William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
,
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 ...
and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
. He was an internationally famous
movie star
A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor or actress who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and w ...
of the
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 ...
era. The first individually
publicized leading man
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
in America, Baggot was referred to as "King of the Movies," "The Most Photographed Man in the World" and "The Man Whose Face Is As Familiar As The Man In The Moon."
Baggot appeared in over 300
motion pictures
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
from 1909 to 1947; wrote 18
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
s; and directed 45 movies from 1912 to 1928, including ''
The Lie'' (1912), ''
Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'' (1925) and ''The House of Scandal'' (1928). He also directed
William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and inte ...
in his most famous
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
, ''
Tumbleweeds
A tumbleweed is a kind of plant habit or structure.
Tumbleweed, tumble-weed or tumble weed may also refer to:
Films
* ''Tumbleweeds'' (1925 film), William S. Hart film
* ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935 film), Gene Autry film
* ''Tumbleweed'' (1 ...
'' (1925).
Among his film appearances, he was best known for ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, ...
'' (1911), ''
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1913), and ''
Ivanhoe'' (1913), which was filmed on
location
In geography, location or place are used to denote a region (point, line, or area) on Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term ''location'' generally implies a higher degree of certainty than ''place'', the latter often indicating an entity with an ...
in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
.
Early life
He was born in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, the son of William Baggot (1845–1909) and Harriet M. "Hattie" King (1859–1933). His siblings were Amos Taylor Baggot (1881–1954); Thomas Gantt Baggot (1889–1979); John Marmaduke Baggot (1891–1975); Arthur Lee Baggot (1893–?); Marion L. Baggot (1896–1973); and Harriet D. Baggot (1899–1930).
His father was born in Ireland, and
emigrated
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
from
County Limerick
"Remember Limerick"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Munster
, subdivision ...
to the United States in 1852. He was a prominent St. Louis
real estate agent
A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...
.
Baggot attended
Christian Brothers College High School
Christian Brothers College High School (CBC High School) is a Lasallian Catholic college preparatory school for young men in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis and ...
, a prominent
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
all-male secondary school, where he excelled at
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
s, was a star
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
and
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player, and became captain of the soccer team.
In 1894, King left St. Louis and went to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, where he worked as a clerk for his uncle, Edward Baggot (1839–1903), whose business sold plumbing, gas and electric fixtures.
In 1899, he returned to St. Louis and later played on a
semi-professional
Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...
St. Louis soccer team and became so well known that a Catholic church amateur theatrical group added him to its cast to gain prestige. He liked
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad r ...
and did well. He soon helped found another amateur theatrical group, the Players Club of St. Louis.
In the meantime, he sold tickets for the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
baseball team and worked as a clerk in the real estate business of his father. But acting proved so interesting that he decided to become professional.
Stage career
Baggot began his career on the
stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* Sta ...
in a
Shakespearean
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
stock company and toured throughout the U.S. Following his first engagement, he performed under the management of
Liebler and Company, one of the foremost producing companies at that time. He also toured under the management of
Frohman Frohman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Charles Frohman (1856–1915), American theatrical producer
*Daniel Frohman (1851–1940), American theatrical producer
*Dov Frohman, Israeli engineer
*Gustave Frohman (1854–1930), A ...
, and the
Shuberts
The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of the Broadway district, in New York City, as the hub of the theater industry in the United States. They dominated the legitimate theater and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th cen ...
, and played five weeks in
New York in ''The Queen of the Highway''. Other
plays
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
in which he appeared include the
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
revival ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'', which had a run on Broadway in 1906, ''Salomy Jane'' and ''
In the Bishop's Carriage
''In the Bishop's Carriage'' is a 1913 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players Film Company film company and starring Mary Pickford. It is based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Michelson. This film is lost.
The story was ...
''.
