George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
– which he won for his performance as Victorian-era British prime minister
Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...
in ''
Disraeli'' (1929) – as well as the earliest-born actor to win the honour. He specialized in successful biopics, such as ''Disraeli'', ''
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—e ...
'' (1933), and ''
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...
'' (1935), as well as light comedies, which included ''
The Millionaire'' (1931) and ''
A Successful Calamity'' (1932).
His career ranged from being a star of the legitimate
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
, then
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, w ...
s, then
sound films.
Early life
Arliss was born in London and commonly listed as George Augustus Andrews. His relatives referred to him as Uncle Gus. He was educated at
Harrow School
Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (sc ...
and started work in the publishing office of his father, William Joseph Arliss Andrews, but left at age 18 to go on the stage.
Career
Arliss began his theatre career in the British provinces in 1887 and by 1900 was playing London's West End in supporting roles. He embarked for a tour of America in 1901 in
Mrs. Patrick Campbell
Beatrice Rose Stella Tanner (9 February 1865 – 9 April 1940), better known by her stage name Mrs Patrick Campbell or Mrs Pat, was an English stage actress, best known for appearing in plays by Shakespeare, Shaw and Barrie. She also toured the ...
's troupe, intending to remain in the United States only for the length of the tour.
Arliss stayed for twenty years, making his Broadway debut in ''Magda'' (1902).
He eventually became a star in 1908 in ''The Devil''. Producer George Tyler commissioned Louis Napoleon Parker in 1911 to write a play specifically tailored for Arliss, and the actor toured in ''
Disraeli'' for five years, eventually becoming closely identified with
the 19th-century British prime minister.
He began his film career with ''
The Devil
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood ...
'' (1921), followed by ''
Disraeli'' and four other silent films. Today, only ''The Devil'', ''Disraeli'', ''$20 a Week'', and ''
The Green Goddess'' (1923), based on the hit
stage play
A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright.
Plays are performed at a variety of levels, f ...
in which he had starred, are known to have survived. He remade both ''
The Green Goddess'' and ''
Disraeli'' in sound in 1929 (and won the
Best Actor Academy Award for ''Disraeli''), converting successfully at the age of 61 from a star of the legitimate theatre, and then
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, w ...
s, to sound films.
Arliss made 10 sound films exclusively for
Warner Bros. under a contract that gave the star an unusual amount of creative control for the time. Curiously, his casting of actors and rewriting of scripts were privileges granted him by the studio that are not even mentioned in his contract. One of these films, ''
The Man Who Played God'' (1932), was
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
's first leading role. Until the end of Davis's life, she credited Arliss for personally insisting upon her as his leading lady and giving her a chance to show her abilities. The two also co-starred in ''
The Working Man'' in 1933.
Arliss built a production unit at Warners' both in front of and behind the cameras.
Maude T. Howell
Maude T. Howell (1887-1964) was an American screenwriter, producer, and assistant director active primarily during the 1930s. She was one of few women to hold an assistant directing position at the time.
Biography
Maude was a Los Angeles nativ ...
, his stage manager, became an assistant producer and was one of the few female film executives in Hollywood at that time. After his first three films, Arliss approved
John Adolfi, a capable Warners director who was open to collaboration with him. Adolfi soon was regarded as a successful director of the critically and financially acclaimed Arliss films. Arliss preferred to use the same reliable actors, such as Ivan Simpson (who was also a sculptor) and Charles Evans. He had an eye for discovering unknown talent, such as
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...
,
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
and
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
. Despite his extensive involvement in the planning and production of his films, Arliss claimed credit only for acting.
After having worked closely with Warners' production chief,
Darryl F. Zanuck, Arliss left the studio when Zanuck resigned in April 1933 and set up 20th Century Pictures. A month later Adolfi died suddenly. Zanuck quickly signed Arliss to make new films at 20th Century, prompting Warners' to complain to the
Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences that Zanuck had "stolen" their star.
He often appeared with his wife
Florence Arliss.
[Gerald Lawrence, revised by K. D. Reynolds, "Arliss, George eal name Augustus George Andrews(1868–1946)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 200]
available online
Retrieved 28 August 2020. Florence (or "Flo", as George called her) starred both on stage and in films, both silent and sound, with her husband and almost always played his character's spouse. However, that did not prevent Arliss from using another actress when Flo was not right for a role. Also, Flo turned down roles that George wanted her to play in some films.
Arliss is best remembered primarily for his witty series of historical biopics, such as ''
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795.
Born out of wedlock in Charle ...
'' (1931), ''
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—e ...
'' (1933), ''
The House of Rothschild'' (1934), ''
The Iron Duke'' (1934), and ''
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...
