Born in Cambridge, MA. A sailor and a civil engineer before entering show business in burlesque in 1914. Returning from WW I service, he switched to the legitimate stage and made his Broadway debut in 1919. In 1929 he joined the hundreds of stage performers lured to Hollywood by the advent of sound. At first he played romantic leads, memorably as Greta Garbo's seaman lover in ANNA CHRISTIE (1930), But he soon found his niche as a commanding character player, tackling supporting parts with a high-level of intensity and dominating many a film with his powerful screen presence. Bickford co-authored a play, The Cyclone Lover (1928), and wrote an autobiography, Bulls, Balls, Bicycles, and Actors (1965). He was nominated for an Oscar® three times but never won the award. Co-starred in "The Virginian" TV series.    Nominated for Supporting Actor 1943: THE SONG OF BERNADETTE    Nominated for Supporting Actor 1947: THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER    Nominated for Supporting Actor 1948: JOHNNY BELINDA 3 nominations