While acting in stock in St. Louis, in the summer of 1909, Baggot worked with
Marguerite Clark
Helen Marguerite Clark (February 22, 1883 – September 25, 1940) was an American theatre, stage and silent film actress. As a movie actress, at one time, Clark was second only to Mary Pickford in popularity. All but five of her films are co ...
in ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
'' and ''
The Golden Garter''. In the two weeks that remained of the season, he played small roles in ''
Frou Frou'' and ''
Jenny
Jenny may refer to:
* Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people
* Jenny (surname), a family name
Animals
* Jenny (donkey), a female donkey
* Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...
'', which both starred
Countess Venturini. When the season closed, he was cast as supporting player with Marguerite Clark in the Schubert touring production of ''
The Wishing Ring
''The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England'' is a 1914 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Vivian Martin. Based on the 1910 play of the same name by Owen Davis that ran on Broadway starring Marguerite Cl ...
'', which was adapted by
Owen Davis
Owen Gould Davis (January 29, 1874 – October 14, 1956) was an American dramatist known for writing more than 200 plays and having most produced. In 1919, he became the first elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America. He received t ...
from a Dorothea Deakin story. Another cast member,
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 ...
, also staged the play.
When ''The Wishing Ring'' closed in Chicago, Baggot returned to New York to join another company. Upon a chance meeting with
Harry Solter
Henry Lewis "Harry" Solter (November 19, 1873 – March 2, 1920) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter and director.
Career
Solter began his career as an actor in 1908 with Biograph Studios. That same year he met actress Florenc ...
, who was directing movies for
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.
Regarded as one of the most important o ...
at
Independent Moving Pictures Company
The Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) was a motion picture studio and production company founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle. The company was based in New York City, with production facilities in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In 1912, IMP merged with ...
(IMP), he was persuaded to go with Solter to the
studio. Movies were then looked down on by the dramatic profession as a mere recording of stunts, but Baggot went along. He was amused at the violent gestures and jumping around of the players, taking none of it seriously. Baggot, however, became interested in the fledgling industry and later decided to give it a try and turn picture player.
Film career
Baggot's first film was the
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
short
Short may refer to:
Places
* Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon
* Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place
People
* Short (surname)
* List of people known as ...
''The Awakening of Bess'' (1909) opposite
Florence Lawrence. It was directed by Harry Solter, her husband, at
IMP
IMP or imp may refer to:
* Imp, a fantasy creature
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Imp (She-Ra), a character in ''She-Ra: Princess of Power''
* Imp a character in '' Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony''
* Imp, a character in the '' Cl ...
in
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...
. At a time when screen actors worked anonymously, Baggot and Lawrence became the first "movie stars" to be given
billing, a
marquee and
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
in
advertising
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
.
![Kingbaggot1916](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Kingbaggot1916.jpg)
In April 1910, Baggot was at home with his mother and family in St. Louis, when the
U.S. Census was taken there. He starred in at least 42 movies opposite Lawrence from 1909 to 1911. In the latter year, he starred in at least 16 movies with
Mary Pickford
Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...
, including ''
Pictureland'' (1911). Pickford was hired to replace Lawrence after she and Solter broke their contracts, including the one-reel romance/
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
''
Sweet Memories'', which was directed by
Thomas H. Ince
Thomas Harper Ince (November 16, 1880 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent film - era filmmaker and media proprietor.
Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films. He revolutionized the mo ...
.
Baggot also began writing
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
s and directing, all the while becoming a major star internationally. When he appeared "in person" at theatres he was mobbed at stage doors. By 1912, he was so famous that when he took the leading part in forming the prestigious Screen Club in New York, the first organization of its kind strictly for movie people, he was the natural choice for its first president.
On December 3, 1912, he and Ruth Considine (August 28, 1889 – December 22, 1936) were married in Fort Lee, New Jersey. They had one son, Robert King Baggot (July 11, 1914 – May 18, 1965). A
cameraman
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task.
In filmmakin ...
, he died in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, while working on a movie. Robert King Baggot had two sons,
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 ...
