John West Sinclair (January 6, 1900 – February 13, 1945) was an American actor who worked primarily in

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 ...

Early life and career

Tennessee-born comedian Sinclair, was a favorite stunt double for such 1920s action heroes as

Ken Maynard Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western stars in Hollywood. Maynard was also an occasional screenwrit ...

, Billy Sullivan and

Reed Howes Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * R ...

. Later he wrote gags for

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former hi ...

' comedies ''It's a Gift'' and ''Man on the Flying Trapeze'', and had uncredited walk-on roles in several sound-era films. Sinclair's residence was at 8229 Blackburn Avenue,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He was married to actress

Thelma Hill Thelma Hill (born Thelma Hillerman; December 12, 1906 – May 11, 1938) was an American silent screen comedian and one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties. Early life Hill was born Thelma Hillerman on December 12, 1906, in Emporia, Kansas. ...

Death

Sinclair died on February 13, 1945, of cirrhosis of the liver, at the age of 45. He is buried at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park, in North Hollywood in a grave marked only by a brass plate with nothing engraved upon it.

Partial filmography

* ''

Fighting Fate ''Fighting Fate'' is a 1925 American silent sports film directed by Albert S. Rogell Albert S. Rogell (August 21, 1901 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - April 7, 1988 Los Angeles, California) was an American film director. Rogell directed more than a ...

'' (1925) * ''

Cyclone Cavalier ''Cyclone Cavalier'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Reed Howes, Carmelita Geraghty, and Wilfred Lucas. Plot As described in a film magazine review, a young man who ...

'' (1925) * ''High Spirits'' (1927) * '' It Pays to Advertise'' (1931) * '' Million Dollar Legs'' (1932) * ''

High Gear High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

'' (1933) * ''

Kiss and Make-Up ''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and Helen Mack play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credi ...

'' (1934) * ''

Car 99 ''Car 99'' is a 1935 American thriller film directed by Charles Barton and written by Karl Detzer and C. Gardner Sullivan. The film stars Fred MacMurray, Ann Sheridan, Guy Standing, Marina Koshetz, Dean Jagger, William Frawley and Frank Craven ...

'' (1935) * ''

Secret Service of the Air ''Secret Service of the Air'' (also known as ''Murder Plane'') is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. This film was the first in Warner Bros.' Secret Service series. The series consisted of fou ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Great American Broadcast ''The Great American Broadcast'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by Archie Mayo. It stars Jack Oakie, Alice Faye and John Payne. Plot Impoverished roommates Rix Martin and Chuck Hadley have dreams of being the first to operate a coast-to-coast ra ...

'' (1941) * '' All Through the Night'' (1942) * ''

They Got Me Covered ''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role. Plot In mid 1941, ac ...

'' (1943) * ''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, Bill ...

'' (1944)

References

External links

* 1900 births 1945 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Tennessee Deaths from cirrhosis 20th-century American male actors {{US-film-actor-1900s-stub