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- Actress
- Soundtrack
Brunette, petite Sharon Lynne was born D'Auvergne Sharon Lindsay in Weatherford, Texas. A former beauty contest winner, she began in show business as a nightclub singer and songwriter. Possessed of a strong, bluesy voice, she drifted towards the musical stage, eventually appearing in both the Broadway and screen versions of the musical Sunny Side Up (1929). She was also cast to good effect alongside Sue Carol in Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929). Billed as 'Sharon Lynn', she had a few more minor leads in the late 1920s, then, after joining Fox, found herself relegated to the supporting cast. Even adding the extra 'e' to her surname didn't help. For the remainder of the 1930's, Sharon Lynne played assorted 'other women', 'fickle dancers', and the like. Her last effective role was as Lola Marcel, an excellent menace to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, in Way Out West (1937). Finding decent roles ever harder to come by, Sharon had quit the movies by the end of the decade. She was married twice, first to Benjamin Glazer, an associate producer at Paramount; secondly to John Sershen, a Beverly Hills businessman. At the time of her death in 1963, she was known as Sharon Glazer Sershen.- Actress
- Producer
It's hard to be very specific about any dates or events early in the life of Texas Guinan. She loved publicity and frequently improvised facts about herself when she felt they made better stories than the truth. She was born in Waco, Texas, but likely not on a ranch as she often claimed. She was active in vaudeville and theater, and was in many movies (often as the gun-toting hero in silent westerns, more than a match for any man). In the prohibition era, Tex's talents for entertainment and self-promotion came together for a successful career as the owner and hostess in night clubs and speakeasies, where she made certain everyone had a good time.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Eve Southern was born on 23 August 1898 in Ranger, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Clothes Make the Woman (1928), Morocco (1930) and The Gaucho (1927). She was married to Robert F. Shepherd. She died on 29 November 1972 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Albert Steinrück was born on 20 May 1872 in Wetterburg, Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany. He was an actor, known for Asphalt (1929), Helen of Troy (1924) and Der Richter von Zalamea (1920). He died on 10 February 1929 in Berlin, Germany.
- Jack McDonald was born on 17 September 1880 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Last of the Mohicans (1920), Lorna Doone (1922) and Show Boat (1929). He died on 19 June 1941 in Sacramento, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
A man so disagreeable on celluloid, Claude Gillingwater's characters seemed to subsist on a steady diet of persimmons. Fondly recalled as the cranky old skinflint whose seemingly cold heart could only be warmed by the actions of a cute little tyke, the tall and rangy Gillingwater invariably played much older than he was. He, with the omnipresent bushy brows, crop of silver hair and perpetually sour puss, had a much more versatile career than perhaps realized -- on both stage and in film. Most assuredly, this caustic screen image he perfected belied a softer, gentler off-screen demeanor for he was a kind and sympathetic gent and devoted husband to wife Carlyn Stiletz (or Stellith). Their only child, Claude Gillingwater Jr., briefly became an actor himself. Sadly, Gillingwater Sr.'s thriving character career ended on a grim and tragic note in 1939.
Born Claude Benton Gillingwater on August 2, 1879, in the small Mississippi River town of Louisiana, Missouri, he was the son of James E. and Lucy (Hunter) Gillingwater and attended St. Louis High School. For a time he was an apprentice to a lawyer uncle, but he eventually left home and joined a traveling stock company. Gradually building up his nascent career on the stage, he was discovered by theater impresario David Belasco. Gillingwater proceeded strongly on the Broadway stage beginning with a melodramatic role in "A Young Wife" (1899). This led to a well-received series of parts for the next full decade in New York ranging from high drama ("Madame Butterfly", "Du Barry") to operettas ("Mlle. Modiste," "The Old Town," "The Girl in the Train") to original works ("The Only Son," "The New Secretary").
1918 was a banner year for Gillingwater for he not only appeared in the hit Broadway show "Three Wise Fools," but also made his silent film debut in support of Gladys Leslie and Richard Barthelmess in Wild Primrose (1918). This disagreeable typecast began to assert itself with his second movie three years later as the grumbling, icy-souled Earl of Dorincourt whose grandson helps reveal his tenderer side in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921), which starred America's sweetheart Mary Pickford in a dual role.
A rash of leading/co-starring roles came with the immediate impact of this single success, including Crinoline and Romance (1923) with Viola Dana, Alice Adams (1923) with Florence Vidor, Dulcy (1923) with Constance Talmadge, and Three Wise Fools (1923) with Eleanor Boardman. The last film mentioned gave him the opportunity to repeat his 1918 Broadway triumph. More than not, however, he was supporting the Hollywood elite such as kid star Jackie Coogan in My Boy (1921), Richard Dix in Fools First (1922) and The Christian (1923), 'Leonore Ulric' in Tiger Rose (1923), Alla Nazimova in Madonna of the Streets (1924), Ronald Colman in A Thief in Paradise (1925), Anna Q. Nilsson in Winds of Chance (1925), and Colleen Moore in Oh Kay! (1928). Sometimes his character's names reflected his curt, stern image -- names such as John P. Grout, Lord Storm and Simon Peck.
A founding member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (1927), he advanced into the talking era of films with equal verve, although his roles were, more often than not, token grouches. Some of his more distinctive parts came with the films A Tale of Two Cities (1935) (as Jarvis Lorry), Mississippi (1935) and The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936). He proved to be an excellent crabapple foil for 20th Century-Fox moppet star Shirley Temple in Poor Little Rich Girl (1936) and subsequently appeared in two more of her pictures - Just Around the Corner (1938) and Little Miss Broadway (1938).
Gillingwater played a few more curmudgeons in his last years but this period of time was to be marked by acute sadness and physical/mental hardship. A serious accident on the movie set of the picture Florida Special (1936) (he fell from a platform and injured his back) damaged his health and threatened his career, and the death of his long-time wife Carlyn left him irrevocably depressed. Fearing the possibility of becoming an invalid and wishing not to become a serious burden to anyone, the 69-year-old actor committed suicide at his Beverly Hills home with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on November 1, 1939. Gillingwater left a fine Hollywood legacy and the fun of some of his old films is watching his vinegar turn to sugar.- Actor
- Additional Crew
John Hugh Elliott was born July 5th 1876 to Sarah E. Norris (07/04/1845-02/21/1897) and Jehue S. Elliott (9/21/1845-8/18/1916) in Keosauqua. He had three sisters, Elizabeth (3/7/1869-01/18/1916), Fanny (10/31/1871-02/24/1897), and Nina (03/15/1887-05/26/1958). In Febuary 1897, Typhoid Fever hit the Elliott family. John, his mother, and sister Fanny all fell ill. Elizabeth came out from Keosaqua to care for her sick siblings. Fanny passed just three days after their mother but John, after about a week began his full recovery. On April 14th, 1897 he married Cleo Kelly. They lived in Pella Iowa where John had moved to in October 1895 with his family. Two years later, the couple had twins, a boy and girl, Donald and Dorothy on August 9th, 1899. It was a rough marriage since Cleo's family highly disapproved of her relationship with an "actor". John began as a stage actor, but he truly shone with his appearances in "talkies". John enjoyed playing a variety of roles, including those of more despicable characters, seeing it as a way to exercise an actor's best talents. He died December 12th, 1956 in his California home.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Arthur Housman was born on 10 October 1889 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Sunrise (1927), The Bat (1926) and The Gay Lord Quex (1919). He died on 8 April 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Dorothy Bernard was born on 25 June 1890 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She was an actress, known for The Rainbow (1917), The Little Gypsy (1915) and The Wild Goose (1921). She was married to A.H. Van Buren. She died on 15 December 1955 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Ruth Stonehouse started her show-business career early: she was a dancer in shows in Douglas, Arizona, at the age of eight. She grew up to be more than just an entertainer, however; she was an astute businesswoman and, with Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson and George K. Spoor, started Essanay Studios, for which she made more than 100 films. She signed with Universal in 1916, and not only starred in films but also wrote and directed many of her own, quite an accomplishment in those days. She began working for other studios in 1919, and alternated between making films for majors like Universal and Paramount and minors like Arrow, FBO and Associated Producers. She retired with the coming of sound.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Pert, curly-haired Ruth Hiatt was born Ruth Redfern, a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1924, former child actress, dancer and comedienne. She had moved with her family from San Diego and made her screen bow at age eleven. Ruth was briefly under contract with the Lubin company in 1915, later moving on to Educational and then to Mack Sennett's Keystone. Gravitating towards comedy, she was helped along the way by a close friendship with the writer/director Lloyd Bacon, who introduced her to star comedian Lloyd Hamilton. Hamilton, who had been looking for a suitable leading lady, was impressed after meeting the personable, dimple-cheeked and (most of all) photogenic,lass.
