Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
film director.
Born in
Bathurst, New Brunswick
Bathurst ( 2021 population; UA 12,157 ) is the largest City in Northern New Brunswick, it overlooks the Nepisiguit Bay, part of Chaleur Bay and is at the estuary of the Nepisiguit River. As part of the New Brunswick local governance reform , e ...
, he was the elder brother of actor
Sam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse.
Biography
Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse (1828–1891) ...
.
Biography
Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class graduate of accounting and he began his career as a journalist, but soon became enamored with the theater and took work as a stage actor. In 1903, he quit his full-time job as the City of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
's bookkeeper to pursue acting.
In 1910, he acted in his first motion picture and although he would appear as an actor in 13 films, and write 2 screenplays, his real interest was in directing.
While working in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
for
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, De Grasse met and married one of the few female directors working at the time,
Ida May Park
Ida May Park (December 28, 1879 – June 13, 1954) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era, in the early 20th century. She wrote for more than 50 films between 1914 and 1930, and directed 14 films between 1917 and 192 ...
(1879–1954). In 1915, he became a founding member of the
Motion Picture Directors Association The Motion Picture Directors Association (MPDA) was an American non-profit fraternal organization formed by 26 film directors on June 18, 1915, in Los Angeles, California. The organization selected a headquarters to be built there in 1921.
Its art ...
, a forerunner to today's
Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
.
During his career he directed a total of 86 films. In 1924, actor
Lon Chaney
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...
said of the De Grasses:
Joe and Sam De Grasses are two of the most talented personalities in today's film industry. Joe, a very skilled actor, is also the consummate director, firm in his demands yet gentle in his way of dealing with many different temperaments to be found in the movie industry. Sam is the only actor I know who can horrify an audience without make-up and without grotesque posturing and playing to the camera. He is the only actor I know who pulls teeth on the set in between takes. A rare pair, they have given the industry not one but two dimensions.
Joseph De Grasse died in
Eagle Rock, California
Eagle Rock is a neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, abutting the San Rafael Hills in Los Angeles County, California.
Eagle Rock is named after Eagle Rock, a large boulder whose shadow resembles an eagle.http://www.eaglerockcouncil.org/index.p ...
; he collapsed on a street while walking, and was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death was a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
.
Filmography
Director
* ''
Her Bounty
''Her Bounty'' is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and written by his wife Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. This was the first film Chaney worked on with the filmmaking team of Joe De Grasse an ...
'' (1914)
* ''
The Pipes o' Pan
''The Pipes o' Pan'' (aka ''The Pipes of Pan'') is a 1914 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush (actress), Pauline Bush. It is thought the screenplay was written by De Grasse ...
'' (1914)
* ''
Virtue Is Its Own Reward
''Virtue Is Its Own Reward'' (aka ''Virtue Its Own Reward'') is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It was written by Harry G. Stafford from a story by John Barton Oxford.
The ...
'' (1914)
* ''
Her Life's Story
''Her Life's Story'' (aka ''Her Life Story'' in some references) is a 1914 American silent supernatural drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It was written by James Dayton, based on a poem called "The ...
'' (1914)
* ''
Lights and Shadows
Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision.
Light or Lights may also refer to:
Illumination
* Light bulb
* Traffic light
Arts and entertainment Music
* Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-songw ...
'' (1914)
* ''
The Lion, the Lamb, the Man
''The Lion, the Lamb, the Man'' is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Though once believed to be lost, a shortened version of the film was preserved by th ...
'' (1914)
* ''
A Night of Thrills
''A Night of Thrills'' is a 1914 American silent supernatural drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park (uncredited)
(who was De Grasse's wife) and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost ...
'' (1914)
* ''
Her Escape'' (1914)
* ''
The Sin of Olga Brandt
''The Sin of Olga Brandt'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. Jon Mirsalis claims the film was written by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife) and that "some sources suggest that ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Star of the Sea
''The Star of the Sea'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Phil K. Walsh, and starring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Measure of a Man'' (1915)
* ''
The Threads of Fate
''The Threads of Fate'' (aka ''Threads of Fate'') is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman, and featuring Pauline Bush, William C. Dowlan and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered to be a lost f ...
'' (1915)
* ''
When the Gods Played a Badger Game
''When the Gods Played a Badger Game'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and written by Ida May Park, and featuring Pauline Bush and Lon Chaney. The film's working title was ''The Girl Who Couldn't Go Wrong''. The ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Such Is Life'' (1915)
* ''
Where the Forest Ends'' (1915)
* ''
Outside the Gates
''Outside the Gates'' is a 1915 American silent fantasy film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It is thought to have been scripted by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife). The film is now considered to be lost.
Pl ...
'' (1915)
* ''
All for Peggy
''All for Peggy'' is a 1915 American silent film, silent drama film, drama short film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by his wife Ida May Park and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now considered to be lost film, lost. Lon Ch ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Desert Breed
''The Desert Breed'' is a 1915 American silent Western film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Tom Forman, and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. It is now considered to be a lost film.
