John Stuart Robertson (14 June 1878 – 5 November 1964) was a Canadian born actor and later

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

perhaps best known for his 1920 screen adaptation of ''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

'', starring

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

Biography

Robertson was born in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

. He broke into filmmaking in 1915 with

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

, then with

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and t ...

, making 57 features in his career. Robertson left film in 1935, amid the increasing prevalence of sound pictures. He was married to screenwriter

Josephine Lovett Josephine Lovett (October 21, 1877 – September 17, 1958) was an American scenario writer, adapter, screenwriter and actress, active in films from 1916 to 1935. She was married to Canadian-born director, John Stewart Robertson. She is be ...

. He died in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, aged 86.

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

song "

Old John Robertson "Old John Robertson" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by band members Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn, and first released in July 1967, as the B-side to the non-album single " Lady Friend". It was also later included on the ...

" is about Robertson.Younger Than Yesterday
ByrdWatcher. Retrieved 3 April 2008....Retrieved Wayback version 15 November 2017(Wayback Machine)

Filmography

*'' The Combat'' (1916) - as actor; costarring Anita Stewart * ''

The Conflict ''The Conflict'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Lucille Lee Stewart, Huntley Gordon and Wilfred Lytell.Connelly p.51 Cast * Lucille Lee Stewart as Madeleine Turner * Jessie Miller as Jeanette Harcour ...

'' (1916) *'' Her Right to Live'' (1917) - as actor *''The Meeting'' (1917) *''Intrigue'' (1917) * '' The Money Mill'' (1917) *'' The Maelstrom'' (1917) - as actor *''A Service of Love'' (1917) short *'' Baby Mine'' (1917) * '' The Bottom of the Well'' (1917) *''Vanity and Some Sables'' (1917) *''The Menace'' (1918) *''The Girl of Today'' (1918) *''

The Better Half ''The Better Half'' is an American comic strip created by Bob Barnes. It follows the lives of a married couple, Stanley and Harriet Parker, and the usual annoyances couples have with one another after years of marriage. In 1958, the strip won Bar ...

'' (1918) *''The Make Believe Wife'' (1918) *''

Little Miss Hoover ''Little Miss Hoover'' is a 1918 American silent film, silent romantic drama film directed by John S. Robertson and stars Marguerite Clark. The film is based on the novel ''The Golden Bird'', by Maria Thompson Daviess. A 35mm print of the film is ...

'' (1918) *'' Here Comes the Bride'' (1919) *''

The Test of Honor ''The Test of Honor'' (1919) was an American silent film drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky, released by Paramount, directed by John S. Robertson, and starring John Barrymore. Considered the actor's first drama movie role after years of doi ...

'' (1919) *''

Let's Elope Let's Elope (20 November 1987 – 11 September 2016) was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Australia. Background Bred by Highview Stud in Hamilton, New Zealand, Let's Elope was a giant chestnut mare who in 1991 became the first mare in ...

'' (1919) *''

Come Out of the Kitchen ''Come Out of the Kitchen'' is a lost 1919 American silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John S. Robertson and starred Marguerite Clark. The film is based on Alice Duer Miller's 19 ...

'' (1919) *''

The Misleading Widow ''The Misleading Widow'' (1919) is a silent film comedy directed by John S. Robertson and starring Billie Burke. The film is based on the play '' Billeted'' by F. Tennyson Jesse and H. M. Harwood and was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and d ...

'' (1919) *''

Sadie Love ''Sadie Love'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film distributed by Paramount Pictures (as Famous Players-Lasky Corporation) and directed by John S. Robertson. It is based on a 1915 stage play of the same name by Avery Hopwood and stars ...

'' (1919) *''

Erstwhile Susan ''Erstwhile Susan'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by John S. Robertson, produced and distributed by Realart Pictures. It is based on a 1914 novel ''Barnabetta'' by Helen Reimensnyder Martin and later Broadway play ''Erstwhile Susan ...

'' (1919) *''

'' (1920) *''

A Dark Lantern ''A Dark Lantern'' is a lost 1920 American silent drama film produced and released by Realart Pictures. It is based on a 1905 novel of the same name by Elizabeth Robins. John S. Robertson directed and Alice Brady and her then husband James Cr ...