One of Ruth's first feature film roles was a small part in Douglas Fairbanks's epic swashbuckler Robin Hood (1922). However, she established herself primarily as a leading lady of one- and two-reelers, often cast in slapstick farce opposite comics like Hamilton (Going East (1924)) or Harry Langdon (Saturday Afternoon (1926)). At the height of her popularity, she co-starred in all 23 instalments of the 'Smith Family' series of domestic comedies (1926-28).
As the 1920's drew to a close, Ruth wisely varied her repertoire and managed to weather the transition from silent pictures to sound. She now showed up in anything from crime dramas (Shanghai Rose (1929)) to Ken Maynard westerns (Sunset Trail (1932)). Ruth continued on in supporting roles of ever diminishing size until 1941, notably as the 'whispering nurse' in The Three Stooges Oscar-nominated short Men in Black (1934). After her retirement from acting, she established a make-up business.- Actress
- Editor
- Writer
Peggy O'Day was born on 3 September 1898 in Staten Island, New York, USA. She was an actress and editor, known for Thundering Hoofs (1922), Storm Girl (1922) and They're Off (1922). She was married to Gordon Courtney. She died on 24 August 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Hearn was born on 6 September 1888 in Dayton, Washington, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for As No Man Has Loved (1925), The Flirt (1922) and The Turmoil (1924). He was married to Tryna L. Saindon. He died on 15 April 1963 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Louis Ralph was born on 17 August 1884 in Graz, Styria, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was an actor and director, known for Flucht vor Blond (1928), Glanz und Elend der Kurtisanen (1920) and Spies (1928). He died in September 1952 in Berlin, Germany.- Actor
- Director
Lafe McKee began working in Hollywood around 1913. He usually played the likeable father of the heroine, the distressed businessman, or the ranch owner on the verge of losing his homestead or cattle to the villains. The majority of his films were westerns and he supported such actors as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Gene Autry, Tim McCoy, Tom Tyler, and others.- Actor
- Director
George Chesebro was an American character actor who, after a few leading roles in silent films, became an omnipresent bit player in "B" westerns. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Chesebro became involved in traveling stock theater productions before the age of 20, and by 1911 was a seasoned performer. He played in a musical spectacular that toured Asia for two years, then returned to America and played in stock and vaudeville. Moving to Los Angeles in 1915, Chesebro began to supplement his vaudeville career with movie work and quickly began moving up the ladder of film success. World War I interrupted his work (sources differ as to whether he served in the US Navy or US Army). Following the war he resumed his movie career, starring in several popular serials. His popularity and the size of his roles waned during the 1920s, and with the arrival of talkies he was most often seen as heavies, henchmen and cops in a huge number of westerns and crime dramas, most of them low-budget. He became a fixture in "B" westerns, rarely billed but always familiar, and finished out his career in the 1950s with the demise of the B-Western. Occasional TV appearances marked his retirement, and he died in 1959, two months prior to his 71st birthday.- Charles Manley was born on 25 September 1830 in Ireland. He was an actor, known for Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900), Uncle Josh's Nightmare (1900) and Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show (1902). He was married to Amelia Badeau Marcher and Marie ?. He died on 26 February 1916 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Charles Inslee was born on 6 June 1870 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Adventures of Tarzan (1921), The Red Man and the Child (1908) and After Many Years (1908). He was married to Belle M. S. McElroy. He died in September 1922.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Arthur V. Johnson was born on 2 February 1876 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Beloved Adventurer (1914), Annie Rowley's Fortune (1913) and The Adventures of Dollie (1908). He was married to Maude Webb. He died on 17 January 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.- Niles Welch was born on July 29, 1888, in Hartford, Connecticut. He attended Yale and Columbia Universities, where he excelled in athletics. Welch spent two years in France studying literature, languages, painting and drama. He started his career on stage in 1909 in a production at Columbia. After graduation, he began his film career at Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, under producer Jesse Lasky. Next, he worked for the Kalem Company, and then Metro, where he was leading man for such stars as Mary Miles Minter and Ethyl Barrymore. He also worked for Universal and Goldwyn. While in New York, he met, then married, Elaine Baker, a Broadway actress.
Later in life, Welch began a second career as a radio actor for the Columbia Broadcasting System. His mastery of French and German came in handy when World War II broke out. He was hired by the State Department to work for the Voice of America. In addition to daily short-wave broadcasts to Europe, he also had his own news show. In 1945, he suffered a tragic accident while working at the recording studio. He was carrying a collection of records and other items, and was starting through the heavy studio doors with a companion. An engineer called to him, and he stopped to reply. He then turned to leave, thinking the door was being held for him. But it wasn't, and he smashed his head against it. An examination disclosed that the retinas in both eyes had been detached. Surgery proved unsuccessful, although for a year he had partial sight in one eye. Then he became totally blind. Welch died in California in 1976, at the age of 88. - Director
- Actor
- Producer
Phillips Smalley was born on 7 August 1865 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1917), The Merchant of Venice (1914) and Captain Courtesy (1915). He was married to Phyllis Lorraine Ephlin and Lois Weber. He died on 2 May 1939 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Ormi Hawley was born on 21 February 1889 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Michael Strogoff (1914), The Shanghaied Baby (1915) and Her Inspiration (1911). She was married to Charles Fulcher. She died on 3 June 1942 in Rome, New York, USA.
- Sandra Milovanoff was born on 23 June 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]. She was an actress, known for Le gamin de Paris (1923), Les misérables (1925) and Les deux gamines (1921). She was married to Nikitin, Maurice de Moolek and Joseph Mejinsky. She died on 8 May 1957 in Paris, France.
- Anne Schaefer was born on 10 July 1870 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for A Little Princess (1917), The Price of a Good Time (1917) and Main Street (1923). She was married to F. Medek. She died on 3 May 1957 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
Marion Leonard was born on 9 June 1881 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for What Avails the Crown (1912), The Seed of the Fathers (1913) and The Voice of the Millions (1912). She was married to Stanner E.V. Taylor. She died on 9 January 1956 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Allene Ray made her reputation as a star of action serials in the '20s, and she had the background for it. She was born and raised on a ranch outside of San Antonio, Texas, and could not only ride horses at an early age, but learned to tame bucking broncs, a very unusual thing to do for women in those times. A local theatrical impresario discovered that Allene could also sing and dance well, and she was offered a part in his productions. It was while appearing in them in 1919 that a western actor and writer, Tex O'Reilly, who was shooting two-reel westerns in San Antonio, spotted her, and she was soon appearing with him in those films. The next year she traveled to New York where she was contracted to make one film, but stayed there for several more. By 1924 she was making serials for Pathe, where she found her niche. Her natural athletic ability led to her often refusing to use a double, as she wanted to perform her own stunts. Pathe teamed her with actor Walter Miller, a successful effort that resulted in their making eight serials together. When Pathe gave up makng serials in 1929, Ray moved to Universal, which was still actively engaged in making them. Unfortunately, her career did not survive the sound era, as she had a high-pitched, squeaky voce that did not come out well on film. She made her last film in 1930, retired, and was never heard from again.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born July 15, 1889 in San Francisco, unappreciated character player Marjorie Rambeau worked on the stage from the age of 12. In the 1910s and 1920s, she became a prominent Broadway lead, noted for her serene beauty, elegant poise and touching theatrics. Around the same time she made a few silent films that went nowhere. Leaving the Broadway scene in the late 20s she focused on Hollywood but, by this time, her looks had hardened enough that she would only be considered for character, not romantic leads.