Stephen King Baggot (born 1943) and Bruce Baggot (born 1947).
![Kingbaggot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Kingbaggot.jpg)
Baggot starred as
Wilfred of Ivanhoe in ''
Ivanhoe'' (1913), a
feature length
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
drama that was filmed on
location
In geography, location or place are used to denote a region (point, line, or area) on Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term ''location'' generally implies a higher degree of certainty than ''place'', the latter often indicating an entity with an ...
in England and at
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle ( cy, Castell Cas-gwent) at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norma ...
in Wales. He played the role of Jean Dumas in the drama ''
Absinthe'' (1914), which was filmed in Paris. In his 1914 two-reel movie ''
Shadows
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, ...
'', Baggot directed as well as played the parts of ten different characters.
When he registered for the draft of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, on September 12, 1918, Baggot and his wife were living in New York City. He starred in the role as Harrison Grant in the 20-part
spy
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
thriller ''
The Eagle's Eye
''The Eagle's Eye'' is a 1918 American serial film consisting of 20 episodes that dramatizes German espionage in the United States during World War I. The stories are based on the experiences of William J. Flynn during his career as chief of the U ...
'' (1918) opposite
Marguerite Snow
Marguerite Snow (September 9, 1889 – February 17, 1958) was an American silent film and stage actress. In her early films she was billed as Margaret Snow.
Early life
Snow was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her father, Billy Snow, was a comedia ...
, an adaptation of former FBI Director
William J. Flynn
William James Flynn (November 18, 1867 – October 14, 1928) was the director of the Bureau of Investigation from July 1, 1919, to August 21, 1921.
Personal life
Flynn was born in New York City and began his government career in 1897, after rec ...
's experiences that was produced by
Leopold
Leopold may refer to:
People
* Leopold (given name)
* Leopold (surname)
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons''
* Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...
and
Theodore Wharton, and as Sheldon Steele (The Hawk) in the
crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
''
The Hawk's Trail
''The Hawk's Trail'' is a 1919 American crime film, crime film serial directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It is considered to be a lost film.
Cast
* King Baggot as Sheldon Steele / The Hawk
* Grace Darmond as Claire Drake
* Rhea Mitchell as Jean Drake
...
'' (1919) opposite
Grace Darmond
Grace Darmond (born Grace Marie Glionna; November 20, 1893 – October 8, 1963) was a Canadian-American actress.
Early life
Grace Marie Glionna was born in Toronto on November 20, 1893. Her parents were Vincent Baptiste "James" Glionna, an I ...
.
As a director, he gave
Marie Prevost
Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a Canadian-born film actress. During her 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films.
Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was d ...
her first starring role in the
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
''
Kissed
''Kissed'' is a 1996 Canadian romantic/erotic drama film directed and co-written by Lynne Stopkewich, based on Barbara Gowdy's short story "We So Seldom Look on Love". It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 1996. ...
'' (1922). Baggot directed
Mary Philbin
Mary Loretta Philbin (July 16, 1902 – May 7, 1993) was an American film actress of the silent film era, who is best known for playing the roles of Christine Daaé in the 1925 film ''The Phantom of the Opera '' opposite Lon Chaney, and as Dea in ...
and
William Haines
Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer.
Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...
in the romance ''
The Gaiety Girl'' (1924).
He formed his own
production company
A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...
, King Baggot Productions, and
produced and directed ''
The Home Maker
''The Home Maker'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Alice Joyce, Clive Brook, and Billy Kent Schaefer. A husband and wife are more successful once they have swapped roles.
Plot
As described in a film mag ...
'' (1925), a drama starring
Clive Brook
Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor.
After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the United States ...
and
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce Brown ( Joyce; October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress who appeared in more than 200 films during the 1910s and 1920s. She is known for her roles in the 1923 film '' The Green Goddess'' and its 1930 remake of ...
about the reversal of traditional roles between a husband and wife, which was released through
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
. That same year, Baggot directed
William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and inte ...
in his most famous
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
, ''
Tumbleweeds
A tumbleweed is a kind of plant habit or structure.
