Initially drawn to an acting career to counterbalance an acute case of shyness, diminutive character actor Charles Wagenheim's career comprised hundreds upon hundreds of minor but atmospheric parts on stage, film and TV. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1896, he was the son of immigrant parents. Enlisting in the military during World War I, he was compensated for an education by the government and chose to study dramatics at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, graduating in 1923. After touring with a Shakespearean company, he appeared in a host of Broadway plays, several of them written, directed and/or produced by the prolific 'George Abbott .
Was married to a woman who was a psychologist. In later years they bought a small apartment building in the Hollywood area and lived in one of them while earning rent from the other units.
According to the story given by a distant relative, shortly before Charlies death his wife had suffered a stroke and was confined to their apartment. A woman had been hired to help her. Apparently one day Charlie came back from food shopping, entered his apartment, and surprised the woman who was in the process of going through drawers and stealing articles. Charlie began yelling at her, asking her what she was doing. Apparently the woman panicked and hit Charlie with an object that killed him.
Charlie worked in the Yiddish theater on Lower East Side NYC with Paul Muni. At one point, when their marriages temporarily faltered, the two actor friends lived together for a few months.
Killed a few days after Victor Kilian in similar circumstances (beaten to death by burglars in his apartment). The very last appearance of both actors was on an episode of All in the Family {The Return of Stephanies Father (#9.23)}.