Marjorie surprised everybody and turned in sterling, flashy support work as blowsy, aging floozies and other pathetic, hard-luck dames. She played an alcoholic mom in Min and Bill (1930) opposite Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler, then succeeded Dressler herself as the salty waterfront title character in Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940). Nominated twice for Oscars as the prostitute mother of Ginger Rogers in Primrose Path (1940) and the mother at odds with daughter/star Joan Crawford in Torch Song (1953), Marjorie was never given the acclaim she deserved. Her versatility was for all to see in such roles as the backwoods Bessie Lester in Tobacco Road (1941), and she continued to own her own scenes in such films as A Man Called Peter (1955), The View from Pompey's Head (1955) and as Steve Cochran's alcoholic mom in Slander (1957).
Offscreen, her private life proved as stormy and difficult as those of her characters. She married three times, her first husband being actor/writer/director Willard Mack. Moreover, alcohol played a strong, sad part in her personal life as well. A number of serious car accidents left her in disabled health for much of her later life. Sadly, she is little remembered except by the most devoted fans of film trivia. In all fairness, her films are definitely worth a look, if but for her scenes alone. Marjorie passed away in 1970 at age 80.- Suzanne Bianchetti was born in Paris in 1889. During the First World War she made her cinema debut in the propaganda film La femme française pendant la guerre/The French Woman during the War (Alexandre Devarennes, 1917). She quickly became popular with short silent comedies such as Riquette se marie/Riquette Marries (Alexandre Devarennes, 1918). Her first dramatic role was in La Marseillaise (Henri Desfontaines, 1920) opposite André Nox. During the 1920s she became one of France's most loved and respected actresses, and worked with many of the notables of the silent film era, such as Antonin Artaud and the singer Damia. Her silent films include Flipotte (Jacques de Baroncelli, 1920) starring Gabriel Signoret, based on a novel by Henry Kistemaekers, Jocelyn (Léon Poirier, 1922), the popular serial Les Mystères de Paris/The Mysteries of Paris (Charles Burguet, 1922), Violettes imperials/Imperial Violets (Henry Roussel, 1924) with Raquel Meller, and the American romantic costume comedy-drama Madame Sans-Gêne (Léonce Perret, 1925), a Paramount production starring Gloria Swanson. In 1927, Bianchetti appeared in her two most famous films, as Marie Antoinette in the classic epic Napoléon (Abel Gance, 1927) and as Catherine II in Casanova (Alexandre Volkoff, 1927) featuring Ivan Mozzhukhin. A year later she appeared in another silent classic, Verdun, visions d'histoire/Verdun (Léon Poirier, 1928) as the wife of the French soldier (Albert Préjean).
After the introduction of sound film, Bianchetti could be seen again in re-edited versions with sound-effects of Verdun, visions d'histoire, retitled as Verdun, souvenirs d'histoire (1931), Violettes impériales (1932) and Napoléon as Napoléon Bonaparte (1935). Her final film was L'Appel du Silence/The Call (Leon Poirier, 1936), based on the life of Charles de Foucauld (Jean Yonnel). She died in 1936 in Paris at the age of 47. She had been married to writer and actor René Jeanne who served as the director of L'Etablissement Cinématographique des Armées. A year after her death, her husband created an award in her memory to be given annually to the most promising young actress of the year. It was given for the first time in 1937 to Junie Astor for her performance in Club de femmes. The award comes in the form of a medallion engraved with Suzanne Bianchetti's image. Since its inception, the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti has been awarded to many of the greatest names in French cinema who went on to national and international success. Among the winners are Micheline Presle, Simone Signoret, Marina Vlady, Annie Girardot, Pascale Petit, Isabelle Adjani, Isabelle Huppert, Juliette Binoche, Audrey Tautou and Belgian actress Pauline Étienne. - Ena Gregory was born on 18 April 1907 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She was an actress, known for Grinning Guns (1927), In the Palace of the King (1923) and The Rose of Kildare (1927). She was married to Dr. Frank G. Nolan, Albert S. Rogell and Abe Steinberg. She died on 13 June 1993 in Laguna Beach, California, USA.
- Eddie Phillips was born on 14 August 1899 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for The Bells (1926), Benson at Calford (1926) and Ambush Valley (1936). He was married to Lee ?. He died on 22 February 1965 in North Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
Billy Quirk was born on 27 March 1873 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Algie, the Miner (1912), The Man Worthwhile (1921) and The Maverick (1912). He was married to Patsy Jane Holcomb. He died on 20 April 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fred Humes was born on 15 June 1896 in Dents Run, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Quick Triggers (1928), The Fearless Rider (1928) and The Arizona Cyclone (1928). He died on 3 January 1971 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA.- DeWitt Jennings was born on 21 June 1871 in Cameron, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Exit Smiling (1926), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and The Squaw Man (1931). He was married to Margaret Ethel Conroy. He died on 1 March 1937 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Clarence Burton was born on 10 May 1882 in Fort Lyons, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for The Crimson Challenge (1922), Midnight Madness (1928) and Purity (1916). He was married to Gladys Graham and Sadie (actress). He died on 2 December 1933 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- American character actor of Russian heritage in silent films and early talkies. She emigrated with her family to the U.S. when she was seven years old. She became involved in the theatre even as a child and participated for several years in the Jewish theatre in New York. At the age of 34 she was cast by Frank Borzage in his version of 'Humoresque (1920)', and thereafter played in dozens of films, often as the family matriarch. She appeared in several films in the comedic Cohens and Kellys series. She died in 1948.
- Vera Voronina, born in Odessa 1904, was a Russian model, dancer and actress. Her family left their homeland for Austria when the Russian revolution spread across the country. In 1925 Vera Voronina headed for the exuberant Berlin in the Weimar republic. She supported herself as a model and chorus girl. Her beauty eventually caught the eye of a Swedish film unit shooting in Berlin, who cast her in one of their productions, "Hon, den enda/She, The Only One" (1926) directed by Gustaf Molander. In 1927 Paramount Picture signed her to a contract and brought her to Hollywood. She lived at 1954 North Argyle Avenue with her husband Nikolaus Awramow, a lawyer from Kyiv. At that time, the studio already had German director Ernst Lubitsch and film star Emil Jannings under contract. Hoping to bolster its foreign talent pool, Paramount groomed Vera Voronina for stardom by promoting her as an exotic Russian exile. But the timing was bad. The talking pictures became increasingly popular and Vera didn't speak English at all. In the summer of 1928 the Voronina-Awramow couple returned to Europe and Berlin, where she appeared in four feature films before fading into obscurity in 1929. Vera Voronina believed to have died in 1942, 38 years old, location and cause unknown.
- Actress
- Writer
Little known today, Carol Holloway was one of the more prolific, and athletic, of the serial queens. The daughter of a Massachusetts college professor, she caught the acting bug at an early age and hooked up with a theatrical stock company, which took her to New York. There she worked for several film studios, among them Vitagraph, for which she made several serials, eventually being teamed with action hero William Duncan. However, in 1918 Duncan took on a new partner and Holloway left Vitagraph to freelance. She appeared in westerns with Hoot Gibson and Tom Mix, among others, but her career progression stopped with the introduction of sound. She began taking smaller parts in progressively smaller pictures, and eventually was reduced to unbilled bit parts. Her last known film was in 1940, when she apparently left the business and was never heard from again.- Ray Gallagher was born on 17 April 1885 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Prisoner's Story (1912), The Trail of '98 (1928) and Half a Bride (1928). He died on 6 March 1953 in Camarillo, California, USA.
- Frank Elliott was born on 11 February 1880 in Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Easy Virtue (1927), Gentle Julia (1923) and Once to Every Woman (1920). He was married to Dorothy Griffin. He died in July 1970 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Considered in her day to be one of the screen's great beauties, Vola Vale was born born Violet Smith in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Rochester. As a youngster she appeared in amateur stage productions in Rochester, and at age 15 made her film debut under her real name (she didn't use Vola Vale until 1916). Under contract to Biograph, she appeared in a wide variety of films. She left that studio in 1916 and joined Universal Pictures, where she appeared in a long series of comedy and dramatic shorts before making her feature debut in 1917. She worked not only for Universal but for many independent companies, and made several films with veteran western star William S. Hart. Her popularity soared in the 1917-1918 period as she turned out a slew of films for many different studios. In 1918 she married director Albert Russell, who specialized in westerns, and began making westerns herself. After she and Russell divorced, she abandoned westerns and began turning out "society" dramas. Her popularity began to decline in 1923, and she began appearing in more and more undistinguished, low-budget independent fodder for the states-rights market. She met director John Gorman in 1926 while appearing in one of his films and they were married later that year. She retired from the screen in 1927. She and Gorman divorced, and she later married Lawrence McDougal, and that lasted until he died in 1970. Several months later, in October of 1970, she herself died of heart disease and diabetes.
