Jump to content

Wilfred Lucas: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m v2.05 - Repaired 1 link to disambiguation page - (You can help) - Those Who Dance
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American actor}}
{{short description|Canadian-American actor, director, and screenwriter (1871–1940)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
Line 13: Line 13:
| occupation = Actor, director, screenwriter
| occupation = Actor, director, screenwriter
| years_active = 1908–1940 (film)
| years_active = 1908–1940 (film)
| spouse = {{plainlist|
| spouse = Louise Perine<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 1898; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 190?)<br>{{marriage|[[Bess Meredyth]]|1917|1927|end=divorced}}
* Louise Perine<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 1898; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 190?)
* {{marriage|[[Bess Meredyth]]|1917|1927|end=divorced}}
}}
| children = 4, including [[John Meredyth Lucas]]
| children = 4, including [[John Meredyth Lucas]]
}}
}}
Line 40: Line 43:
==Death==
==Death==
Wilfred Lucas died on December 13, 1940, at Los Angeles and was interred at the [[Chapel of the Pines Crematory]]<ref>'Wilfred Lucas', in ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' dated December 15, 1940 (Obituary)</ref>
Wilfred Lucas died on December 13, 1940, at Los Angeles and was interred at the [[Chapel of the Pines Crematory]]<ref>'Wilfred Lucas', in ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' dated December 15, 1940 (Obituary)</ref>

In 2023, Lucas' cremains were removed from non-public vaultage in the basement of the crematory to a publicly accessible niche in the chapel columbarium. <ref>{{cite web |title=OPENING THE VAULT: The Story of Chapel of the Pines |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XimvnsLSt9c&t=2452s |website=You Tube }}</ref>


