  chester morris (february 16, 1901 &ndash; september 11, 1970) was an american actor, who starred in the boston blackie detective series of the 1940s. ==career== he was born john chester brooks morris in new york city, the son of broadway stage actor william morris and the performer etta hawkins. he made his broadway debut at 17 in lionel barrymore's the copperhead. at 17, he billed himself as "the youngest leading man in the country". his film career began in 1917 in an amateur orphan. he was nominated for the academy award for best actor for alibi (1929), directed by roland west. he also starred in the bat whispers (1930) and corsair (1931), both directed by west. he starred in the early prison film the big house (1930). his career declined in the late 1930s, with roles in such b-movies as smashing the rackets (1938) and five came back (1939). his career revived when from 1941 to 1949 he played the character boston blackie in 14 low-budget movies produced by columbia pictures, starting with meet boston blackie, and one season of radio shows.  through the 1950s and 1960s, morris worked mainly in television, with a recurring role as detective lieutenant max ritter in the cbs summer replacement series, diagnosis: unknown, which aired from july to september 1960. he also made occasional forays into regional theatre, and a few films, notably a role in the science-fiction film the she creature, where he played dr. carlo lombardi. it was reported in variety that morris's brylcreem expenses exceeded any other item in the film's budget. after his last boston blackie movie, he performed in only three more films, including his final role in [[the great white hope (film)|the great wh
1901_births 1970_deaths 20th-century_American_male_actors American_male_film_actors American_male_radio_actors American_male_silent_film_actors American_male_stage_actors American_male_television_actors Drug-related_suicides_in_Pennsylvania Male_actors_from_New_York_City Male_actors_who_committed_suicide Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer_contract_players