Andrew Devine was born on October 7, 1905, in Flagstaff, Arizona Territory. He was the son of Thomas Devine, a hotel keeper, and Amy Ward, the daughter of Admiral James H. Ward, a founder of the United States Naval Academy. When he was a year old, the family moved to Kingman, Arizona.
Devine attended Arizona public schools. Admittedly an indifferent student, he was a natural athlete, and because of his size he was a football lineman at military school, at Arizona Teachers College, and finally as guard center at Santa Clara University in the 1924 and 1925 seasons. He left without earning a degree.
In 1925 Devine played professionally for the Los Angeles Angels for $35 per week. The family had moved to Hollywood, California, after his father died, and Devine attempted to break into the movies. In Hollywood legend, he was wearing his Santa Clara sweater when a producer, who thought SC meant Southern California, asked if he played football and if he would try out for a part in a serial called The Collegians (1926 - 1928). He earned $150 per month for two years of episodes. By 1928, Devine had appeared in many movies even though he never took a single acting lesson; he later remembered playing three different roles in a single day. Like many silent screen performers, his career was threatened by "talkies"; his unusual voice made a film future questionable.
Parts were no longer offered, and Devine joined the United States Lighthouse Service, delivering supplies to Bering Sea outposts. On completing his term of service, he worked at the odd jobs seemingly required of unemployed actors, including lifeguard duty on Venice Beach in California. His career was again saved by his football background; in 1930 he was offered the role of Truck McCall in The Spirit of Notre Dame. His portrayal of a dumb but essentially noble Irishman who played despite broken ribs brought him heavy fan mail and steady employment. Devine joked that all his portrayals were ultimately based on his girth and "a lot of Arizona hayseed, " but directors realized that his voice was so distinctive in conjunction with his size that he was invaluable as a character actor. He was never out of work again, appearing in as many as nine films in a year during the 1930's. Most were forgettable roles, but he did play in such classic films as Destry Rides Again (1932), A Star Is Born (1937), and Stagecoach (1939). Critics consider Buck, the stage driver, in Stagecoach as his best performance.
After 1935, Devine appeared regularly on Jack Benny's radio program. His "Hi-ya, buck" greeting became copied nationwide and led to a motion picture, Buck Benny Rides Again (1940). Devine also appeared with George Jessel, Lum 'n' Abner, and Al Pearce and His Gang, and hosted "Melody Round-up" (1944). During the war, he played in many camp and hospital shows and also owned a flying school called Provo Divine.
Like many actors, his career soared with the advent of television; from 1951 to 1956 he played Jingles B. Jones in 113 episodes of "Wild Bill Hickock. " Devine agreed to accept a low salary, but his 10 percent of gross revenues made Jingles his most profitable role. When the series ended, Devine, who had already made more than three hundred movies in a twenty-five-year career, was more beloved than ever.
His own show, "Andy's Gang, " appeared from 1955 to 1960. In 1957 the Devines moved to Newport Beach, California, so that Andy, an ardent sailor, could enjoy the ocean. He made his stage debut, as Captain Andy in Show Boat, at the Jones Beach Marine Theater on Long Island. Devine said the show would be a hit because "I'm lucky, " and in subsequent years he played the role more than four hundred times. He compounded his luck by investing in a Captain Andy restaurant chain. He appeared on stage in My Three Angels, Never Too Late, On Borrowed Time, and Anything Goes, and did a host of movie and television productions. His last movie appearance was as a voice-over in The Mouse and His Child (1977). In June 1976, while attending the summer encampment of the Bohemian Club, a males-only society of the political and business elite, Devine suffered kidney failure. A combination of illnesses caused his death in Orange, California.
In Devine's later years he became active in conservative politics; he campaigned for George Wallace in 1968 and supported Ronald Reagan in 1976.
When Andy was four, he fell while holding a curtain rod in his mouth. The healing process left him with a high-pitched yet gravelly voice that, combined with an adult weight exceeding three hundred pounds, made him an ideal comic foil. Devine recognized that "my voice was my fortune. "
During the filming of Dr. Bull in 1933, Will Rogers introduced Devine to Dorothy Irene House. Their whirlwind courtship ended with a wedding in Las Vegas on October 28, 1933; they had two children.
