Central to Wolfe's appeal as a character actor was that, until he reached actual old age, he always looked considerably older than he actually was. In the film "Mad Love" (1935), he played Colin Clive's stepfather, yet he was only four years older than Clive. In the film "Houdini" (1953), he warned the magician to avoid occult matters, telling him to "take the advice of an old man". He appeared in movies for another 37 years; his last film credit was for "Dick Tracy" (1990).