Tumbleweed, tumble-weed or tumble weed may also refer to:
Films
* ''Tumbleweeds'' (1925 film), William S. Hart film
* ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935 film), Gene Autry film
* ''Tumbleweed'' (1 ...
'', a drama about the
Oklahoma land rush of 1893.
Decline
Baggot and his wife, Ruth, who had separated on August 20, 1926, were divorced in 1930. She filed on grounds of desertion, stating in the complaint that he was a bad example to their son. She said he would return home after drinking and be in a boisterous mood. When the
1930 census was taken on April 7, Baggot was lodging by himself.
His
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and problems with certain studio executives eventually ended Baggot's directing career. He turned to playing
character roles,
bit part
In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British television, ...
s and even jobs as an
extra
Extra or Xtra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper
* ''Extra!'', an American me ...
, and appeared in scores of movies in that capacity through the 1930s and 1940s, including ''
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
'' (1935).
Baggot played the uncredited role as a policeman on the street in ''
Bad Sister'' (1931), which starred
Conrad Nagel
John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...
and
Sidney Fox, with
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 pe ...
in her first movie role. He had the role as Henry Field, a movie director, in the
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
drama ''
Police Court'' (1932) co-starring
Henry B. Walthall
Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915).
Early life
Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...
, which told the story of a has-been alcoholic actor (Walthall) trying to make a comeback. In 1933, Baggot and former leading lady Florence Lawrence,
Paul Panzer
Paul Wolfgang Panzerbeiter (November 3, 1872 – August 16, 1958), known professionally as Paul Panzer, was a German-American silent film actor. He appeared in more than 330 films between 1905 and 1952.
Biography
Panzer was born in Würzburg. ...
and another former great star of the silent era,
Francis Ford, were given bit parts in what would be former co-star Mary Pickford's last movie, ''
Secrets
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controvers ...
''.
In her ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''
gossip column
A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist's opinions about the personal li ...
on March 1, 1946,
Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...
wrote, "King Baggot, who used to be one of our top directors, is working as an extra in ''
The Show-Off
''The Show-Off'' is a 1924 stage play by George Kelly about a working-class North Philadelphian family's reluctance to accept their daughter's suitor Aubrey Piper, an overly confident Socialist buffoon. The play has been revived five times on Bro ...
''. While living at the Aberdeen Hotel in
Venice, California
Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California.
Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
, Baggot made his final movie appearance in the uncredited part of a bank employee in the comedy ''
My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947) starring
Butch Jenkins and
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford ( Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor.Obituary '' Variety'', 26 December 1984.
He was a member of the " Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of US president John F. Kennedy and se ...
. Illness then forced his retirement.
King Baggot died at age 68 from a
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
at a
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
in Los Angeles. His funeral service was conducted in the chapel of Pierce Brothers Hollywood Mortuary at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 15, 1948.
[''Los Angeles Times'', Jul. 15, 1948, "Obituary --- King Baggot," p. A 15.] He is interred in
Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles
Calvary Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles runs in the community of East Los Angeles. It is also called "New Calvary Cemetery" because it succeeded the original Calvary Cemetery (on north Broadway), over whi ...
.
For his contributions to the film industry, Baggot received a
motion pictures 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, Californ ...
in 1960. His star is located at 6312
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...
.
Filmography
As actor
As director
*''
The Lie'' (1912, short)
* ''
Cheated Love
''Cheated Love'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Carmel Myers, George B. Williams and Allan Forrest.Munden p.120
Cast
* Carmel Myers as Sonya Schonema
* George B. Williams as Abraham Schonema
* Allan ...
'' (1921)
* ''
Luring Lips
''Luring Lips'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Edith Roberts, Ramsey Wallace and William Welsh.Munden p.469
Cast
* Edith Roberts as Adele Martin
* Darrell Foss as Dave Martin
* Ramsey Wallace
Ramse ...
