Sam Flint

Sam Flint (born Samuel A. Ethridge; October 19, 1882 – October 17, 1980) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films, and is perhaps most familiar to today's audiences from Charlie Chan mysteries, adventure serials (notably The Phantom as the Phantom's father), It's a Wonderful Life (as the relieved bank manager mopping his brow in Mr. Potter's office), and the Three Stooges short Micro-Phonies (as singer Christine McIntyre's wealthy father).

Flint was born in Gwinnett County, Georgia. As a young man, he became interested in the theater and appeared in many dramatic plays.

By 1933, he was a member of the Los Angeles company appearing in the hit play The Drunkard, under his real name of Sam Ethridge, and broke into movies with the small, independent Monogram Pictures. Comedian W. C. Fields wanted to include The Drunkard in one of his films, and arranged for Paramount Pictures to sign members of the company -- including Ethridge -- to movie contracts. While most of the actors returned to the live theater, Ethridge continued to work in pictures. Under the screen name Sam Flint, he became familiar for his weathered face, distinguished mustache, and dignified bearing, typecasting him profitably as authority figures: doctors, lawyers, judges, ship's captains, military officers, bankers, racetrack stewards, and senior officials. His last film was the satirical feature Head (1968), starring The Monkees.