Philadelphia native Malcolm Atterbury was born into a wealthy family - his father was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad - but he himself had no desire to go into the family business. He had always wanted to be an actor, and to that end got himself a job managing a radio station. From there he went into vaudeville, then into stage work in both musicals and dramas, gaining a reputation as a solid and reliable stage actor. He made his film debut in _Dragnet . He died in Beverly Hills of old age in 1992.
Father of Malcolm Atterbury Jr.
Malcolm and his brother George were adopted by William Wallace Atterbury when their mother married him in 1915. They also have a half-brother from that union, William Wallace Jr.
Brother of George Atterbury.