Key films
The Wild Party (1929)
Early sound-era Paramount hit with Clara Bow that helped establish him as a leading comic personality.
Million Dollar Legs (1932)
Surreal W.C. Fields-era Paramount comedy in which he played a lead, now a cult favourite.
College Humor (1933)
Campus musical comedy with Bing Crosby, typical of his breezy college-boy persona.
Call of the Wild (1935)
Major adventure film with Clark Gable showing his range as a supporting player.
The Great Dictator (1940)
His best-known role: Napaloni, the blustering dictator parodying Mussolini, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Key awards
- 1941: Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (The Great Dictator); no win
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 104
- 1923His Children's Children · as Minor Role (uncredited)Actor
- 1923Big BrotherActor
- 1928Finders Keepers · as B. B. BrownActor
- 1928Someone to Love · as Michael CaseyActor
- 1928Road House · as SamActor
- 1928The Fleet's In · as Searchlight DoyleActor
- 1929The Wild Party · as AlActor
- 1929Street Girl · as Joe SpringActor
- 1929Chinatown Nights · as James "Jimmy" Williams, the reporterActor
- 1929The Man I Love · as Lew LaytonActor
- 1929Sweetie · as Tap-Tap ThompsonActor
- 1929Close Harmony · as Ben BarneyActor
- 1929Hit the Deck · as BilgeActor
- 1929The Dummy · as Dopey HartActor
- 1929Fast CompanyActor
- 1929Sin Town · as 'Chicken' O'TooleActor
- 1929Hard to Get · as Marty MartinActor
- 1930Paramount on Parade · as Himself / Master of Ceremonies / Fu Manchu's Victim (Murder Will Out) / Girls Gym Instructor (In a Girls' Gym)Actor
- 1930The Sap from Syracuse · as Littleton LooneyActor
- 1930Let's Go Native · as Voltaire McGinnisActor
- 1930The Social Lion · as Marco PerkinsActor
- 1930Sea Legs · as Searchlight DoyleActor
- 1931The Stolen Jools · as Jack OakieActor
- 1931The Gang Buster · as Charlie CaseActor
- 1931Dude Ranch · as JenniferActor
- 1931June Moon · as Frederick Martin StevensActor
- 1931Touchdown! · as Babe BartonActor
- 1932If I Had a Million · as Private MulliganActor
- 1932Million Dollar Legs · as Migg TweenyActor
- 1932Uptown New York · as Eddie DoyleActor
- 1932Dancers in the Dark · as Duke TaylorActor
- 1932Make Me a Star · as Jack Oakie (uncredited)Actor
- 1932Hollywood on Parade No. A-1 · as SelfActor
- 1932Once in a Lifetime · as George LewisActor
- 1932Madison Square Garden · as Eddie BurkeActor
- 1932Sky Bride · as Alec DuganActor
- 1933Alice in Wonderland · as TweedledumActor
- 1933The Eagle and the Hawk · as Mike 'Slug' RichardsActor
- 1933College Humor · as Barney ShirrelActor
- 1933Sitting Pretty · as Chick ParkerActor
- 1933From Hell to Heaven · as Charlie BayneActor
- 1933Too Much Harmony · as Benny DayActor
- 1933Sailor Be Good · as Kelsey JonesActor
- 1933Hollywood on Parade No. B-5 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1934Murder at the Vanities · as Jack ElleryActor
- 1934Looking for Trouble · as CaseyActor
- 1934College Rhythm · as Francis J. FinneganActor
- 1934Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove · as SelfActor
- 1934Shoot the Works · as Nicky NelsonActor
- 1934Hollywood RhythmActor
- 1934Hollywood on Parade No. B-10 · as SelfActor
- 1935Call of the Wild · as 'Shorty' HoolihanActor
- 1935The Big Broadcast of 1936 · as Spud MillerActor
- 1935Collegiate · as Jerry CraigActor
- 1936The Texas Rangers · as Henry B. 'Wahoo' JonesActor
- 1936King of Burlesque · as Joe CooneyActor
- 1936That Girl from Paris · as Whammo LonsdaleActor
- 1936Colleen · as Joe CorkActor
- 1936Florida Special · as Bangs TuckerActor
- 1937The Toast of New York · as LukeActor
- 1937Hitting a New High · as Corny DavisActor
- 1937Super-Sleuth · as Bill MartinActor
- 1937Fight for Your Lady · as "Honest Ham" HamiltonActor
- 1937Champagne Waltz · as Happy GallagherActor
- 1938The Affairs of Annabel · as Lanny MorganActor
- 1938Radio City Revels · as HarryActor
- 1938Thanks for Everything · as BatesActor
- 1938Annabel Takes a Tour · as Lanny MorganActor
- 1940The Great Dictator · as Benzino Napaloni, Dictator of BacteriaActor
- 1940Little Men · as William "Willie" DemingActor
- 1940Tin Pan Alley · as Harry CalhounActor
- 1940Young People · as Joe BallantineActor
- 1941The Great American Broadcast · as Chuck HadleyActor
- 1941Polo with the Stars · as Self - Watching Polo MatchActor
- 1941Navy Blues · as 'Cake' O'HaraActor
- 1941Rise and Shine · as Boley BolenciecwczActor
- 1942Song of the Islands · as Rusty SmithActor
- 1942Iceland · as Slip RiggsActor
- 1942Breakdowns of 1942 · as SelfActor
- 1943Hello, Frisco, Hello · as Dan DaleyActor
- 1943Something to Shout About · as Larry MartinActor
- 1943Wintertime · as Skip HuttonActor
- 1944It Happened Tomorrow · as Uncle Oscar SmithActor
- 1944Sweet and Low-Down · as PopsyActor
- 1944The Merry Monahans · as Pete MonahanActor
- 1944Take It or Leave It · as (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1944Bowery to Broadway · as Michael O'RourkeActor
- 1945That's the Spirit · as Steve 'Slim' GogartyActor
- 1945On Stage Everybody · as Michael SullivanActor
- 1946She Wrote the Book · as Jerry MarloweActor
- 1948When My Baby Smiles at Me · as Bozo EvansActor
- 1948Northwest Stampede · as Mike KirbyActor
- 1949Thieves' Highway · as SlobActor
- 1950Last of the Buccaneers · as Sgt. DominickActor
- 1951Tomahawk · as Sol BeckworthActor
- 1956Around the World in 80 Days · as SS Henrietta CaptainActor
- 1959The Wonderful Country · as Travis HyleActor
- 1960The Rat Race · as MacActor
- 1961Lover Come Back · as J. Paxton MillerActor
- 1965Kilroy · as Joe KelseyActor
- 2007Hitler: The Comedy Years · as Benzini Napaloni (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2011The Great Dictator: The Clown Turns Prophet · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2014Bing Crosby: Rediscovered · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2025One to One: John & Yoko · as Napaloni - Dictator of Bactera (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.