Phillips Smalley
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Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American
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 ...
director and actor.


Biography

Born in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, he was the grandson of
Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips (November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884) was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, orator, and attorney. According to George Lewis Ruffin, a Black attorney, Phillips was seen by many Blacks as "the one whi ...
; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war correspondent, and his wife Phoebe Garnaut, adopted by Phillips. He matriculated at
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
in 1886. Smalley began his career in
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
and acted in more than 200 films between 1910 and his death in 1939. He began directing in 1911 and made more than 300 films by 1921. Smalley was married to actress, writer, director, and producer
Lois Weber Florence Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the e ...
from April 29, 1904, to 1922.Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Illinois Department of Public Health records. "Marriage Records, 1871–present." Division of Vital Records, Springfield, Illinois. They met in 1904 when Weber was acting in a theater where Smalley was stage manager. In 1908 Smalley and Weber began working for the U.S. division of
Gaumont Film Company The Gaumont Film Company (, ), often shortened to Gaumont, is a French film studio headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...
, where Smalley was an actor, and later a director. He is sometimes listed as a co-director with Lois Weber, and the extent of his contribution to her work is unresolved. Phillips Smalley died in 1939 and is interred next to his second wife Phyllis Lorraine Ephlin in the
Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. History The company was founded by a group of ...
in Hollywood Hills.


