Gavin Muir, a talented actor from Chicago, was born in 1906, although some sources claim his birthdate to be 1907, which would have been too late for the purpose of his early career. Muir had a lean and hungry face, similar to John Carradine, and a slight build that begged for character villain parts. He was bitten by the acting bug and started his career in regional theater, eventually jumping to Broadway by 1920.
Muir's first role on Broadway was in the play "Enter Madame" in 1922, which also marked the debut of another young actor destined for Hollywood, Ross Alexander. By 1923, Muir's abilities had beckoned further demands, and he produced and performed in the comedy "Love Set". Muir's career was largely focused on comedy rather than drama, and he worked with some of Broadway's greatest leads and later film actors, such as Harry Davenport, Robert Warwick, and Henry Hull.
Muir had one film credit for an uncredited part in 1932, but he remained a fixture of the Broadway theater season until 1933. He then began to find his niche in Hollywood, starting with the film adaptation of the play "Mary of Scotland" (1936) directed by John Ford. Muir joined a cast of character actors, including Robert Barrat, William Stack, and Ian Keith, in a rogues' gallery of self-seeking Scottish lords trying to discredit the young queen.
Muir was busy throughout the war years of the 1940s, using his various British accents to great effect. He played military officers, doctors, nobles, dignitaries, and villains, and was sometimes mistaken for a British actor. In the 1950s, he continued to act in films, including "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man" (1951),one of five formula 'Meet' films.
As his film parts became leaner, Muir ventured into television, doing playhouse theater and appearing in some series. He was a regular on "The Betty Hutton Show" (1959) as the butler Hollister and did not retire until 1965, after over seventy screen appearances.