Plot
Two fugitives, Fred and Jack, dash out of the ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Maid of the Mist
The Maid of the Mist is a sightseeing boat tour of Niagara Falls, starting and ending on the American side, crossing briefly into Canada during a portion of the trip.
The fleet currently consists of two vessels, both of which launched in 2020. ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Grind'' (1915)
* ''
The Girl of the Night
''The Girl of the Night'' is a 1915 American silent crime film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. The film is now considered to be lost. The film was re-released later as ''Her Chance''. Director Joe De Grasse played a major r ...
'' (1915)
* ''
An Idyll of the Hills
''An Idyll of the Hills'' is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Pauline Bush. The film is now presumed lost.
Plot
Kate Graham is the prettiest girl in Breathitt County in the backwood ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Stronger Mind
''The Stronger Mind'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney, Murdock MacQuarrie and Pauline Bush. Chaney did not routinely work for the United production unit at Universal, and was obviously sen ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Steady Company'' (1915)
* ''
Bound on the Wheel
''Bound on the Wheel'' is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. It was written by Ida May Park (De Grasse's wife), based on a story by Jules Furthman. The film is now presumed lost.
Plot ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Mountain Justice'' (1915)
* ''
The Pine's Revenge
''The Pine's Revenge'' is a 1915 American silent drama film of the Northhwoods, directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Nell Shipman, and featuring Lon Chaney and Arthur Shirley. Shipman based her screenplay on her own story, "The King's Keeper". ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis
''The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Bess Meredyth, and featuring Lon Chaney and Cleo Madison. A partial print of the film apparently survives in a private collection ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Alas and Alack
''Alas and Alack'' is a 1915 American silent drama short film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Cleo Madison. An incomplete print of the film survives in the BFI National Archive (one source states the last six minutes of t ...
'' (1915)
* ''
A Mother's Atonement
''A Mother's Atonement'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Cleo Madison. Chaney played a dual role as Ben Morrison (both as an old man and his younger self). Tw ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Lon of Lone Mountain
''Lon of Lone Mountain'' is a 1915 American short silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, witten by Ida May Park, and featuring Lon Chaney and Arthur Shirley. The film is now presumed lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of ...
'' (1915)
* ''
The Millionaire Paupers
''The Millionaire Paupers'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and featuring Lon Chaney and Grace Thompson. The film's working title was ''Fate's a Fiddler''. Actress Olive Carey was advertis ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Under a Shadow
''Under a Shadow'' (aka ''Under The Shadow'') is a 1915 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. It was written by F. McGrew Willis, based on a story he wrote entitled "A Secret Service Affair". ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Father and the Boys
''Father and the Boys'' is a 1915 American silent comedy film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and co-starring Lon Chaney and Digby Bell. It is based on a popular 1908 Broadway play produced by Charles Frohman, called ''Fath ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Stronger Than Death
''Stronger Than Death'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Black Label Society. It was initially released in Japan on March 7, 2000, with 11 tracks and in a blood red jewel case. It was released outside Japan almost a mont ...
'' (1915)
* ''
Dolly's Scoop
''Dolly's Scoop'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Hugh Weir. This was one of the few silent films that subtitled the actors' dialogue a ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Grip of Jealousy
''The Grip of Jealousy'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. It was based upon Ida May Park's story "Love Thine Enemy". The film is today considered ...
'' (1916)
* ''
Tangled Hearts
''Tangled Hearts'' is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. A small fragment (around 2 minutes) of the film survives in a private collection. A still exists showi ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Gilded Spider
''The Gilded Spider'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. A print exists in the Museo del Cine Pablo C. Ducros Hicken film archive.
Plot
Giovanni ( ...
'' (1916)
* ''
Bobbie of the Ballet
''Bobbie of the Ballet'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Louise Lovely, Gretchen Lederer and Jay Belasco. It was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Grant Carpenter.
...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Grasp of Greed
''The Grasp of Greed'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and starring Lon Chaney and Louise Lovely. The screenplay was adapted from an 1888 H. Rider Haggard story called "Mr. Meeson's Will ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physica ...
'' (1916)
* ''
If My Country Should Call
''If My Country Should Call'' is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Jack Nelson and Dorothy Phillips. The film was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Virginia Terhune Van de Water. The film's t ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Place Beyond the Winds
''The Place Beyond the Winds'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, and starring Lon Chaney, Gretchen Lederer and Dorothy Phillips. It was written by Ida May Park, based on the novel by Harriet T. Comstock. The direc ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Price of Silence'' (1916)
* ''
The Piper's Price
''The Piper's Price'' is a 1917 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. It was the first in a series of films co-starring William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips together. The scre ...
