David Warfield (November 28, 1866 – June 27, 1951) was an American
stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* St ...
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...
.
Life and career
Warfield was born David Wohlfeld in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, to
German-Jewish parents, Louise and Sigmund Wohlfeld. His first connection with the theatre was as an usher. He made his first stage appearance in 1888 in ''
The Ticket-of-Leave Man''. Two years later he went to
New York City, where he appeared at the
Casino Theatre and at
Weber and Field's Music Hall. In 1901, he was discovered and promoted by
David Belasco who starred him in ''
The Auctioneer'', in which he played 1,400 times, including a revival that extended over several seasons. He remained under the Belasco management.
Although he appeared in many productions, his fortune and success in theater centered on his playing four major roles over a 25-year period: Simon Levi in The Auctioneer (1901), Anton von Barwig in
The Music Master (1904), Wes Bigelow in A Grand Army Man (1907) and the title role in The Return of Peter Grimm (1911).
One of his best-known roles was that of Anton von Barwig in ''
The Music Master'', which he played from 1904 to 1908, appearing in the part more than 1000 times. In 1908, Warfield and his company appeared at the
Elitch Theatre in The Music Master and A Grand Army Man. Warfield's company included Denver-native and eponym of the Tony Awards,
Antoinette Perry
Mary Antoinette "Tony" Perry (June 27, 1888June 28, 1946) was an American actress and director, and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. She is the eponym of the Tony Awards.
Early life
Born in Denver, Colorado, she spent her childhood aspi ...
.
In 1911 Warfield created the title role in ''The Return of Peter Grimm.''
Warfield's position as a leading American actor in comedy was established by the masterly style in which he portrayed, in each of these plays, a kindly old gentleman who is pathetic in misfortune and amusingly eccentric. In 1916 he appeared in ''Van der Decken'', a play by Belasco, based on the legend of
The Flying Dutchman
The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Du ...
.
The World Famous Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California (Warfield's birthplace) is named in his honour.
Warfield, who at the time was one of the world's richest entertainers, died in New York City, at 84.
References
External links
*
*
David Warfield papers, 1897-1946 and undated held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Images of David Warfield held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
*
1866 births
1951 deaths
American male stage actors
Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery
Male actors from New York City
Male actors from San Francisco
Vaudeville performers
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