Raymond Griffith
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Raymond Griffith | |
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![]() Griffith in Open All Night (1924) | |
Born | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | January 23, 1895
Died | November 25, 1957 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 62)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1918–1939 |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 (adopted) |
Raymond Griffith (January 23, 1895 – November 25, 1957) was an American silent movie actor and comedian. Later in his career, he worked behind the camera as writer and producer.
Biography
[edit]Griffith was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He lost his voice at an early age, causing him to speak for the rest of his life in a hoarse whisper. Griffith claimed that it was the result of his having to scream at the top of his lungs every night in a stage melodrama as a child actor—others have stated that a childhood disease was more likely the cause. Lying about his age, Griffith enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 15 and served for three years.[1][2][3] He was later drafted for service in World War I but was not inducted because of his vocal problems.[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Lily_of_the_Dust_lobby_card.jpg/220px-Lily_of_the_Dust_lobby_card.jpg)
Although a few comedy films of his are considered classics he is almost totally forgotten today. His film debut was for the L-KO Kompany. Many of his starring feature films have long since been lost, but probably the best known of his films today is Hands Up! (1926), a Civil War comedy feature directed by Clarence G. Badger, and co-starring Mack Swain, which was entered into the National Film Registry in 2005. Also considered a classic is Badger's Paths to Paradise, a caper film that is in all circulating prints missing its final reel. Like many silent comedians, he had a traditional costume; his was a top hat, white tie and tails, often augmented by a cape and/or walking stick.
The coming of sound ended Griffith's acting career, but he did have one memorable role in a motion picture before retiring from the screen, playing a French soldier killed by Lew Ayres in the 1930 Lewis Milestone film All Quiet on the Western Front. He then segued into a writing/producing career at Twentieth Century Fox.
Griffith choked to death at the Masquers Club in Los Angeles, California, aged 62, on November 25, 1957.
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1918 | The Red-Haired Cupid | Albert Jones | Lost film |
1919 | The Follies Girl | Fredric | |
1920 | Love, Honor and Behave | Man with Married Girlfriend | Lost film |
Down on the Farm | Writer | ||
1922 | The Crossroads of New York | Wall Street 'Wolf' | Lost film |
Fools First | Tony | Lost film | |
Minnie | Chewing Gum Salesman | Lost film | |
1923 | Red Lights | Sheridan Scott | Lost film |
The Eternal Three | Leonard Foster | ||
The Day of Faith | Tom Barnett | Lost film | |
White Tiger | Roy Donovan | ||
Souls for Sale | Himself | ||
1924 | Poisoned Paradise: The Forbidden Story of Monte Carlo | Martel aka The Rat | Incomplete film, five of seven reels are preserved |
The Dawn of a Tomorrow | The Dandy | Lost film | |
Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model | Shorty Burchell | ||
Changing Husbands | Bob Hamilton | ||
The Yankee Consul | Writer | ||
Lily of the Dust | Karl Dehnecke | Lost film | |
Open All Night | Igor | ||
1925 | The Night Club | Robert White | |
Miss Bluebeard | The Honorable Bertie Bird | ||
Forty Winks | Lord Chumley | Lost film | |
Paths to Paradise | The Dude from Duluth | Incomplete film, final reel is missing | |
Fine Clothes | Oscar | Lost film | |
A Regular Fellow | The Prince | Lost film | |
When Winter Went | Bookworm | ||
1926 | Hands Up! | Jack - a Confederate Spy | |
Wet Paint | He | Lost film | |
You'd Be Surprised | Mr. Green - The Coroner | ||
The Waiter from the Ritz | |||
1927 | Wedding Bills | Algernon Schuyler Van Twidder | Lost film |
Time to Love | Alfred Sava-Goiu | Lost film | |
1929 | Trent's Last Case | Philip Trent | |
1930 | All Quiet on the Western Front | Gérard Duval | Uncredited, (final film role) |
1933 | Ladies They Talk About | Producer | |
Broadway Through a Keyhole | Co-producer | ||
1936 | Private Number | Producer | |
1939 | Hotel for Women | Producer | |
The Three Musketeers | Producer |
References
[edit]- ^ Raymond Griffith Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Raymond Griffith at Notré Cinema: Movies and Stars Images. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ Raymond Griffith at The Silent Film Still Archive. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1895 births
- 1957 deaths
- Silent film comedians
- American male comedians
- American male silent film actors
- Male actors from Boston
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
- 20th-century American male actors
- Deaths from choking
- American male child actors
- Comedians from Los Angeles
- 20th-century American comedians
- Comedians from Boston