'' (1917)
* ''
Hell Morgan's Girl
''Hell Morgan's Girl'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse, and starring William Stowell, Dorothy Phillips and Lon Chaney. The screenplay was written by Ida May Park, based on the Harvey Gates story entitled ''The ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Mask of Love'' (1917)
* ''
The Girl in the Checkered Coat
''The Girl in the Checkered Coat'' (aka ''The Girl With the Checkered Coat'') is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. It was written by Ida May Park, based on ...
'' (1917)
* ''
A Doll's House
''A Doll's House'' (Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having bee ...
'' (1917)
* ''
Pay Me!
''Pay Me!'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. In the United States, the film is also known as ''The Vengeance of the West''. The screenplay was written ...
'' (1917)
* ''
Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Empty Gun
''The Empty Gun'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Claire McDowell. It was distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was reissued theatrically on April 29, 1921. This was the last s ...
'' (1917)
* ''
Anything Once
''Anything Once'' is a 1917 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney and Franklyn Farnum. The screenplay was written by William Parker, based on a story by Izola Forrester and Mann Page. It was ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Winged Mystery
''The Winged Mystery'' is a 1917 American silent war film directed by Joseph De Grasse and starring Franklyn Farnum, Claire Du Brey and Rosemary Theby.Connelly p.435
Cast
* Franklyn Farnum as Capt. August Sieger / Louis Siever
* Claire Du Brey ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Scarlet Car
''The Scarlet Car'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney, Edith Johnson and Franklyn Farnum. The film was written by William Parker, based upon the novel ''The Scarlet Car'' by Richard Harding ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Fighting Grin
''The Fighting Grin'' is a 1918 American silent comedy Western film directed by Joseph De Grasse and starring Franklyn Farnum, Edith Johnson and J. Morris Foster.
Cast
* Franklyn Farnum as Billy Kennedy
* Edith Johnson as Margie Meredith
* J ...
'' (1918)
* ''
A Broadway Scandal
''A Broadway Scandal'' is a 1918 American silent romantic drama film directed by Joe De Grasse that features Carmel Myers, Lon Chaney and Edwin August. The screenplay was written by Harvey Gates. This would be Lon Chaney's last film for directo ...
'' (1918)
* ''
The Brand of Lopez
''The Brand of Lopez'' is a 1920 American film directed by Joseph De Grasse and produced by Sessue Hayakawa's Haworth Pictures Corporation. Although the main characters are a matador and an actress, there are no bull fighting or theater scenes po ...
'' (1920)
* ''
45 Minutes from Broadway
''45 Minutes from Broadway'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Joseph De Grasse and starring Charles Ray, Dorothy Devore and Eugenie Besserer.Connelly p.351 It was based on the 1906 play of the same title by George M. Cohan.
Cas ...
'' (1920)
* ''
Bonnie May
''Bonnie May'' is a lost silent 1920 American comedy-drama film based on the 1916 novel by Louis Dodge. It was directed by Ida May Park and Joseph De Grasse and starred Bessie Love. It was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions and distrib ...
'' (1920)
* ''
Thundergate
''Thundergate'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and written by Perry N. Vekroff. The film stars Owen Moore, Virginia Brown Faire, Edwin B. Tilton, Sylvia Breamer
Sylvia Poppy Bremer (9 June 1897 – 7 June 1943), ...
'' (1923)
* ''
Flowing Gold'' (1924)
Actor
* ''
The Place Beyond the Winds
''The Place Beyond the Winds'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse, and starring Lon Chaney, Gretchen Lederer and Dorothy Phillips. It was written by Ida May Park, based on the novel by Harriet T. Comstock. The direc ...
'' (1916) - Anton Farwell
* ''
Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
'' (1917) - Man at Theatre (uncredited)
* ''After the War'' (1918)
* ''
So Big'' (1924) - Simeon Peake
* ''
The Cowboy Kid
''The Cowboy Kid'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Clyde Carruth and written by James J. Tynan. The film stars Rex Bell, Mary Jane Temple, Brooks Benedict, Alice Belcher, Joseph De Grasse and Syd Crossley. The film was relea ...
'' (1928) - John Grover
* ''
The Drunkard
''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844. '' (1935) - Mr. Miller
* ''
The Dawn Rider
''The Dawn Rider'' is a 1935 American Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Robert N. Bradbury.
The film was later released in a colorized version on home video/DVD under the title ''Cold Vengeance''.
Plot
John Mason chases after ...
'' (1935) - Dad Mason
* ''
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
''The Adventures of Frank Merriwell'' first ran on NBC radio from March 26 to June 22, 1934 as a 15-minute serial airing three times a week at 5:30 pm. Sponsored by Dr. West's Toothpaste, this program starred Donald Briggs as Frank Merriwell. Harl ...
'' (1936, Serial) - Dr. Cummings (uncredited) (final film role)
Preservation
The three surviving reels of De Grasse's film ''Triumph'' were restored by the
Academy Film Archive
The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...
in 2012.
See also
*
Other Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Grasse, Joseph
1873 births
1940 deaths
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Canadian expatriates in the United States
People from Bathurst, New Brunswick
Film directors from New Brunswick