Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director.

Biography

Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while holding down odd jobs there, he tried his hand as a stage actor. He joined the

Edison Manufacturing Company The Edison Manufacturing Company, originally registered as the United Edison Manufacturing Company and often known as simply the Edison Company, was organized by inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison and incorporated in New York City in May 188 ...

around 1908, first acting, later writing and directing. He was active during the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

, then pursued a short-lived career in

talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

. His last film was ''

A Wicked Woman ''A Wicked Woman'' is a 1934 drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Mady Christians as a woman who kills her abusive husband to protect her family and builds a new life to raise their four children. The film also stars Jean Parker and ...

'' for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

in 1934. Brabin married his first wife socialite Suzan "Susette" Jeanette Mosher, the daughter of Edwin Howard Mosher and Jennie Slater Mosher of New York City. They wed December 14, 1913, at Bedford Congregational Church in the Bronx, shortly after Brabin returned from a trip to England and Europe. Brabin's best friend, screen actor Marc MacDermott, served as best man. Charles and Suzan Brabin remained married for seven years."United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," names and record appear in database with images, National Archives and Records Administration. Theda Bara & Charles Brabin 1922

Brabin later wed silent-film "

vamp The VaMP driverless car was one of the first truly autonomous cars Dynamic Vision for Perc ...

" star

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

July 2, 1921, remaining married to her until her death from abdominal

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on April 7, 1955.

Partial filmography

The following are some of Brabin's films. * '' A Soldier's Duty'' (1912) * ''

What Happened to Mary ''What Happened to Mary'' (sometimes erroneously referred to as ''What Happened to Mary?'') is the first serial film made in the United States. Produced by Edison Studios, with screenplays by Horace G. Plympton, and directed by Charles Brabin, t ...

'' (1912, 12-episode serial) * ''An Unsullied Shield'' (1913) * '' The Man Who Disappeared'' (serial, 1914) * ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

'' (1915) * '' The Price of Fame'' (1916) * ''

That Sort ''That Sort'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Warda Howard, Duncan McRae and Ernest Maupain.Parish & Pitts p.42 Cast * Warda Howard as Diana Laska * Duncan McRae as John Heppell * Ernest Maupain a ...

'' (1916) * '' The Adopted Son'' (1917) * ''

Red, White and Blue Blood ''Red, White and Blue Blood'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Adella Barker, and was released on December 24, 1917. Cast list * Francis X. Bushman as John Spau ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Sixteenth Wife ''The Sixteenth Wife'' is a 1917 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Peggy Hyland, Marc McDermott and George J. Forth.Quinlan p.44 Cast * Peggy Hyland as Olette * Marc McDermott as Kadir El Raschid * Geo ...

'' (1917) * '' Babette'' (1917) * ''

Mary Jane's Pa ''Mary Jane's Pa'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Tom Reed and Peter Milne. The film stars Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Tom Brown, Robert McWade, Minor Watson, and Nan Grey. The film was released by ...

'' (1917) * ''

His Bonded Wife ''His Bonded Wife'' is a lost 1918 silent film comedy drama directed by Charles Brabin and starring Emmy Wehlen. It was produced by Maxwell Karger and distributed through Metro Pictures. Cast *Emmy Wehlen as Doris Morse *Frank Currier as Digby ...

'' (1918) * ''

The Poor Rich Man ''The Poor Rich Man'' is a surviving 1918 American silent costume-romance film, produced and distributed by Metro Pictures. It was directed by Charles Brabin and starred screen lovers Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne. Cast *Francis X. Bushman ...

'' (1918) * ''

Breakers Ahead ''Breakers Ahead'' is a 1918 American silent drama film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Viola Dana, Clifford Bruce, and Mabel Van Buren, and was released on March 25, 1918. Plot Agnes Bowman is the sweetheart of Captain Scudder, a local s ...

