Joseph Sauers, later known as Joe Sawyer, was a Canadian-born actor who made a lasting impression in the film industry during the 1930s and 1940s. Born on August 29, 1906, in Guelph, Canada, Sawyer eventually moved to California to pursue a career in films. He received his training at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse, where he honed his acting skills and developed a distinctive "tough guy" look, characterized by his sturdy build, jutting chin, beady eyes, and shock of light hair.
Sawyer made his film debut in 1931 under his real name, which, contrary to popular opinion, was German and not Irish. Despite this, he went on to play numerous Irish characters throughout his career. He initially appeared in strongarm bit parts before hitting his stride as a versatile actor, playing a variety of roles including coaches, cops, and sidekicks with imposing names like "Spud," "Slug," and "Whitey."
Over the course of his four-decade-long career, Sawyer appeared in hundreds of films, spanning multiple genres. Some of his notable roles include College Humor (1933),College Rhythm (1934),The Westerner (1934),The Informer (1935),Pride of the Marines (1936),Black Legion (1937),The Petrified Forest (1936),The Grapes of Wrath (1940),They Died with Their Boots On (1941),Sergeant York (1941),Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943),Gilda (1946),It Came from Outer Space (1953),North to Alaska (1960),and How the West Was Won (1962).
In addition to his film work, Sawyer also had a successful television career, guest-starring on numerous series and serving as a regular on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954) as Sgt. Aloysius "Biff" O'Hara. Sawyer was married twice, first to actress Jeane Wood, the daughter of Gone with the Wind (1939) uncredited director Sam Wood, and then to June, who passed away in 1960. He died on April 21, 1982, at the age of 75, due to liver cancer in Ashland, Oregon.
