Valeska Suratt
I found this list by Hoyt absolutely fascinating as he reminisces on several “early” movies (and stage plays) from the “distant” perspective of 1920! Hoyt recalls many names, both familiar and forgotten.
Over 90 years later their activities are so distant to us that it’s just nice to see some them with some additional context behind them. Hope you enjoy Hoyt’s list as much as I did:
When Edna May Hammil played child parts for Edeson?
When Jesse Lasky was a vaudeville agent producing musical tabloids?
When Ralph Kellard supported David Warfield in “The Music Master”?
When Ford Sterling was by far the most popular comedian on the screen?Ford Sterling
When Ruth Stonehouse was a professional dancer on the legitimate stage?
When Lillian Walker was one of the chorus in “The Blonde Typewriters”?
When Teddy Sampson was a wee mite of a girl in one of Gus Edwards’ revues?
When Charles Clary was leading man for Mary Mannering and Mrs. Leslie Carter?
When Valeska Suratt won first fame as the Gibson girl in “The Belle of Mayfair”?
When Barbara Castleton played on the speaking stage in “It Pays to Advertise”?
When Cleo Madison supported James K. Hackett in various stage productions?
When Mildred Manning played Tilly in “Little Nemo” at the New Amsterdam Theatre?Mabel Normand
When Eva Tanguay was singing “Sambo” in “The Chaperones” along with Frank Daniels?
When Edith Story and Bessie Barriscale were playing in “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch”?
When Elsie Ferguson was a leading woman supporting Wilton Lackaye in “The Bondman”?
When Mabel Normand made a specialty of playing Spanish senoritas with fire-eating fathers?
When Marguerite Clark did Polly with De Wolf Hopper in his production of “Mr. Pickwick”?
When Eddie Dillon was playing with Rose Melville in that stand-by of the stage, “Sis Hopkins”?
When James Young was the husband of Rida Johnson Young and played in “Brown of Harvard”?Florence Turner
When Florence Turner did Shakespearean repertoire with Henry B. Irving and Robert B. Mantell?
When Rosetta Brice and Richard Buhler starred together in features for the old Lubin company?
When the late Arthur Johnson barnstormed in Speakespearean repertory in support of William Owen?
When Theodore Roberts was master of his own sailing vessel and traded with the South Sea Islands?
When William H. Crane made “David Harum” for Famous Players, and May Allison supported him?
When Madge Kennedy made her stage debut in the leading role in support of the late Henry Woodruff?Mary Miles Minter
When Thomas Meighan and John Sainpolis supported David Warfield in “The Return of Peter Grimm”?
When Viola Dana played the same role, after serving her time with Joseph Jefferson in “Rip Van Winkle”?
When Mary Miles Minter played “The Littlest Rebel” and took honors from the Farnums, Dustin and William?
When Henry B. Walthall played a minor role in “The Great Divide” with Henry Miller, and did it very well.
When Charlie Murray and Ollie Mack teamed together on the stage before they joined the old Biograph forces?Bryant Washburn
When Bryant Washburn made his first appearance in support of George Fawcett in “The Great John Ganton”?
When Thomas H. Ince was playing the half-wit in Ramsey Morris’ melodramatic offering, “The Ninety and Nine”?
When Robert Warwick was singing on the operatic stage before his singing voice forced him to legitimate productions?
When Lottie Briscoe played in “Lost River” with Harry McRae Webster before they both joined the old Essanay forces?
When Violet Heming created “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” and Edith Storey and Ernest Truex were of the company?Violet Heming
When June Caprice was acting on the stage with William Mack, before William Fox “discovered” her as a school girl and made a “star” of her?
When Robert Edeson made his screen debut in “The Bandit and the Preacher,” originally “The Night Mail,” and William S. Hart plays second to him?
When Frank Keenan carried off the honors of “The Warrens of Virginia” and Mary Pickford, Ralph Kellard and Charlotte Walker were numbered in his support?
–Harlowe R. Hoyt
I bumped into this while I was researching one of the names on this list. Hopefully more to come on that early film star sometime soon!
This IS a fascinating list. Sadly, I recognized only a few names…
I knew most of the names but to be honest I knew them mostly from their appearance on cards as shown above. I haven’t actually seen more than a handful of them in action so it was nice to get a little perspective behind their activities beyond appearing on a checklist of cards! So glad you enjoyed it, I thought it was neat too!
Just fascinating!!
Watched “On the Night Stage” the other week. It is a William S. Hart film but
Robert Edeson was the star!! At the beginning of the movie each of the stars
took their bows from the stage and then their characters from the movie were
superimposed on them. Proof that film actors were really looked down on and
maybe they were saying “we are committed to the stage – but we hope you
like our movie”!!
Diane, actually On the Night Stage sounds fascinating! I can picture what your describing perfectly and love your interpretation of it as well.