==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==
Line 88: Line 93:
*''[[The Fighting Breed]]'' (1921) - John MacDonald
*''[[The Fighting Breed]]'' (1921) - John MacDonald
*''[[The Shadow of Lightning Ridge]]'' (1921) - Edward Mariott
*''[[The Shadow of Lightning Ridge]]'' (1921) - Edward Mariott
*''[[The Beautiful Liar]]'' (1921) - Gaston Allegretti
*''[[The Beautiful Liar (film)|The Beautiful Liar]]'' (1921) - Gaston Allegretti
*''[[Across the Deadline]]'' (1922) - Aaron Kidder
*''[[Across the Deadline]]'' (1922) - Aaron Kidder
*''[[The Barnstormer (film)|The Barnstormer]]'' (1922) - Leading Man
*''[[The Barnstormer (film)|The Barnstormer]]'' (1922) - Leading Man
Line 137: Line 142:
*''[[Hello Sister (1930 film)|Hello Sister]]'' (1930) - Dr. Saltus
*''[[Hello Sister (1930 film)|Hello Sister]]'' (1930) - Dr. Saltus
*''[[Cock o' the Walk (1930 film)|Cock o' the Walk]]'' (1930) - Señor Vallejo
*''[[Cock o' the Walk (1930 film)|Cock o' the Walk]]'' (1930) - Señor Vallejo
*''[[Those Who Dance]]'' (1930) - Big Ben Benson
*''[[Those Who Dance (1930 film)|Those Who Dance]]'' (1930) - Big Ben Benson
*''[[The Arizona Kid (1930 film)|The Arizona Kid]]'' (1930) - Manager
*''[[The Arizona Kid (1930 film)|The Arizona Kid]]'' (1930) - Manager
*''[[Madam Satan]]'' (1930) - Roman Senator (uncredited)
*''[[Madam Satan]]'' (1930) - Roman Senator (uncredited)
*''[[Just Imagine]]'' (1930) - X-10
*''[[Just Imagine (film)|Just Imagine]]'' (1930) - X-10
*''[[Millie (film)|Millie]]'' (1931) - Millie's Elderly Escort (uncredited)
*''[[Millie (film)|Millie]]'' (1931) - Millie's Elderly Escort (uncredited)
*''[[Dishonored (film)|Dishonored]]'' (1931) - Gen. Dymov (uncredited)
*''[[Dishonored (film)|Dishonored]]'' (1931) - Gen. Dymov (uncredited)
Line 230: Line 235:
*''[[Navy Wife (1935 film)|Navy Wife]]'' (1935) - Pedestrian (uncredited)
*''[[Navy Wife (1935 film)|Navy Wife]]'' (1935) - Pedestrian (uncredited)
*''[[The Public Menace]]'' (1935) - Gazette Editor (scenes deleted)
*''[[The Public Menace]]'' (1935) - Gazette Editor (scenes deleted)
*''[[Stormy (film)|Stormy]]'' (1935) - Mack's Horse Trainer (uncredited)
*''[[Stormy (1935 film)|Stormy]]'' (1935) - Mack's Horse Trainer (uncredited)
*''[[Rip Roaring Riley]]'' (1935) - Police Chief
*''[[Rip Roaring Riley]]'' (1935) - Police Chief
*''[[I Found Stella Parish]]'' (1935) - Customs Official (uncredited)
*''[[I Found Stella Parish]]'' (1935) - Customs Official (uncredited)
Line 297: Line 302:
*''[[Safety in Numbers (1938 film)|Safety in Numbers]]'' (1938) - Councilman
*''[[Safety in Numbers (1938 film)|Safety in Numbers]]'' (1938) - Councilman
*''[[Speed to Burn]]'' (1938) - Paddock Steward (uncredited)
*''[[Speed to Burn]]'' (1938) - Paddock Steward (uncredited)
*''[[Four Daughters]]'' (1938) - Doctor (uncredited)
*''[[Four Daughters (1938 film)|Four Daughters]]'' (1938) - Doctor (uncredited)
*''[[Freshman Year (film)|Freshman Year]]'' (1938) - Prof. Ullrich
*''[[Freshman Year (film)|Freshman Year]]'' (1938) - Prof. Ullrich
*''[[Down on the Farm (1938 film)|Down on the Farm]]'' (1938) - Wheeler (uncredited)
*''[[Down on the Farm (1938 film)|Down on the Farm]]'' (1938) - Wheeler (uncredited)
Line 320: Line 325:
*''[[Legion of the Lawless]]'' (1940) - East Ivestown Leader (uncredited)
*''[[Legion of the Lawless]]'' (1940) - East Ivestown Leader (uncredited)
*''[[The Fighting 69th]]'' (1940) - Doctor Checking Eyes (uncredited)
*''[[The Fighting 69th]]'' (1940) - Doctor Checking Eyes (uncredited)
*''[[Women Without Names]]'' (1940) - Roomer (uncredited)
*''[[Women Without Names (1940 film)|Women Without Names]]'' (1940) - Roomer (uncredited)
*''[[Virginia City (film)|Virginia City]]'' (1940) - Southerner (uncredited)
*''[[Virginia City (film)|Virginia City]]'' (1940) - Southerner (uncredited)
*''[[Tear Gas Squad]]'' (1940) - Policeman (uncredited)
*''[[Tear Gas Squad]]'' (1940) - Policeman (uncredited)
Line 343: Line 348:
* {{IMDb name|0524306}}
* {{IMDb name|0524306}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=117203}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=117203}}
* {{Find a Grave|11715983}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Latest revision as of 21:55, 24 November 2024

Wilfred Lucas
Lucas in 1916
Born
Wilfred Van Norman Lucas

(1871-01-30)January 30, 1871
Norfolk, Ontario, Canada
DiedDecember 13, 1940(1940-12-13) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeChapel of the Pines Crematory, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active1908–1940 (film)
Spouses
  • Louise Perine
    (m. 1898; div. 190?)
​
​
(m. 1917; div. 1927)​
Children4, including John Meredyth Lucas

Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter.

Early life

[edit]

Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,[1][2] most likely in the township of Townsend where at the time his father served as a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He was the youngest of three sons to be raised by Daniel Lucas and the former E. Adeline Reynolds,[3] in Townsend and later Montreal, Quebec.[4] Lucas attended the High School of Montreal and McGill University[5] before immigrating to America in the late 1880s. His early career there was that of a baritone singer performing at church functions and at small venues.[6]

Career

[edit]
Wilfred Lucas in 1924.