'' (1920) *''

Away Goes Prudence ''Away Goes Prudence'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. This picture was directed by John S. Robertson and starred Billie Burke. Screenwriter Josephine Lovett provid ...

'' (1920) *''

39 East ''39 East'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film produced by the Realart Picture Company (headed by Paramount Pictures's Adolph Zukor), and starring Constance Binney reprising her role from the Broadway play. The film was directed by John S. ...

'' (1920) *''

Sentimental Tommy ''Sentimental Tommy'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by John S. Robertson. It featured Mary Astor in one of her earliest roles, although her scenes were deleted before release. The story is based on James M. Barrie's novel. Th ...

'' (1921) *'' The Magic Cup'' (1921) *'' Footlights'' (1921) *'' Love's Boomerang'' (1922) *'' The Spanish Jade'' (1922) *'' Tess of the Storm Country'' (1922) *''

The Bright Shawl ''The Bright Shawl'' is a 1923 American silent historical drama film directed by John S. Robertson and produced by and starring Richard Barthelmess. This film, based on a novel by Joseph Hergesheimer, had several days of filming on location i ...

'' (1923) *''

The Fighting Blade ''The Fighting Blade'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by John S. Robertson and released by Associated First National Pictures in 1923.

'' (1923) *''

Twenty-One 21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22. The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar. In mathematics 21 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a deficie ...

'' (1923) *'' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1924) *'' Classmates'' (1924) *'' New Toys'' (1925) *''

Soul-Fire ''Soul-Fire'' (also known as ''Soul Fire'') is a 1925 American silent drama film starring Richard Barthelmess and Bessie Love. It was directed by John S. Robertson and was based on the Broadway production ''Great Music'' (1924) by Martin Brown ...

'' (1925) *'' Shore Leave'' (1925) *''Alaskan Adventures'' (1926) *'' Annie Laurie'' (1927) *'' Captain Salvation'' (1927) *''

The Road to Romance ''The Road to Romance'' is a 1927 American silent action film directed by John S. Robertson, based upon the 1903 Joseph Conrad-Ford Madox Ford novel ''Romance''. A copy of the film survives at the New Zealand Film Archive. Plot Serafina (Marc ...

'' (1927) *''

The Single Standard ''The Single Standard'' is a 1929 American romantic drama film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer directed by veteran John S. Robertson and starring Greta Garbo, Nils Asther, and Johnny Mack Brown. This was Greta Garbo's fifteenth film and her second c ...

'' (1929) *'' Shanghai Lady'' (1929) *'' Night Ride'' (1930) *'' Captain of the Guard'' (1930) *'' Madonna of the Streets'' (1930) *''

Beyond Victory ''Beyond Victory'' is a 1931 American pre-Code war film starring Bill Boyd, James Gleason, Lew Cody, and ZaSu Pitts. While John Robertson received directing credit, Edward H. Griffith supposedly took extensive re-takes after production ended an ...

'' (1931) *''

The Phantom of Paris ''The Phantom of Paris'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code drama film directed by John S. Robertson and written by Bess Meredyth, Edwin Justus Mayer and John Meehan (screenwriter), John Meehan. The film stars John Gilbert (actor), J ...

'' (1931) *''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on Aug ...

'' (1932) *''

One Man's Journey ''One Man's Journey'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film starring Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Eli Watt. The picture was based on the short story ''Failure'' written by Katharine Haviland-Taylor. It was remade by RKO as ''A Man to Remember'' (19 ...

'' (1933) *'' The Crime Doctor'' (1934) *''

His Greatest Gamble ''His Greatest Gamble'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by John Robertson from a screenplay by Sidney Buchman and Harry Hervey, based on a story by Salisbury Field. The film stars Richard Dix, Dorothy Wilson, Bruce Cabot, and Erin O' ...

'' (1934) *'' Wednesday's Child'' (1934) *''Grand Old Girl'' (1935) *''Captain Hurricane'' (1935) *''Our Little Girl'' (1935)

References

External links

* * * *
John S. Robertson
at Virtual History 1878 births 1964 deaths Film directors from London, Ontario Canadian emigrants to the United States {{Canada-film-director-stub