'' (1918) * '' Social Quicksands'' (1918) * ''

A Pair of Cupids ''A Pair of Cupids'', also known by its pre-release title of ''Both Members'', is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Charles Sutton, and was released on July 29, ...

'' (1918) * '' Buchanan's Wife'' (1918) * '' Kathleen Mavourneen'' (1919) * ''

La Belle Russe ''La Belle Russe'' is a 1919 American silent romantic drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Theda Bara, Warburton Gamble, Marian Stewart, Robert Lee Keeling, William B. Davidson, and Alice Wilson. It is based on the 1882 play of the sa ...

'' (1919) * '' Thou Shalt Not'' (1919) * '' While New York Sleeps'' (1920) * ''

Blind Wives ''Blind Wives'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent drama film produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation and directed by Charles Brabin. The film reunites director Brabin with the stars of his previous success ''While New York Sleeps'' ...

'' (1920) * ''

Footfalls ''Footfalls'' is a play by Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Lights of New York ''The Lights of New York'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Clarence Nordstrom, Margaret Seddon and Frank Currier.Solomon p.280 Cast * Clarence Nordstrom as Robert Reid * Margaret Seddon as Mrs. ...

'' (1922) * '' The Broadway Peacock'' (1922) * '' Six Days'' (1923) * '' Driven'' (1923) * '' So Big'' (1924) * '' Stella Maris'' (1925) * '' Ben-Hur'' (1925, uncredited) * ''

Mismates ''Mismates'' is a 1926 silent film starring Doris Kenyon and Warner Baxter. The movie was written by Sada Cowan from a play by Myron C. Fagan and directed by Charles Brabin. This film is now lost.Twinkletoes ''Twinkletoes'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent romantic drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Colleen Moore. The film, as with most of Moore's vehicles at this time, was produced by her husband John McCormick (producer), Jo ...

'' (1926) * '' Framed'' (1927) * ''

Hard-Boiled Haggerty Don Stansauk (April 2, 1925 – January 27, 2004) was an American professional wrestler and actor, known by his ring name, Hard Boiled Haggerty. He was previously a professional American football player, and became a successful character actor af ...

'' (1927) * '' The Valley of the Giants'' (1927) * ''

Burning Daylight ''Burning Daylight'' is a novel by Jack London, published in 1910, one of the best-selling books of that year and London's best-selling book in his lifetime. The novel has been adapted for film. Plot The first part of the novel takes place in ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The Bri ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Ship from Shanghai ''The Ship from Shanghai'' is a 1930 Pre-Code American action film directed by Charles Brabin and written by John Howard Lawson. The film stars Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson, Carmel Myers, Holmes Herbert and Zeffie Tilbury. The film was released ...

'' (1929) * '' Call of the Flesh'' (1930) * ''

The Great Meadow ''The Great Meadow'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code adventure film, produced and distributed by MGM with direction by Charles Brabin. The film starred Eleanor Boardman and Johnny Mack Brown. It is based on the novel ''The Great Meadow'' by Elizabe ...

'' (1931) * '' Sporting Blood'' (1931) * ''

The Beast of the City ''The Beast of the City'' is a 1932 American pre-Code gangster film featuring cops as vigilantes and known for its singularly vicious ending. Written by W.R. Burnett, Ben Hecht (uncredited), and John Lee Mahin, and directed by Charles Brabin, th ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Mask of Fu Manchu ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932) is an American pre-Code adventure film directed by Charles Brabin. Written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, it was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer (the sixth in the serie ...

'' (1932) * ''

Rasputin and the Empress ''Rasputin and the Empress'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Richard Boleslawski and written by Charles MacArthur. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the film is set in Imperial Russia and stars the Barrymore siblings (John, as ...

'' (1932) * '' Stage Mother'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brabin, Charles American film directors American male screenwriters English film directors British male screenwriters English emigrants to the United States 1882 births 1957 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters People from Liverpool 20th-century British screenwriters British emigrants to the United States