Lucas eventually made a name for himself performing in light and grand opera in America and abroad.[5] He made his Broadway debut on April 4, 1904, at the Savoy Theater playing in both the curtain raiser "The Blue Grass Handicap" and The Superstition of Sue in which he played Sue's brother, Percy Flage. Following his 1906 role in the highly successful play The Chorus Lady,[7] Lucas was recruited to the fledgling Biograph Studios by D. W. Griffith. At the time, the film business was still looked down upon by many members of the theatrical community. In her 1925 book titled When the Movies Were Young, Griffith's wife, actress Linda Arvidson, told the story of the early days at Biograph Studios. In it, she referred to Lucas as the "first real grand actor, democratic enough to work in Biograph movies."[8]

In 1908 Lucas made his motion picture debut in Griffith's The Greaser's Gauntlet, appearing in more than 50 of these short (usually 17 minutes) films over the next two years. In 1910 while still acting, he wrote the script for Griffith's film Sunshine Sue, which was followed by many more scripts by 1924. Lucas also began directing in 1912 with Griffith on An Outcast Among Outcasts, and directed another 44 films over the next 20 years. In early 1916 he starred as John Carter in Acquitted, about which Photoplay wrote, "No single performance in the records of active photography has surpassed his visualization of the humble book-keeper in "Acquitted".[9]

Later in 1916 he appeared in D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance.

Part of the group of Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, Lucas became friends and sometimes starred with Mary Pickford, Sam De Grasse, and Marie Dressler. Canadian-born director Mack Sennett hired him to both direct and act in a large number of films at his Keystone Studios.

Wilfred Lucas made the successful transition from silent film to sound. While working in Hollywood, in 1926 he returned to the stage, performing in several Broadway plays. He later appeared as a foil for Laurel and Hardy in their feature films Pardon Us and A Chump at Oxford. During his long career, Wilfred Lucas appeared in more than 375 films. Although for a time he was cast in leading roles, he became very successful as secondary and minor characters, making a good living in the film industry for more than three decades.

Personal life

[edit]

On October 10, 1898, Lucas, by then a member of a stock company headed by actor James Durkin, wed fellow cast member Louise Perine at Elmira, New York.[10] The couple went on to have two sons, Wilfred "Irving" Lucas, Kirke LaShelle Lucas, and one daughter, Alice Van Norman Lucas, before their divorce sometime before 1910. Five years after he married Louise, Lucas became an American citizen at a ceremony held in San Bernardino, California.[2]

While working at Biograph Studios, Wilfred Lucas met and ultimately married actress/screenwriter Bess Meredyth (1890–1969) with whom he had a son. John Meredyth Lucas (1919–2002) became a successful writer and director including a number of episodes of Mannix and Star Trek. John Lucas wrote about his sometimes strained relationship with his father after his parents divorced in his book Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television (2004)[11]

Death

[edit]

Wilfred Lucas died on December 13, 1940, at Los Angeles and was interred at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory[12]

In 2023, Lucas' cremains were removed from non-public vaultage in the basement of the crematory to a publicly accessible niche in the chapel columbarium. [13]

Selected filmography

[edit]
Wilfred Lucas

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Norman Wilfred Lucas January 31, 1871 - Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913
  2. ^ a b US Passport Application July 17, 1917 (Wilfred Lucas)
  3. ^ 1871 Canadian Census Records
  4. ^ 1881 Canadian Census Records
  5. ^ a b Wilfred Lucas - Motion Picture Studio Directories, 1919 and 1921 (Ancestry.com)
  6. ^ Musical Affairs - Sunday Herald, ( Syracuse, New York) October 03, 1897 pg. 10
  7. ^ Wilfred Lucas – Internet Broadway Database
  8. ^ When the Movies were Young - By Linda A. Griffith, Linda Arvidso 1925 pg. 82
  9. ^ Photoplay vol. 9 December 1915 pg. 104
  10. ^ Stage Gossip - San Antonio Light - November 13, 1898 pg. 7
  11. ^ "Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television" (2004) John Meredyth Lucas pg.30-32
  12. ^ 'Wilfred Lucas', in Hartford Courant dated December 15, 1940 (Obituary)
  13. ^ "OPENING THE VAULT: The Story of Chapel of the Pines". You Tube.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilfred Lucas.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wilfred_Lucas&oldid=1259388058"