'' (1921)
* ''
Nobody's Fool'' (1921)
*''
Moonlight Follies'' (1921)
*''
The Lavender Bath Lady
''The Lavender Bath Lady'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by King Baggot and written by George Randolph Chester and Doris Schroeder. The film stars Gladys Walton, Charlotte Pierce, Edmund Burns, Tom Ricketts, Lydia Yeamans Tit ...
'' (1922)
*''
Kissed
''Kissed'' is a 1996 Canadian romantic/erotic drama film directed and co-written by Lynne Stopkewich, based on Barbara Gowdy's short story "We So Seldom Look on Love". It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 1996. ...
'' (1922)
* ''
A Dangerous Game'' (1922)
*''
The Darling of New York
''The Darling of New York'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by King Baggot and written by Adrian Johnson and Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Baby Peggy, her first feature film. The film was released on December 3, 1923, by Uni ...
'' (1923)
* ''
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.
Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...
'' (1923)
*''
Crossed Wires
In electronics, crosstalk is any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one Electronic circuit, circuit or Communication channel, channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel. Crosstalk is usua ...
'' (1923)
* ''
The Whispered Name'' (1924)
* ''
The Tornado'' (1924)
*''
The Gaiety Girl'' (1924)
*''
Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'' (1925)
*''
The Home Maker
''The Home Maker'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Alice Joyce, Clive Brook, and Billy Kent Schaefer. A husband and wife are more successful once they have swapped roles.
Plot
As described in a film mag ...
'' (1925)
*''
Tumbleweeds
A tumbleweed is a kind of plant habit or structure.
Tumbleweed, tumble-weed or tumble weed may also refer to:
Films
* ''Tumbleweeds'' (1925 film), William S. Hart film
* ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935 film), Gene Autry film
* ''Tumbleweed'' (1 ...
'' (1925)
*''
Lovey Mary
''Lovey Mary'' is a 1926 American comedy-drama film directed by King Baggot, with Bessie Love in the title role. It is based on the Lovey Mary (book), 1903 novel of the same name by Alice Hegan Rice, a sequel to Rice's ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabba ...
'' (1926)
* ''
Perch of the Devil
''Perch of the Devil'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Mae Busch, Pat O'Malley, and Jane Winton. It is based on the 1914 novel of the same title by Gertrude Atherton.
Plot
As described in a film magazi ...
'' (1927)
*''
Down the Stretch'' (1927)
*''
The Notorious Lady'' (1927)
* ''
The House of Scandal
''The House of Scandal'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring Pat O'Malley, Dorothy Sebastian and Gino Corrado.Munden p.366
Cast
* Pat O'Malley as Pat Regan
* Dorothy Sebastian as Ann Rourke
* Harry Murray ...
'' (1928)
* ''
Romance of a Rogue
''Romance of a Rogue'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by King Baggot and starring H.B. Warner, Anita Stewart, and Charles K. Gerrard.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 25 It is based on the 1923 novel by the Br ...
'' (1928)
References
Further reading
*Dumaux, Sally A. (2002). ''King Baggot: A Biography and Filmography of the First King of the Movies''.
McFarland McFarland may refer to:
People
*McFarland (surname)
Places in the United States
*McFarland, California, a city
*McFarland, Kansas, a city
*McFarland, Missouri, a ghost town
*McFarland, Wisconsin, a village
Other uses
* USS ''McFarland'' (DD-237) ...
. 290 pp.
External links
*
*
*
''King Baggot: A Biography and Filmography of the First King of the Movies''at
Google Book Search
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baggot, King
1879 births
1948 deaths
American male stage actors
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
American male screenwriters
American male Shakespearean actors
American people of Irish descent
American soccer players
Male actors from St. Louis
20th-century American male actors
Film directors from Missouri
Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles)
Association footballers not categorized by position
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters