Actor. He was best known for playing the character roles of generals, farmers, judges, colonels, and historical figures. He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Judge Daniel Tyler' in the classic western film drama, "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1942). The film which was directed by William A. Wellman, which was written for the screen by Lamar Trotti, which was based on the novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, and which also starred Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Mary Beth Hughes, tells the story of when a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men. He will also be best remembered for playing in the episode entitled, "The Man Who Killed Cops," of the crime myistery television series drama, "The Adventures Of Ellery Queen," which originally aired on February 1, 1951, and which also starred Lee Bowman, Florenz Ames, Harry Bellaver, Jean Carson, and Rex Marshall, tells the story of Joe Huckleberry, a gangster who is operating a protection racket in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and who kills a cop who spotted him beating up an old man, but no one will testify against him. Ellery Queen decides to help his father get the evidence he needs for a conviction. This involves beating Joe Huckleberry at cards so badly that he needs to steal the money he lost back from Ellery Queen. He was born as Mathias Joseph George Briggs in Brooklyn, New York, on November 18, 1883. He began his acting career on Broadway in New York City, New York, appearing in several stage productions of such plays, as 'War' in "Caliban Of The Yellow Sands" (May 24, 1916, to June 1916), as 'Oily Joe' in "Brothers" (December 25, 1928, to August 1929), as 'Charlie Horton' in "Wonder Boy" (October 22, 1931, to November 1931), as 'Sam Gobel' in "Blessed Event" (February 12, 1932, to May 21, 1932), as 'Oliver Webb' in "Twentieth Century" (December 29, 1932, to May 20, 1933), as 'Spike Taylor' in "Kill That Story" (August 29, 1934, to December 15, 1934), as 'Howard Brown' in "So Many Paths" (December 06, 1934, to January 05, 1934), as 'Jack Thurson' in "Nowhere Bound" (January 22, 1935, to February 1935), as 'Simon Legree' in "Sweet River" (October 28, 1936, to November 1936), as 'Barkas' in "Off To Buffalo" (February 21, 1939, to February 1939), as 'Ed Hubbell' in "Day In The Sun" (May 16, 1939, to May 1939), as 'Otto B. Horst' in "Margin For Error" (November 03, 1939, to June 15, 1940), as 'Ed Keller' in "The Male Animal" (January 09, 1940, to August 03, 1940), as 'Henry Ames' in "Village Green" (September 03, 1941, to September 27, 1941), as 'J.B. Curtis' in "Junior Miss" (November 18, 1941, to July 24, 1943), as 'John Woodruff' in "That Old Devil" (June 05, 1944, to June 17, 1944), as 'Horatio' in "Bloomer Girl (October 05, 1944, to April 27, 1946, and January 06, 1947, to February 15, 1947), and as 'Walter Hallam' in "The Hallams" (March 04, 1948, to March 13, 1948). During his time on the stage he worked with the likes of Gene Byram, Lloyd B. Carleton, Rita Carlyle, Luke Conness, Ashley Cooper, Alyce Dera, William Ingersoll, William J. Kelly, Rosemary King, Bert Lytell, Benedict MacQuarrie, Grace Menken, Clara Palmer, Russell Rockwell, James Seeley, Irene Shirley, Eugene Williams, John Henry Mears, Barbara Bulgakova, David Burns, Frank Carter, Maurice Cass, William Chaldee, Eddie Craven, Hazel Dawn, Thomas Fisher, Eva Franklin, Bernard Gorcey, Jeanne Greene, D.J. Hamilton, Ross Hertz, Donald Heywood, Cecil Holm, Allen Jenkins, James Kearney, Robert Leonard, Sam Levene, Bruce MacFarlane, Hallie Manning, Horace McMahon, Margaret Meyers, Arnold Moss, Henry O'Neill, Joseph Ploski, Arnold Preston, Gregory Ratoff, Estelle Scheer, Herman Shapiro, James R. Waters, Vincent York, Jed Harris, Frank Badham, Granville Bates, Joseph Crehan, Florence Edney, William Frawley, Etienne Girardot, Hans Hamsa, Ernest Hunter, Cliffman Jewel, Moffat Johnston, Edward La Roche, Eugenie Leontovich, Dennie Moore, Roy Roberts, Henry Sherwood, Robert Sloane, J. Ascher Smith, James Spottswood, Charles Wagenheim, Alfred Webster, Clare Woodbury, William Worth, Robert Brill, George Abbott, Philip Dunning, Pat McClarney, Arthur Maxwell, Peggy Campbell, Hubert Dilworth, Olive Reeves-Smith, Mabel Taliaferro, John Call, Lily Paget, Joe E. Marks, Francesca Bruning, Walter Collins, John Cushman, James Elliot, Kenneth Forbes, Jack Geer, John Hudson, Alexander Kirkland, Paula Laurence, Lenore Lonergan, Jack Manning, Joan Newton, Philip Ober, Patricia Peardon, and William Redfield, among many others. During this time he also made the transition to appearing in films and on television. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Richards' in the comedy-romance film drama, "Advice To The Forlorn" (1933). The film which was directed by Alfred L. Werker, which was written for the screen by Leonard Praskins, which was based on the novel, "Miss Lonelyhearts," by Nathanael West, and which also starred Lee Tracy, Sally Blane, and Paul Harvey, tells the story of a Los Angeles, California, newspaper reporter named Toby Prentiss who is continually in trouble with his editor. He is demoted to running the paper's "Miss Lonelyhearts" advice column because he missed the scoop on a major earthquake whilst out on the town. Determined to be fired from the column he starts to give crazy advice to the readers, but this only makes him even more popular. Besides, playing the role of 'Richards' in the comedy-romance film drama, "Advice To The Forlorn" (1933), and playing the role of 'Judge Daniel Tyler' in the classic western film drama, "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1942), his many other film credits include, "The Big Shakedown" (1934), "Hips, Hips, Hooray!" (1934), "A Very Honorable Guy" (1934), "Born To Be Bad" (1934), "The Meanest Man In The World" (1943), "Coney Island" (1943), "Wintertime" (1943), "The Dancing Masters" (1943), "Buffalo Bill" (1943), "Roger Touhy, Gangster" (1944), and "The Babe Ruth Story" (1948). Besides, playing in the episode entitled, "The Man Who Killed Cops," of the crime myistery television series drama, "The Adventures Of Ellery Queen," which originally aired on February 1, 1951, and which also starred Lee Bowman, Florenz Ames, Harry Bellaver, Jean Carson, and Rex Marshall, tells the story of Joe Huckleberry, a gangster who is operating a protection racket in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and who kills a cop who spotted him beating up an old man, but no one will testify against him. Ellery Queen decides to help his father get the evidence he needs for a conviction. This involves beating Joe Huckleberry at cards so badly that he needs to steal the money he lost back from ElleryQueen, his many other television credits include, "The Philco Television Playhouse," 'Armstrong Circle Theatre," "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse," "Big Town," and "Robert Montgomery Presents." His last television role was playing 'Sen. Pritchard' in the episode entitled, "Decision And Daniel Webster," of the comedy television series drama, "Schlitz Playhouse," which originally aired on November 8, 1951, and which also starred Jonathan Braman, Charles Dingle, Gavin Gordon, and Walter Hampden, tells the story of a man who abandons his dream of the Presidency to work at saving the Whig Party. He lastly reprised his role of 'Ed Keller' on Broadway in New York City, New York, in the stage production of the play, "The Male Animal" (April 30, 1952, to January 31, 1953). He retired from acting shortly thereafter. He passed away at a nursing home in Seattle, Washington, on June 10, 1962, at the age of 78, and he was buried in Saint John Cemetery in Middle Village, New York. He was married to May E. Briggs who passed away in 1950. The couple had one child together, a daughter name Natalie Briggs who became a successful doctor.