Fred Rosewell Church (October 17, 1889National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #1085 – January 7, 1983) was an American actor of the silent era. After entering vaudeville when he was a boy, Church became part of a double act that spent two years on the circuit. After touring the U.S. in vaudeville, he acted in

repertory theater A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

in the central western U.S., including the Selig Company in Chicago. In 1908, Church joined Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson in Western films for the latter's Essanay Studios. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1908 and 1935. From 1928 to 1930, he made six films billed as Montana Bill. Church was born in

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical ...

(another source says Quebec, Canada), and died in

Blythe, California Blythe is a city in eastern Riverside County, California, United States. It is in the Palo Verde Valley of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River, approximatel ...

,California Death Index, 1940-1997, Riverside County; Date: January 7, 1983; Social Security: 565149978 near his home in

Quartzsite, Arizona Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 w ...

, from

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Selected filmography

* '' Across the Plains'' (1911) * '' Alkali Ike's Auto'' (1911) * ''

The Secret of the Swamp ''The Secret of the Swamp'' is a 1916 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Lynn Reynolds. The film stars George Hernandez, Myrtle Gonzalez, Fred Church (actor), Fred Church, Frank MacQuarrie, Val Paul and Count ...

'' (1916) * ''

It Happened in Honolulu ''It Happened in Honolulu'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent comedy film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring Myrtle Gonzalez, Val Paul and George Hernandez.Connelly p.367 Cast * Myrtle Gonzalez as Mabel Wyland * Val Paul as Larry Crane * ...

'' (1916) * '' Southern Justice'' (1917) * '' Madame Du Barry'' (1917) * '' The Son-of-a-Gun'' (1919) * ''

Chalk Marks ''Chalk Marks'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Marguerite Snow and June Elvidge. It was distributed by Producers Distributing Corporation. Cast Preservation With no prints of ''Chalk Marks'' locat ...

'' (1924) * '' The Lost Express'' (1925) * '' Prince of the Saddle'' (1926) * '' The Vanishing West'' (1928) * '' Trails of Treachery'' (1928) * ''

The Riding Kid ''The Riding Kid'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by Jack Irwin and starring Buddy Roosevelt, Jean Kay and Fred Church. The title is sometimes spelled ''The Ridin' Kid''. It was an independent production by the Poverty Row-based Syn ...

'' (1931) * ''

So This Is Arizona ''So This Is Arizona'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by J. P. McGowan and starring Hal Taliaferro, Fred Church and Buzz Barton. Cast * Hal Taliaferro as Bob Ransome * Don Wilson as Wobbly * Fred Church as Jake McKeever ...

'' (1931) * ''

Wild West Whoopee ''Wild West Whoopee'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Robert J. Horner and starring Jack Perrin, Josephine Hill and Buzz Barton.Pitts p.171 Cast * Jack Perrin * Josephine Hill * Buzz Barton * Fred Church * Horace B. Ca ...

'' (1931) * ''

Flying Lariats ''Flying Lariats'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and David Kirkland and starring Hal Taliaferro, Buzz Barton and Fred Church.Pitts, p. 69. Summary Wally Dunbar is trying to get his brother, Sam Dunbar to m ...

'' (1931) * ''

Riders of the Cactus ''Riders of the Cactus'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by David Kirkland and starring Hal Taliaferro, Buzz Barton and Fred Church. Location shooting took place in Sonora, California, and near Tucson, Arizona at the Tanque Verde Ranch ...

'' (1931)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Church, Fred 1889 births 1983 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Iowa 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors Male Western (genre) film actors Vaudeville performers