'' (1935). However, he also had a series of domestic comedies such as ''
The Millionaire'' (1931, ''
A Successful Calamity'' (1932), ''
The Working Man'' (1933), and ''
The Last Gentleman'' (1934).
In 1934, British film goers named Arliss their favourite male star.
Arliss was approaching 70 when he completed the British-made ''
Doctor Syn
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...
'' in 1937. He and Flo returned to America later that year to visit old friends, including famed astronomer
Edwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer. He played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology.
Hubble proved that many objects previousl ...
in California. Producer-director
Cecil B. DeMille arranged for the Arlisses to re-enact their roles in ''Disraeli'' on
Lux Radio Theatre, DeMille's popular radio show, in January 1938. The occasion was heralded as "a new page in radio history". George and Flo subsequently appeared on Lux in radio adaptations of ''The Man Who Played God'' in March 1938 and in ''
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...
'' in January 1939, which was apparently their final dramatic appearance anywhere. Returning to their home in London in April 1939, the onset of the Second World War prevented their return to America during Arliss's remaining years. The only taint of scandal involved charges by the British Government in September 1941 that Arliss had not complied with a recent requirement to report bank accounts he maintained in the U.S. and Canada (similar charges were also brought against actor-playwright
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
around the same time). Both men claimed ignorance of the new law, but they were fined and publicly humiliated by the experience.
Personal life
On 14 September 1899, Arliss married
Florence Arliss (née Florence Kate Montgomery Smith) (1870–1950),
to whom he was married until his death. (
Leslie Arliss
Leslie Arliss (6 October 1901, London – 30 December 1987, Jersey, Channel Islands) was an English screenwriter and director. He is best known for his work on the Gainsborough melodramas directing films such as '' The Man in Grey'' and ''The Wi ...
, who became a prolific producer-director for
Gainsborough Pictures, is erroneously referred to as their son in some reference works.)
Arliss was a prominent
anti-vivisection
Vivisection () is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for experimenta ...
ist who founded the National Anti-Vivisection Society of Chicago. He was president of the Episcopal Actors' Guild of America from 1921 to 1938.
He was a strict vegetarian, stating that "I eat nothing I can pat".
[Fells, Robert M. (2004). ''George Arliss: The Man who Played God''. The Scarecrow Press. p. 5. ] Arliss walked four miles each day and took interest in aerobics.
In retirement Arliss settled at Pangbourne in Berkshire. Film producer Darryl F. Zanuck tried to interest him in returning to Hollywood to star in ''
The Pied Piper
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany.
The legend dates back t ...
'' in 1942. Instead, Arliss lived out the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
's
Blitz on London and died in Maida Hill in London of a bronchial ailment on 5 February 1946, aged 77.
His gravestone spurns his success in the performing arts in favor of the one achievement of which he was apparently most proud: an honorary Master of Arts degree he received from Columbia University in 1919.
Legacy
Arliss wrote the autobiography ''Up the Years from Bloomsbury'' in 1927.
He has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
at 6648-1/2 Hollywood Boulevard. He was a member of the
American Theater Hall of Fame
The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...
.
Filmography
The 1931 short film ''Impressions of Disraeli'' was made in England for the Tory Party and was introduced by Stanley Baldwin. The film is extant.
See also
*
List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
*
List of actors with Academy Award nominations
*
List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
* Fells, Robert M. ''George Arliss: The Man Who Played God'' (Scarecrow Press, 2004)
* Fells, ''The Arliss Archives: The Further Adventures of the Man Who Played God'' (Arliss Publishing House, 2011)
* Fells, ''More Rarities From the Arliss Archives: A 125th Anniversary Salute to George Arliss'' (Arliss Publishing House, 2012)
* Fells, ''The 1921 Lost DISRAELI: A Photo Reconstruction of the George Arliss Silent Film'' (Arliss Publishing House, 2013)
* Arliss, George. ''Up the Years from Bloomsbury'' (1927)
* Arliss, George. ''My Ten Years in the Studios'' (''George Arliss by Himself'' in UK) (1940)
External links
*
*
*
*
Photographs and literatureArliss archives @ wordpress.comGeorge Arliss collection(Univ. of Washington, Sayre)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arliss, George
1868 births
1946 deaths
19th-century English male actors
20th-century English male actors
Anti-vivisectionists
Best Actor Academy Award winners
British expatriate male actors in the United States
English autobiographers
English dramatists and playwrights
English male film actors
English male silent film actors
English male stage actors
Infectious disease deaths in England
Male actors from London
People educated at Harrow School
People from Pangbourne
Warner Bros. contract players