Frank Moran Charles Francis " Frank " Moran ( 18 March 1887 – 14 December 1967 ) was an American boxer and film actor who fought twice for the Heavyweight Championship of the World , and appeared in over 135 movies in a 25 year film career . Sports career . Born in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , Moran studied dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh where he also played football . He played professional football for the Pittsburgh Lyceums and Akron Pros as a guard and center . While Moran was serving in the U . S . Navy in 1908 , he knocked out fighter Fred Cooley in the second round . He began his career as a prize - fighter that same year with a match against Fred Broad . Soon , Moran , who had a hard right hand punch which he called " Mary Ann " , became known as the " White Hope " of the teens . In 1914 he fought Jack Johnson for the Heavyweight Championship of the World , and in 1916 " The Fighting Dentist " went up against Jess Willard for the same title , but lost both bouts . He lost his last fight to Marcel Nilles for the Heavyweight Championship of France on December 22 , 1922 . He retired from boxing after 66 bouts with a record of 36 wins ( 28 by a knockout ) , 13 losses , 16 draws and 1 no contest . Film career . After acting in one show on Broadway in 1926 – a stage adaptation of Theodore Dreiser ' s novel " An American Tragedy " – Moran made his film debut in 1928 when he did two silent films , " The Chinatown Mystery " and " Ships of the Night " , but his film career didn ' t start in earnest until 1933 , when he appeared as himself in " The Prizefighter and the Lady " , and also in Mae West ' s " She Done Him Wrong " , in which he played a convict . This was typical of the kinds of roles Moran was to play for the next 25 years – gangsters , henchmen , " plug uglies " , bartenders , stage hands , sailors , guards , cops , bouncers , moving men , sergeants and other soldiers – roles which belied his personal gentleness and sensitivity . In the 1940s , Moran was part of Preston Sturges ' unofficial " stock company " of character actors , appearing in every American film written and directed by Sturges with one exception . He was seen in " The Great McGinty " , " Christmas in July " , " The Lady Eve " , " Sullivan ' s Travels " , " The Palm Beach Story " , " The Miracle of Morgan ' s Creek " , " Hail the Conquering Hero " , " The Great Moment " , " The Sin of Harold Diddlebock " and " Unfaithfully Yours " . It was Moran who , as a cop in Sturges ' Christmas in July ( 1940 ) , halted a tirade by an argumentative Jewish storeowner by barking , " Who do ya think you are , Hitler ? " And it was Moran who , as a tough chauffeur in Sullivan ' s Travels ( 1942 ) , patiently explains to his traveling companions the meaning of the word " paraphrase . " Moran was usually credited for his performances , but almost never received star or featured billing . One exception was Monogram Pictures ' s " Return of the Ape Man " ( 1944 ) , starring Bela Lugosi and John Carradine , in which Moran shared credit for the title role with George Zucco , although , in fact , Zucco became ill and Moran replaced him – Zucco does not appear in the film as released . Also , at the beginning of his acting career , Moran was part of the featured cast in Raoul Walsh ' s " Sailor ' s Luck " ( 1933 ) . Other notable films in which Moran appeared include Charlie Chaplin ' s " Modern Times " 1936 , Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ' s " Follow the Fleet " " Shall We Dance " and " Carefree " ( 1938 ) , Frank Capra ' s " Meet John Doe " ( 1941 ) , 1943 ' s " Lady of Burlesque " starring Barbara Stanwyck and " Road to Utopia " with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby ( 1946 ) . Moran ' s final film appearance was an uncredited bit part in " The Iron Sheriff " , a Western , in 1957 at the age of 70 . He was 80 when he died in Hollywood , California on 14 December 1967 of a heart attack .