Frank John Urson (March 21, 1887 – August 17, 1928) was an American

silent film 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, when ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

and

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

from

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Originally a

photographer A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographe ...

, he moved on to

cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...

and film directing for the

Thanhouser Company The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

. He is also credited with acting in one film, '' Her Gallant Knights'', which starred

William Garwood William Davis Garwood, Jr. (April 28, 1884 – December 28, 1950) was an American stage and film actor and director of the early silent film era in the 1910s. Between 1911 and 1913, Garwood starred in a number of early adaptions of popula ...

in 1913. Urson directed ''

Changing Husbands ''Changing Husbands'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring Leatrice Joy and Victor Varconi, directed by Paul Iribe and Frank Urson, and written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin. The runtime of the film is 70 minutes. Cast Preservati ...

''. He is perhaps best known for his 1927 film ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'', produced by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

Biography

He was born on March 21, 1887, in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Urson died on August 17, 1928, at age 41 from drowning in Indian Lake,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Partial filmography

*'' Stranded'' (1916, cinematographer) *''

Nina, the Flower Girl ''Nina, the Flower Girl'' is a lost American 1917 silent drama film produced by D. W. Griffith through his Fine Arts Film Company and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. The film starred Bessie Love, an up-and-coming ingenue actress. It a ...

'' (1917, cinematographer) *'' You're Fired'' (1919, cinematographer) *'' The Valley of the Giants'' (1919, cinematographer) *'' Too Much Speed'' (1921) *'' The Hell Diggers'' (1921) *''

Exit the Vamp lobby card ''Exit the Vamp'' is a lost 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Urson and written by Clara Beranger. The film stars Ethel Clayton, T. Roy Barnes, Fontaine La Rue, Theodore Roberts, William Boyd, and Michael D. Moo ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Strangers' Banquet ''The Strangers' Banquet'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Hobart Bosworth, Claire Windsor, and Rockliffe Fellowes.Connelly p. 272 It is based on the 1919 novel of the same title by Brian Oswald Donn- ...

'' (1922) *'' Tillie'' (1922) *''

The Heart Specialist ''The Heart Specialist'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Cooper, and starring Wood Harris, Zoe Saldana, Brian J. White and Mýa. Originally released under the title ''Ways of the Flesh'', th ...

'' (1922) *'' South of Suva'' (1922) * ''

Her Man o' War ''Her Man o' War'' is a 1926 American silent war drama film directed by Frank Urson and starring Jetta Goudal, William Boyd and Jimmie Adams.Goble p.240 The film's sets were designed by the art director Max Parker. Synopsis After being captur ...

'' (1926) *'' Almost Human'' (1927) *''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' (1927)

References

External links

* * 1887 births 1928 deaths American film directors American cinematographers Artists from Chicago Silent film directors Thanhouser Company Deaths by drowning in the United States Accidental deaths in Michigan {{US-film-director-1880s-stub