 In the 1940s, Conlin was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in nine films written and directed by Sturges.His roles in Sturges' films were often sizable and often came with good billing.One of his best performances came in Sturges' "The Sin of Harold Diddlebock" in 1946, when he played "Wormy", the racetrack tout who convinces Harold Lloyd to have his first drink, setting off the events of the film.