Selected filmography

* ''
Leaves in the Storm ''Leaves in the Storm'' is a 1912 silent film short directed by and starring Lois Weber. It was produced by Rex Motion Picture Company and distributed by the then new Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is preserved at the Library of Congre ...
'' (1912) * ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical fiction, philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''Th ...
'' (1913) * ''
Will Power William "Will" Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian motorsports driver who currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske. He is the 2014 and 2022 IndyCar Series champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion. ...
'' (1913) * '' Suspense'' (1913) * ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
'' (1914) * '' Jewel'' (1915) * ''
Where Are My Children? ''Where Are My Children?'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Phillips Smalley and Lois Weber and stars Tyrone Power Sr., Juan de la Cruz, Helen Riaume, Marie Walcamp, Cora Drew, A.D. Blake, Rene Rogers, William Haben and C. Norman ...
'' (1916) *''
The Dumb Girl of Portici ''The Dumb Girl of Portici'' is a 1916 American silent historical drama film directed by Phillips Smalley and Lois Weber and starring Anna Pavlova, Rupert Julian and Wadsworth Harris. It was adapted by Weber from the libretto by Germain Delavig ...
'' (1916) * '' The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (1917) * ''
The Double Standard ''The Double Standard'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Phillips Smalley and starring Roy Stewart, Clarissa Selwynne and Joseph W. Girard.Connelly p.342 Cast * Roy Stewart as John Fairbrother * Clarissa Selwynne Clarissa Sel ...
'' (1917) * '' For Husbands Only'' (1918) * '' Forbidden'' (1919) * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1919) * ''
Too Wise Wives ''Too Wise Wives'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Lois Weber, written by Lois Weber and Marion Orth, and starring Louis Calhern, Claire Windsor, Phillips Smalley, and Mona Lisa. It was released on May 22, 1921, by Paramount P ...
'' (1921) * ''
Trimmed in Scarlet ''Trimmed in Scarlet'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conway and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is based on the 1920 Broadway play, ''Trimmed in Scarlet'', by William Hurlbut and starring Broadway's ...
'' (1923) * '' Cameo Kirby'' (1923) * '' Flaming Youth'' (1923) * ''
The Self-Made Wife ''The Self-Made Wife'' is a 1923 American silent melodrama film, directed by John Francis Dillon. It stars Ethel Grey Terry, Crauford Kent, and Virginia Ainsworth, and was released on July 8, 1923. It was written by Albert G. Kenyon based upon ...
'' (1923) * ''
Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
'' (1923) * ''
Single Wives ''Single Wives'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and produced by and starring Corinne Griffith. It was distributed by First National Pictures. Cast Preservation status ''Single Wives'' is preserved at the ...
'' (1924) * '' Daughters of Today'' (1924) * ''
The Fate of a Flirt ''The Fate of a Flirt'' is a 1925 silent romantic comedy directed by Frank R. Strayer, which stars Dorothy Revier, Forrest Stanley, and Thomas Ricketts. It was released by Columbia Pictures on November 15, 1925.Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot inc ...
'' (1925) * '' Stella Maris'' (1925) * '' Wandering Footsteps'' (1925) * ''
Wasted Lives ''Wasted Lives'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent drama film directed by John Gorman (director), John Gorman and starring Elliott Dexter, Cullen Landis and Edith Roberts (actress), Edith Roberts.Munden p.867 Cast * Elliott Dexter as Clayton ...
'' (1925) * '' Soul Mates'' (1925) * ''
Queen o'Diamonds ''Queen o'Diamonds'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Chester Withey and starring Evelyn Brent, Elsa Lorimer, and Phillips Smalley. Plot As described in a film magazine review, chorus girl Jerry Lyon resembles Jeanette Durant, ...
'' (1926) * ''
The Taxi Mystery ''The Taxi Mystery'' is a 1926 American silent mystery film directed by Fred Windemere and starring Edith Roberts, Robert Agnew, and Virginia Pearson. Plot As described in a film magazine review, millionaire Harry Canby saves a young woman fr ...
'' (1926) * '' The Broken Gate'' (1927) * ''
Sensation Seekers ''Sensation Seekers'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Lois Weber, produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and starring Billie Dove Lillian Bohny (born Bertha Eugenie Bohny; May 14, 1903 – December 31, 1997) ...
'' (1927) * ''
The Irresistible Lover ''The Irresistible Lover'' is a lost 1927 American silent comedy film directed by William Beaudine. Cast * Norman Kerry as J. Harrison Gray * Lois Moran as Betty Kennedy * Gertrude Astor as Dolly Carleton * Lee Moran as Lawyer * Myrtle Stedm ...
'' (1927) * ''
Stage Kisses ''Stage Kisses'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Albert H. Kelley and starring Kenneth Harlan, Helene Chadwick and Phillips Smalley.Munden p.761 Synopsis A wealthy man falls in love with an actress and marries her despite the ...
'' (1927) * ''
Man Crazy ''Man Crazy'' is a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, published in 1997, that tells the story of a young girl's descent into self-harm, sexual abuse, cult brainwashing, and subsequent rescue. Plot summary Man Crazy is told from the point of view of a y ...
'' (1927) * ''
The Dice Woman ''The Dice Woman'' is a 1926 American silent action adventure film directed by Eddie Dillon and starring Priscilla Dean. No known prints of it exist, and it is presumed lost. No longer a Universal contract star in 1926, Dean was in her career' ...
'' (1928) * '' Sinners in Love'' (1928) * '' Romance of the Underworld'' (1928) * ''
Honeymoon Flats ''Honeymoon Flats'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by Millard Webb and starring George J. Lewis, Dorothy Gulliver and Kathlyn Williams.Munden p.361 Synopsis Disappointed that her daughter has not married into money, a mother at ...
'' (1928) * ''
High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...
'' (1929) * ''
The Racketeer ''The Racketeer'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code drama film. Directed by Howard Higgin, the film is also known as ''Love's Conquest'' in the United Kingdom. It tells the tale of some members of the criminal class in 1920s America, and in particular ...
'' (1929) * '' The Aviator'' (1929) * '' The Midnight Special'' (1930) * '' High Stakes'' (1931) * '' The Lawless Woman'' (1931) * ''
New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford ''New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime / romantic comedy film directed by Sam Wood and starring William Haines as a con artist and Jimmy Durante as his pickpocket buddy. The film is based on a series ...
'' (1931) * '' Escapade'' (1932) * '' The Face on the Barroom Floor'' (1932) * '' Cocktail Hour'' (1933) *'' Secret Sinners'' (1933) * '' The Quitter'' (1934) * '' It's in the Air'' (1935) * '' A Day at the Races'' (1937) * '' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) * ''
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge ''Bulldog Drummond's Revenge'' is a 1937 American adventure mystery film directed by Louis King, produced by Stuart Walker, written by Edward T. Lowe Jr. and Herman C. McNeile (novel), and featuring John Barrymore. The picture stars John Howa ...
'' (1937) * ''
The Lady Objects ''The Lady Objects'' is a 1938 American drama film written by Gladys Lehman and Charles Kenyon and directed by Erle C. Kenton. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song at the 11th Academy Awards with the song ''A Mist Over the Moon'', wit ...
'' (1938)


References


External links

* * 1865 births 1939 deaths Vaudeville performers American male film actors American male silent film actors People from Brooklyn 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Male actors from New York City Film directors from New York City {{US-film-director-stub