- Actress
Cécile Guyon was born on 4 December 1890 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Sapho (1912), Les filles du saltimbanque (1912) and L'enfant prodigue (1916). She was married to Henri Bosc. She died on 29 January 1927 in Paris, France.- Actress
- Writer
Louise Beaudet was born on 5 December 1859 in Lotbinere, Québec, Canada. She was an actress and writer, known for The Goddess (1915), The Gold Diggers (1923) and The Man Behind the Door (1914). She died on 31 December 1947 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Producer
Larry Kent was born on 15 September 1900 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Women Won't Tell (1932), Hangman's House (1928) and Obey the Law (1926). He died on 7 November 1967 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Jack Luden's story is one of the saddest in Hollywood. He was born as Jacob Benson Luden in Reading, Pennsylvania, with a silver spoon in his mouth; his uncle was the millionaire founder of Luden's Cough Drops and he attended the finest schools on the east coast. But he was restless, possessing an impulsive rebellious streak and opted for an acting career. Against enormous odds, he won a contest to attend the Paramount Pictures' School of Acting on Long Island, New York in 1925 where he stood in good stead with classmates Thelma Todd and future all-American star, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers. Paramount ordered him to Hollywood the following year and he acted in various films both there and on loan to FBO during the sound transition period. His personal heyday lasted for about 3 years; his studio had faith and patience in him, and he earned enough money to indulge his passion for sailing, and bought a boat. Possessing good looks, passable voice and a degree of acting talent, he should have been on the fast track toward stardom but his studio faced hard times after 1930 and somehow Luden was lost in the shuffle. More seriously, he acquired a heroin habit (possibly as early as 1929) and found it impossible to keep it hidden. Released from his Paramount contract --- some accounts claim he simply walked out --- having never achieved stardom, Luden found himself adrift and was known to commit wholesale shoplifting to support his drug habit. His life between 1930-36 is largely a mystery. He apparently gave up any pretext of hiding his drug addiction. His father died in the mid-1930s and his immediate family, by what accounts there are, expressed dismay over his lifestyle. He was reputedly arrested several times during this period for petty theft, but details are lacking and there's no indication that anyone ever associated his crimes to his faded Hollywood career. Luden somehow managed to re-enter the film business and came to the attention of veteran low-budget Gower Gulch producer, Larry Darmour who rode on the coattails of Columbia's ascent out of the ranks of Poverty Row studios. Columbia boss Harry Cohn was loathe to ignore the profits to be mined in Saturday afternoon matinées and gave Darmour a unit. His features were budgeted at $100,000 or less and, typical for the era, he sought to brand his western stars, making them more easily marketable to kids. This was Luden's second and last big break. He was cast as "Breezy" through four productions in 1938. Relatively speaking, Columbia's western efforts were top notch entertainment compared to the cinematic gruel spewing from the likes of its neighbors along Gower (an arguable exception would be Republic, despite its far lower budgets). Whether Darmour or Cohn were initially aware of the extent of his drug addiction is open to speculation, but it's probable that his relative obscurity in Hollywood was initially considered an asset since his police record didn't prevent him from this last stab at stardom. In any event, Luden once again failed to click with the targeted audience and he was cut from Columbia. He ended his film career in the early 1940s making minor, uncredited walk-ons. He made a half-hearted attempt at forming a film production company in the late 1940s that went nowhere (given his reputation, it was likely a scam). Married three times, he turned to drug dealing to support his increasingly expensive heroin habit. It's easy to speculate how failing in Hollywood affected him, but the undeniable fact was that Luden was completely comfortable being a low-life; his favorite saying was "a crooked buck is sweeter than an honest dollar." Not exactly the desired credo of an actor who once aimed, albeit half-heartedly, to be a cowboy star and idol of children. He was arrested for possession and writing bad checks and was sent to San Quentin State Pennitentiary. Luden, ultimately his own worst enemy, died there 9 months into his sentence from a heart attack at age 49 in 1951.
- Prolific "heavy" in American films of the silent and early talkie eras. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Kohler left home as a teenager, working various jobs while trying to establish a career in vaudeville. During this time, according to his son, actor Fred Kohler Jr., Kohler worked in a mine and lost part of his right hand in a dynamite accident. Eventually he fell in with a touring theatrical company and worked onstage around the U.S. for several years. In his mid-twenties, he ended up in California and found roles in silent films. He quickly found a niche as a villain, by virtue of his imposing size and his fearsome features, typically and most memorably in The Iron Horse (1924). He worked primarily in Westerns, but films of all sorts benefited from his skill at screen nastiness. In a series of silent Paramount Westerns based on Zane Grey novels, Kohler not only played the heavy, but also repeated some of those roles when these films were remade as talkies a decade later. His career lasted without let-up until his sudden death due to a heart attack at 51 in 1938.
- Doris May was born on 15 October 1902 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for 23 1/2 Hours' Leave (1919), Gay and Devilish (1922) and Up and at 'Em (1922). She was married to Wallace MacDonald. She died on 12 May 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
As an avid movie fan, Dorothy got her chance to go to Hollywood when she won a Salt Lake City beauty contest sponsored by Universal Pictures. Signed by Universal after her successful screen test, Dorothy became one of the many contract actors working in small bit parts. She became well known due to her roles in series and serial movies from 'College Love (1929)' to 'The Last Frontier (1932)'. Dorothy appeared in a number of low budget Westerns such as 'In Old Cheyenne (1931)' and 'The Fighting Marshal (1932)'. Over the years that she appeared in Westerns, she worked with actors such as Jack Hoxie, Hoot Gibson, Wild Bill Elliott and John Wayne. By 1933, Dorothy found that her roles had become so small that in the film 'King Kong (1933)', she would be credited as "Girl". For the rest of the decade, she appeared in but a handful of films which were mostly 'B' movie Westerns. After that, she left films.- Frank Campeau was born on 14 December 1864 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for 3 Bad Men (1926), Battling Bunyan (1924) and The Life of the Party (1920). He was married to Sarah Estelle Lewis and Lillian Stratton Corbin. He died on 5 November 1943 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Nick Cogley was born on 4 May 1869 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Only a Farmer's Daughter (1915), Monte Cristo (1912) and The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924). He died on 20 May 1936 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Albert Dieudonné was born on 26 November 1889 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Son crime (1921), Gloire rouge (1923) and Sous la griffe (1917). He died on 19 March 1976 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.- René Alexandre was born on 22 December 1885 in Reims, Marne, France. He was an actor, known for La leçon du gouffre (1913), Perdue (1919) and Le roi du bagne (1913). He was married to Gabrielle Robinne. He died on 19 July 1946 in Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine, France.
- Chester Barnett was born on 29 February 1884 in Piedmont, Missouri, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Ancient Mariner (1925), Calicowani (1913) and The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England (1914). He was married to Dorothy M.. He died on 22 September 1947 in Jefferson City, Missouri, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Edwin August was born Edwin August Phillip von der Butz on the 20th of November, 1883, in St. Louis, Missouri. He made his first stage appearance in "Little Lord Fauntleroy" at the age of seven. After years of stage work, he made his first movies for the Biograph Company in New York City in 1908. There he appeared with Mary Pickford and was directed by D. W. Griffith. August came to the Lubin Company in the late summer of 1912 and was immediately cast opposite Ormi Hawley, with whom he made a series of films before leaving in December of that year. He worked for many of the early film companies, writing and directing as well as appearing in his own films. For a while he even had his own production company. A popular actor, he was voted the most handsome matinee idol in a fan magazine's national poll. In 1916, August announced that he was running for president, making his opposition to movie censorship his primary issue. No one took him seriously, of course. The notion of a movie actor becoming president was considered impossible. (NB: Ronald Reagan was five years old at the time.)
August successfully made the transition to sound films and continued to appear in movies until 1947. He can be seen as an extra in several famous films such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). Despite his success, August lived alone and very modestly in a small bungalow in Hollywood. He never married and there is some evidence that he was probably gay. August died on March 4th, 1964, in Hollywood, and is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park.- Stockdale, a very good friend of Mary Miles Minter's mother, Charlotte Shelby, claimed on the witness stand that he was with Mrs. Shelby when movie director William Desmond Taylor--Minter's lover--was murdered, therefore Charlotte could not have killed him. Stockdale said that he suspected Taylor's former chauffeur, a man named Sands, was responsible for the murder. However, after many different investigations of the murder over the years by authors, private detectives and even director King Vidor, most sources familiar with the case say the evidence points to Mrs. Shelby as Taylor's killer.
- Coming from a theatrical family (her mother was an actress), Pauline Curley was an actress from the age of five, and toured the vaudeville circuit with her family. Her first known film role came in 1913, and although her movie career lasted 16 years, she never made the top, or even the middle, ranks of stardom. She made a few well-received serials for Vitagraph, and was in one of Douglas Fairbanks' more popular swashbucklers, Bound in Morocco (1918), but she doesn't seem to have been able to capitalize on it, as she was soon appearing in very low-budget, two-reel Leo D. Maloney and Jack Perrin westerns. Soon the pictures got even cheaper, her roles got even smaller, and by 1929 (the year of her last known film, The Locked Door (1929), in which she had an unbilled bit part) she had apparently left the industry altogether. She was married, from 1922 to his death in 1988, to cinematographer Kenneth Peach. Two of their children followed them into the film business: Kenneth Peach Jr., who became a cinematographer, and Martin Peach, who had a career as a key grip.
Pauline Curley died in 2000 in Santa Monica, CA, aged 96. - Virginia Bradford was born on 7 November 1899 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for Atta Boy (1926), Chicago (1927) and Two Lovers (1928). She was married to Thomas Prentice, Cedric Belfrage, Joseph Petrie Lyons and Frederick Minter. She died on 30 October 1995 in Indiana, USA.
- Claire Whitney was born in New York City on May 6, 1890. Her acting career first started out on the stage, but as time wore on, it was evident that films were taking the place of plays, at least for a while. Her first film was The Star of India (1913) when she was 23. Claire did well enough in her first movie that she starred in many films, both the shorts and features. She remained very busy throughout the balance of the silent era. After The Leech (1921), Claire left films until 1926 when she returned for only one film, that being The Great Gatsby (1926). Claire returned in 1931, to appear in an uncredited part in her first sound picture. Her roles for the remainder of her career were small ones. She was 59 when she appeared in her last film, Roaring Westward (1949). On August 27, 1969, Claire died in Los Angeles, California. She was 79.
- Edna Flugrath was born on 30 December 1892 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Kipps (1921), The Two Columbines (1914) and Nursery Favorites (1913). She was married to Halliburton Houghton and Harold M. Shaw. She died on 6 April 1966 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Mary Johnson, born Astrid Maria Carlsson, Fors, Eskilstuna, in 1896, was a Swedish stage and screen actress, active 1913-1931. She was born into a home of simple living conditions. At 15 she found her way to Stockholm and the actress Karin Swanström's theatre company. Mary Johnson married the actor Karl Gerhard in 1913, made her stage and screen debut two years later, and was discovered by Hasselblad Studios and photographer/director Georg af Klercker. Her breakthrough happened in "Snows of Destiny" (1919), an adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf's novel, directed by Mauritz Stiller. She re-married the Norwegian actor Einar Rød in 1920, acted in Swedish films and toured theaters in Norway. The German producer Trianon-Film spotted Mary Johnson an offered her leading parts till the company went bankrupt and another German producer Rex-Film suggested her as Hedvig Ekdal in "The Wild Duck/ Das Haus der Luges" in 1926. Mary Johnson starred in 10 more German pictures till she fell in love with the world famous German actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge, who became her third husband in 1932. Hitler and World War II affected the couple heavily. They lost most of the assets and artistic careers and was force to move to their summerhouse in Graz, Austria. Mary Johnson did not return to the screen or the stage and Rudolf Klein-Rogge made only one minor appearance in the film "Hexen" in 1949. After his death in 1955 Mary Johnson returned to Sweden and settled in Stockholm unnoticed. She passed away twenty years later, in 1975.
- Mary Charleson was born on 18 May 1890 in Dungannon, Ireland. She was an actress, known for The Silent Accuser (1915), The Golden Pathway (1913) and The Mystery of the Silver Skull (1913). She was married to Henry B. Walthall. She died on 3 December 1961 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Virginia True Boardman was born on 23 May 1889 in Fort Davis, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for A Blind Bargain (1922), The Road to Ruin (1934) and The Lady Lies (1929). She was married to True Boardman. She died on 10 June 1971 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Josie Sedgwick was born on 13 March 1898 in Galveston, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for The Lone Hand (1920), The Lure of the Circus (1918) and Daredevil Jack (1920). She was married to William Steele and Justin H. McCloskey. She died on 30 April 1973 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Josephine Crowell was a Canadian-born character actress. She appeared in vaudeville as early as 1879. On screen, she is best remembered for her dramatic portrayal of the mother in D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915), her comedic performances in Harold Lloyd's Speedy (1928) and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's Wrong Again (1929). She also played a succession of queens and princesses in such films as Main Street (1923), Mantrap (1926), The King of Kings (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928).
- Marie Mosquini was a pert, slightly-built comedienne of amazingly prolific output. Between 1917 and 1926, the feisty brunette appeared in close to 200 one- and two-reel shorts, mostly for Hal Roach. She was featured in the initial series of comedies, which propelled Stan Laurel to stardom. Following that, she enjoyed a lengthy run as leading lady to pint-sized Australian comic 'Snub' Pollard, often under the direction of another noted farceur, Charley Chase. Marie also co-starred opposite Will Rogers in Two Wagons: Both Covered (1924), a clever send-up of the classic silent western The Covered Wagon (1923). After striking up a close friendship with fellow actress Bebe Daniels, she was regularly featured in the films of Harold Lloyd, albeit only in minor supporting roles.
Marie Mosquini was born in Los Angeles in December 1899 and educated at a convent school. She spent three years as a stenographer, before deciding to try her luck in Hollywood. The bulk of her work consisted of short comedies, but there were also a handful of feature films for Paramount and Fox, including a rare dramatic role as Madame Gobin in the classic Janet Gaynor romance 7th Heaven (1927). Marie went into quasi retirement in October 1930 after her marriage to electronics and radio pioneer Lee De Forest, a man 26 years her senior. She became a leading socialite during the 1930's, though continuing to dabble in film acting up to 1938. Seven years after her husband's death in 1961, Marie De Forest became a well-known 'Novice Class' HAM radio operator and member of the Lockheed-affiliated LERC Amateur Radio Club. - Nina Quartero was born Gladys Quartararo on March 17, 1908 in New York City. She came from a close family and was the youngest of seven children. Nina started acting in a Booklyn stock company when she was a teenager. She was signed by director D.W. Griffith and was an extra in the films Sorrows Of Satan and The Show Off. For several years she was billed as "Gladys Quartaro". When she auditioned for the Ramon Navarro film Romance the studio said she looked too young. Then director James Cruze saw her screen test and gave her the lead in the 1928 drama The Red Mark. Her performance earned rave reviews and her future in Hollywood seemed bright. Sadly in February of 1928 she suffered a nervous breakdown. She started dating actor Reed Howes and they were rumored to be engaged. Nina's olive skin and Spanish-Italian ancestry allowed her to play many different types of characters.
She worked with Olive Borden in The Eternal Woman and with John Wayne in Arizona. In 1933 she starred in the hit horror film The Monkey's Paw and signed a five year contract with Hal Roach. As a publicity stunt she told the press she was engaged to a football quarterback named Frank Carideo. Unfortunately Frank denied the engagement and demanded an apology from her. She married John C. Outhet, a millionaire from Chicago, in 1934. They divorced three years later and she married publicist Joseph C. Shea. Sadly this marriage also ended in divorce. Although Nina never became an A-list star she continued to get small parts in movies like Wife Vs. Secretary and Torchy Blane In Panama. Her final film was the 1943 comedy A Lady Takes A Chance. She retired from acting and lived a quiet life in Woodland Hills, California. Nina died on November 23, 1985 at the age of seventy-seven. - Ethyle Cooke was born on 4 August 1880 in Lynn, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for The Merchant of Venice (1912), Inspiration (1915) and Patsy (1917). She was married to Harry Benham. She died on 20 April 1949 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA.
- A stage player before the days of movies, a pioneer in the industry that has made Hollywood famous, Miss Lucille Ward, a native of Dayton, Ohio Her stage career began in New York in 1907 and like many other players she was called upon in her younger years to play older parts. Thus, through her twenties, her first role was that of La Corante, a 70 year old character in "Monte Cristo." The next year she was colored mammy in "Under Southern Skies" and in 1909 we find her doing a mother part in "The Man of the Hour" company, a Brady production. In 1910 she toured with the "Stronger Set" company, a Henry W. Savage production, Here too she had a mother part. She was, in fact, playing mother parts on stage to men and women twice her age. Miss ward next accepted the lead role in "The New Clerk," a musical comedy with Harry Fischer, the star. These plays were all on tour during the winter season. The summer found miss Ward with first-class stock companies or with vaudeville acts. During 1910 she came back to Dayton and held an engagement with the stock company at Fairview Park. That was in the day when Tommy Meighan, who later made a name for himself in the movies; John Sainpolis and Lucille Spinney were members of the troupe. Later Miss Ward came back to fill and engagement with the Rod Players at the Victoria Theater. This she calls one of her most joyous seasons. She also played a summer engagement with the Colonial stock company in Columbus. It was after this engagement that she returned to New York and joined the James P. Leonard act for a full season's engagement, after this going on tour with Homer Lind company. Both these acts were headliners in the major circuit of vaudeville in those days. It was during her engagement in the "Miss 318" act, which had a run in the Fifth Avenue Theater, in New York, that producer Rupert Hughes, became so pleased with her work that he wrote a special part for her in another act that was to be produced that fall. However, before that materialized, the office of Lew Fields asked Miss Ward if she would play the lead in an act to be sent over to the Orpheum circuit. It was to be the boat scene from the play "Tillie's Nightmare," in which Marie Dressler appeared a lead feminine player for a run of two years in New York. Though the part was a rather small one, Miss Ward accepted it. As she related it, "There were 21 people in a 23 minute sketch; I had only 11 speeches, but I managed to get 13 laughs out of my part." at any rate, Feilds was so please with her work that he asked Miss War to play the star part in a revival of miss Dressler's play. Miss Ward accepted and it was in this role that she achieved the distinction of being the only woman to follow Miss Dressler in one of the latter's star parts. The road tour of "Tillie's Nightmare" began September 2, 1912, at the Colonial theater in Indianapolis and was a grand success, being booked for many return engagements before it wound up its season in New York. It was at this point that Miss Ward made her entry into the movies. In New York the old Imp company offered her a character lead in a short comedy to be made at the Universal Studios in New York city, she accepted. Later she received an offer to go to California and in the early winter of 1913 she traveled to the west coast. After six months with the Universal company, she sign a contract with the Mack Sennett company, playing comedy leads. Miss Ward made the first comedy ever played for more than one week, called "Cohen's Outings." Its success resulted in a series of Jewish stories. Later, Mack Sennett offered her a five year contract, assuring her that he would make her the most advertised woman in the world. Work in the movies was pretty rough in those days. Comedies were mostly slapstick and there was no such thing as a stand-in. She refused the Sennett offer but continued in pictures and in those early days and was associated with such players as Ford Sterling, Chester Conklin, Wallace Reid, Francis X. Bushman, Charlie Chaplin and "Fatty" Arbuckle. She appeared in Arbuckles last picture "The Traveling Salesman." She worked with him many times on sets and locations and says that as far as she knows he always conducted himself as a gentleman. While she was working with Mack Sennett in Hollywood, she received and accepted an offer from American Film company and remained with it for three years. She would not renew her contract because the company had given her society parts to play and she preferred comedy roles. She was granted a release with the agreement that she would return from time to time whenever the company had such parts as she liked. This experience caused her to become a free lance player, choosing such roles offered her as she cared to accept. She kept busy most of the time, she has played with nearly all the big screen stars and says by being a free lance player she is far ahead when to comes to money. Among the many stars whom she has supported or with whom she has played she names Lionel Barrymore, Gene Raymond, William Powell, Herbert Marshall, Reginald Denny, the late Will Rogers, Robert Young, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Grace Moore, Barbara Stanwick, Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, and the late Jean Harlow. She worked with Francis Lederer in both "One Rainy Afternoon" and "It's All Yours." She played feature parts opposite Reginald Denny in "California Straight Ahead, "Oh Doctor," Sporting Youth," and "Skinner Steps out." Submitted by David Kemper Great Great nephew of Lucille Ward
LEONARD MALTIN CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE, COPYRIGHT 2005, 2010. USED B - Philo McCullough was born on 16 June 1893 in San Bernardino, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Girl Who Wouldn't Quit (1918), The Gay Lord Quex (1919) and Trilby (1923). He was married to Valeri Gratton and Laura Anson. He died on 5 June 1981 in Burbank, California, USA.
- Jack Trevor was born on 14 December 1893 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Rasputins Liebesabenteuer (1928), Die Insel der verbotenen Küsse (1927) and The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927). He died on 19 December 1976 in Deal, Kent, England, UK.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Frantisek Lederer was born on November 6th, 1899, in Czechoslovakia. His father was a leather merchant, and young Frantisek began his working life as a department store delivery boy in Prague. He fell in love with acting from a young age, and was soon on stage touring Moravia and then all over Central Europe with people like Peter Lorre.
Lederer was easily lured into film by German actress Henny Porten and her producer husband. And it wasn't long before he was starring in the legendary German silent movie Pandora's Box (1929).
Whilst Lederer, who was using the German name of Franz, shifted from silents to talkies easily and was fast becoming one of Germany's top stars, he hadn't yet learned to speak any English.
By 1934, Lederer, (now using Francis), had begun working in America. And he was getting top billing too. Irving Thalberg had planned to make Lederer "the biggest star in Hollywood" but Thalberg's untimely death put a stop to that. But Lederer continued successfully in film and TV for many years.
After two brief marriages his third lasted 59 years. He invested in property well and made a fortune in the Canoga Park, California area. He founded the National Academy of Performing Arts on which his close friend Joan Crawford was on the Advisory Board. He loved to teach.
Lederer was still teaching the week before he died in 2000, aged 100 years.- Actor
- Make-Up Department
- Director
Otto Lederer was born on 17 April 1886 in Prague, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]. He was an actor and director, known for The Jazz Singer (1927), The Struggle (1921) and The Avenging Arrow (1921). He was married to Gretchen Lederer, Florita Mernci and Segunda Yrionda. He died on 3 September 1965 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Robyn Adair was born on 11 February 1884 in Miles City, Montana, USA. He was an actor, known for The Making of Bob Mason's Wife (1917), The Quest (1915) and The Yellow Bullet (1917). He died in February 1965.
- Maria Alba was born on 19 March 1910 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress, known for Mr. Robinson Crusoe (1932), Kiss of Araby (1933) and El código penal (1931). She was married to Richard Jamar Burk. She died on 26 October 1996 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Sally Phipps was born on 25 May 1911 in Oakland, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Why Sailors Go Wrong (1928), Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl (1926) and Joy Street (1929). She was married to Alfred Marion Harned and Benedict Gimbel Jr. She died on 17 March 1978 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
- Louise Lorraine's small stature and delicate beauty seemed hardly the qualities to be desired in a serial heroine, but she starred in 11 of the physically demanding, action-filled cliffhangers, and showed as much spirit as, and in some cases more than, many of her colleagues in that genre. Louise's entry into the film industry came about when a photography salesman knocked on the door of the suburban Los Angeles home she lived in with her widowed mother and five siblings. The 13-year-old Lorraine answered it, and the salesman was so impressed by her look and demeanor that he told her mother she should be in the movies, and he had a contact at the Ince Studio who could arrange it. At first, Louise's mother refused to let her daughter enter the film industry but eventually gave in. Louise started out in two-reel comedies for independent studios, and then alternated among Universal, MGM and Warner Bros. She left the screen after making her second sound movie n 1930, ostensibly to devote her time to her second husband (her first was cowboy actor Art Acord) and two children. She died in 1981.
- Andrée Lafayette was born on 19 May 1903 in Achères, Yvelines, France. She was an actress, known for Three Musketeers (1932), Trilby (1923) and La dame aux camélias (1934). She was married to Arthur May Constant. She died on 3 October 1989 in Équemauville, Calvados, France.
- Brandon Hurst was born on 30 November 1866 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and Love (1927). He died on 15 July 1947 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actor
- Production Manager
Ernest Joy was born on 20 January 1878 in Iowa, USA. He was an actor and production manager, known for Cameo Kirby (1914), The Dancin' Fool (1920) and Joan the Woman (1916). He was married to Jessie Busley and Mabel Van Buren. He died on 12 February 1924 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
Joseph W. Smiley was born on 18 June 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Life Without Soul (1915), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917) and The Moral Deadline (1919). He was married to Lila Leslie. He died on 2 December 1945 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Actor/director John Ince was born in 1878 in New York City to a pair of vaudeville performers. His two younger brothers, Ralph Ince and Thomas H. Ince, were also in show business, with Thomas being the most well-known of the three, having been a pioneering producer/director who built the first complete movie studio, containing everything from sound stages to processing labs to standing permanent sets, known as Inceville. Ralph also became an actor/director (many contemporary critics believed him to be a better director than Thomas and a better actor than John), but his reputation off-screen tended to overshadow his on-screen accomplishments.
In addition to being an actor, John directed quite a few two-reels for his brother Thomas' studio, in addition to a lesser number of features, and acted in many of his own films. One of his more bizarre productions was Thomas H. Ince, a drama based on a real-life murder, in which the actual murderer, Clara Smith Hamon, played herself!
His brother Thomas died in 1924, under somewhat mysterious circumstances (supposedly he was on a party on a yacht owned by wealthy newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst). the story is that Hearst found his mistress, Marion Davies, in bed with actor Charles Chaplin and, enraged, pulled a gun and fired at Chaplin, missing him but hitting and killing Ince. John opened up his own studio. That lasted until 1929, when a confluence of negative factors, including his divorce from his wife, the famous Wall Street stock market crash in which he lost all his money, and a fire that burned down his studio, pretty much killed his career. He managed to get a few supporting roles in modest "B" pictures, but by the mid-'30s his career consisted of one- or two-line speaking roles and uncredited extra work. He had a small part in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) as a guard at Frederic March's bank. He made his final film in 1947, uncredited appearance, and died that year. He appeared posthumously in Gun Cargo (1949), but that film was shot in the late 1930s and not released until 1949.The Battle of Shiloh(1913)- Actor
- Director
- Casting Director
Extremely prolific actor/director of the silent screen, on Broadway from 1905. Hoyt joined the acting fraternity through the recommendations of an uncle, who worked as dramatic editor for a Cleveland tabloid. Signed by theatrical producer George C. Tyler (1868-1946), he began on stage (earning $10 per week), playing up to ten different parts. He made his Hollywood debut in 1916 with Universal. Short, balding and usually bespectacled, he managed to forge a 30-year career by playing a succession of 'little men', be they mild-mannered professors, henpecked husbands or easily intimidated minor officials. Looking perpetually befuddled was Hoyt's stock-in-trade. He was particularly effective as Professor Summerlee in The Lost World (1925) (directed by his younger brother Harry O. Hoyt), as the confused motel owner of It Happened One Night (1934) and as Mayor Tillinghast in The Great McGinty (1940). The better part of Hoyt's screen career, however, consisted of uncredited bits. For his last seven years in the business (1940-47), he was regularly employed as a member of Preston Sturges personal entourage of stock players at Paramount.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
J. Frank Glendon was born on 25 October 1885 in Buckskin Township, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Lights of Old Broadway (1925), Three Pals (1926) and The Lost Special (1932). He was married to Virginia McCandless and Leslie Cook. He died on 17 March 1937 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Robert Gaillard was born on 14 November 1868 in Adrian, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Golden Pathway (1913), Beating the Odds (1919) and As You Like It (1912). He died on 24 September 1941 in Glendale, California, USA.- A character actor and veteran of hundreds of Hollywood westerns, Tom London seemed to be born in the saddle. As a trick rider he performed riding specialties in a number of films. His career started in the teens and through the 1920s he alternated between good guy and bad. He made appearances in non-westerns such as All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and Platinum Blonde (1931), but westerns were his mainstay. When the "B" western disappeared in the mid-'50s, so did his career. He appeared in only a handful of film for the rest of the decade.as Edward Clapham
- Actor
- Soundtrack
David Torrence was the second child born out of eleven children to Henry Torrance Thomson and Janet Bryce. Davis given name was 'David Bryce Thomson." Born on Jan 17,1863 in Edinbough,Scotland. David's brother was character star 'Ernest Torrence' who was 15 years younger than David. Ernest was the first of the two to come to California and become actors. Educated in both England and Germany, David moved with equal ease from stage to screen in the early part of the 20th century. Following the completion of the classic silent films Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1913) with the legendary stage actress Minnie Maddern Fiske, and The Prisoner of Zenda (1913), however, David returned to focus on Broadway plays and enjoy life on a Mexican ranch. A steep reversal of fortunes aggravated a necessary return to Hollywood following World War I, and, fortunately for his fans, he stayed for nearly two decades. Playing a number of leads during his silent heyday, many of them men of influence, his portrayals of stern-faced villains may not have rivaled that of brother Ernest, but David made for quite a contemptible gent in a few. In his first sound picture, the historical drama Disraeli (1929), he played an austere-looking anti-Semitic head of the Bank of England whose refusal to finance the Suez canal results in action taken by Prime Minister Disraeli, played by George Arliss. David also went on to lend Arliss prime support in the comedy drama A Successful Calamity (1932), and in another biopic history lesson, Voltaire (1933). Come the advent of sound, his characters continued to prestigious characters (bankers, merchants, lawyers, and attorneys), but grew smaller in size until he faded out in unbilled parts, such as in The Dark Angel (1935) and Lost Horizon (1937). Comedy fans might remember David for his performance as Scots attorney Mr. Miggs in the Laurel and Hardy feature Bonnie Scotland (1935). His last roles included, Rulers of the Sea (1939) and Stanley and Livingstone (1939). David Torrence died Dec 26,1951 Beverly Hills, Ca. and is buried at the Inglewood Cemetery while others give 1951.- Eulalie Jensen was born on 24 December 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), Bachelor Brides (1926) and Passion Flower (1921). She died on 7 October 1952 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Nancy Drexel was born on 6 April 1910 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Mason of the Mounted (1932), Partners (1932) and Speed Madness (1932). She was married to Thomas H. Ince Jr.. She died on 19 November 1989 in San Juan Capistrano, California, USA.
- Lila Leslie was born on 1 January 1890 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for What's to Do? (1933), The Third Degree (1913) and A Little Brother of the Rich (1919). She was married to Joseph W. Smiley. She died on 8 September 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Effie Shannon was born on 13 May 1867 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Her Boy (1918), Pearl of Love (1925) and Jacqueline, or Blazing Barriers (1923). She was married to Henry Guy Carleton and Herbert Kelcey. She died on 24 July 1954 in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Helen Greene was born in January 1896 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Bab's Diary (1917), Bab's Matinee Idol (1917) and Bab's Burglar (1917). She was married to Michael Abbott and Frederic Mills Gilligan. She died on 10 October 1947 in Oakland, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born Rex Lloyd Lease in West Virginia on February 11, 1903 (not 1901, according to Social Security records found), future cowboy actor Rex Lease was raised in Columbus, Ohio and very briefly attended Ohio Wesleyan University initially interested in the ministry. When this fell through, he decided to attempt an acting career instead. Setting his sights on Hollywood at age 19 in 1924, he broke into silent films as an extra and bit player.
Rex's first role of any significance was as the adult son of Irene Rich and Morgan Wallace in the melodrama A Woman Who Sinned (1924). Within a couple of years the strapping, exceedingly handsome actor had made it into the silent co-star ranks of romantic drama, jazz-age comedy, canine adventures and rugged action in such fare as Somebody's Mother (1926), Mystery Pilot (1926), The Timid Terror (1926), The Outlaw Dog (1927), Clancy's Kosher Wedding (1927), The College Hero (1927) and as the murderous bad guy, The Solitaire Kid, in the silent Tim McCoy western The Law of the Range (1928) co-starring a very young Joan Crawford.
Lease made an easy transition come the advent of sound and continued on as heroes and romantic leading men types in such early talkies as Borrowed Wives (1930), Troopers Three (1930), The Sign of the Wolf (1931), Chinatown After Dark (1931), The Monster Walks (1932) and Inside Information (1934). Having appeared in the title role of the western The Utah Kid (1930), within a few years Rex hit minor cowboy hero stardom with such offerings as The Cowboy and the Bandit (1935), Cyclone of the Saddle (1935), Fighting Caballero (1935), The Ghost Rider (1935), Rough Riding Ranger (1935), Custer's Last Stand (1936), Cavalcade of the West (1936) and The Silver Trail (1937). Just as quickly, however, his hero status fell aside and he found himself, more often than not, shuffled back to playing secondary partners or villains for a host of other established or ascending sagebrush stars such as his old pal Tim McCoy, as well as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hoot Gibson, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Tom Tyler, Bob Steele, Allan Lane, Bill Elliott and a quickly rising John Wayne.
By the late 1930's, Rex was finding himself with little to no billing at all -- appearing as a bank robber in the Laurel & Hardy comedy A Chump at Oxford (1940), a cop in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), and minor henchmen in such second-string westerns as Saddlemates (1941), Jesse James at Bay (1941), Idaho (1943), King of the Cowboys (1943), Rough Riders of Cheyenne (1945) and Frontier Gal (1945). Occasional featured roles included those in Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground (1943), Springtime in Texas (1945), Days of Buffalo Bill (1946), The People's Choice (1946) and the serial cliffhanger The Crimson Ghost (1946). Lease went on to appear in hundreds of films over a three and a half decade career.
In the 1950's Rex added TV to his extensive résumé with appearances on "The Abbott & Costello Show," "The Roy Rogers Show," "Tales of the Texas Rangers," "Fury," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "Maverick" and several spots (his last being in 1960) on "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp." A few minor 50's western movie parts also came his way with Ride, Vaquero! (1953), Calamity Jane (1953), Backlash (1956) and Tension at Table Rock (1956).
Rex's personal life was turbulent, what with five marriages and divorces -- his first two being actresses Charlotte Merriam and Eleanor Hunt). He eventually retired and died of undisclosed causes in the Los Angeles area on January 3, 1966, at the age of 62. He was discovered by his son Richard, who was shot to death at age 25 the following year after being involved in a traffic altercation with two teenagers.- Orville Caldwell was born on 8 February 1896 in Oakland, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Patsy (1928), The Wives of the Prophet (1926) and The Little Yellow House (1928). He was married to Audrey Anderson. He died on 24 September 1967 in Santa Rosa, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Gustav von Seyffertitz was born on 4 August 1863 in Haimhausen, Dachau, Bavaria [now Bavaria, Germany]. He was an actor and director, known for Sherlock Holmes (1922), Son of Frankenstein (1939) and The Wizard (1927). He was married to Katharina Hoffmann, Eugenie von Mink, Toni Creutzburg, Nelly Thorne and Frieda. He died on 25 December 1943 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Frances Lee was born on 5 May 1906 in Eagle Grove, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for Her Splendid Folly (1933), Divorce Made Easy (1929) and The Carnation Kid (1929). She died on 10 October 1999 in Cardiff-by-the Sea, California, USA.
- Light-haired teenage actress from the early days of the British cinema, with which, for many years, she was the sole surviving link. The peak of her popularity came with Alma Taylor in the 'Tilly the Tomboy' series. She grew into a delicately pretty star, but disappointed her admirers by retiring in the early 1920s, with only a couple of appearances thereafter, Married her co-star and sometimes director, Henry Edwards. Rode to the studios on a bicycle in her early years as a star.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gina Manès was born on 7 April 1893 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Thérèse Raquin (1928), Le diable en bouteille (1935) and La nuit rouge (1923). She died on 6 September 1989 in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France.- María Corda was born on 4 May 1898 in Deva, Hungary. She was an actress, known for The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927), Samson und Delila (1922) and Tragödie im Hause Habsburg (1924). She was married to Alexander Korda. She died on 2 February 1976 in Thonex, Switzerland.
- Sometimes the early tragic death of a Hollywood actor can lead to immortality, as in the cases of icons James Dean and Marilyn Monroe--and, to a somewhat lesser extent, little Bobby Driscoll, who died a Skid Row bum in the streets, a victim of drug addiction. Not so for actor James Murray, whose death occurred in a similar fashion to Driscoll. Long forgotten, the young and highly insecure Murray was plucked from obscurity and given the chance of a lifetime, only to crumble ever so quickly.
He was born on February 9, 1901, in the Bronx, NY. After appearing in The Pilgrims (1924), a three-reeler made at Yale University in 1923 in which he played John Alden, he trekked 3000 miles to Hollywood to pursue that elusive Hollywood dream. On the road west, he lived a simple, rather nomadic existence as a dishwasher, coal-shoveler and boxcar rider. John started off as most do in L.A.--taking bit parts and extra work, waiting for that big break. Director King Vidor was looking to cast the somber hero of his next silent picture, The Crowd (1928). He spotted Murray, who was working as an extra at MGM, near the studio casting office and arranged a meeting with him. Murray didn't show up, either not taking the director seriously or not believing that Vidor was, in fact, King Vidor. Murray was hunted down, given a screen test and the novice actor was hired on the spot, considered by both Vidor and MGM executive Irving Thalberg to be one of the best natural actors they had ever had the good fortune to encounter. As John Sims, a common everyday kind of family man just trying to survive the game of life, Murray was frighteningly real and heart-wrenching, carrying the hugely demanding role without a hitch. He so invested himself in the part that many feel he never shook off the depressing character. The film was judged too heavy and raw for audiences to escape in, but the critics were enamored of the film and, especially Murray, and today it is considered a major masterpiece.
Murray managed to turn in solid work in the next few years, never matching his excellence in "The Crowd" but certainly turning in credible performances. Such films as The Big City (1928) with Lon Chaney, Thunder (1929)--also with Chaney--The Shakedown (1929), Bachelor Mother (1932) and Heroes for Sale (1933) served him well.
Too much too soon, perhaps, for he was ill-prepared to handle the daily pressures of stardom and his inner demons quickly took over. He turned to the bottle for solace and release. By the early 1930s he was a chronic alcoholic who could barely hold down an acting job. He turned into a derelict, living on the streets and begging for change.
By coincidence, he tried to panhandle Vidor in 1934, who offered him an acting job in his next film, Our Daily Bread (1934), but the actor vehemently refused to accept any charity. In 1936 Murray's body was fished out of the Hudson River, having drowned after either jumping from, falling from--or being thrown off of--a pier. He was only 35. Vidor was so haunted by Murray's tragic death that it provided the basis for a script he wrote which the director hoped would turn into a film called "The Actor" in 1979. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground. - Joseph Striker was born on 23 December 1898 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Annie Laurie (1927), The House of Secrets (1929) and The Wall Street Mystery (1920). He was married to Beatrice Smith. He died on 24 February 1974 in Livingston, New Jersey, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Gayne Whitman was born on 19 March 1890 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Money Madness (1917), Matching Dreams (1916) and The Horse Thief (1914). He was married to Estelle Allen. He died on 31 August 1958 in Los Angeles, California, USA.