Richard Garrick (December 27, 1878 – August 21, 1962) was an Irish-born American actor and director.

Life and career

Garrick was born Richard Thomas O'Brien in the townland of

Portlaw Portlaw ( or ''Port Lách'') is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated approximately 19 km west-north-west of Waterford City, where the Clodiagh mee ...

County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. His father, James E. O'Brien, was a master tailor in that town, counting among his clients Lord Waterford as well as other nobility and landed gentry. In 1882, James left Portlaw for the United States. He landed in

North Adams, Massachusetts North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 12,961 as of the 2020 census. Best known as the ...

, where there were cotton mills and the need for a clothesmaker. Two years later, his wife Johanna and children followed. In 1898, Garrick enlisted in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

. He served as a corporal in Company M,

U.S. 26th Infantry Regiment The 26th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Its nickname is "Blue Spaders", taken from the spade-like device on the regiment's distinctive unit insignia. The 26th Infantry Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Re ...

stationed in Miagao, Iloilo, in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

in 1900 during the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

. When he returned to North Adams, he worked for a time in his father's tailor shop, then struck out on his own. He ventured to New York City where he landed roles in stage productions, among them ''The Boys of Company B'' (1907), ''The Flag Lieutenant'' (1909), ''The Fourth Estate,'' (1909), and ''The Monkey's Paw''. By 1912 Garrick was in Los Angeles and became a charter member of The Reel Club. Through the early 1910s, Garrick acted in, as well as directed,

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 ...

s, including ''

Colonel Custard's Last Stand ''Colonel Custard's Last Stand'' is a 1914 one-reel silent movie comedy about Custer's Last Stand and starred Lloyd Hamilton as Colonel Custard and featured Betty Burbridge, James Douglass, Harry Russell and Mai Wells. The film was directed by R ...

'' (1914). In 1915, he joined the Gaumont Company and was placed in charge of the second Rialto Star Feature Company. By 1916, Garrick was the director general of Gaumont's

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, studios. He left Gaumont to open Garrick Studios Company, offering a five-acre (20,000 m²) facility in Jacksonville that would house enough equipment and space for 20 companies to work simultaneously. As the 1916–1917 season approached, however, the mood towards making films in Jacksonville shifted, and many residents opposed the industry's presence. Garrick went overseas in 1919 and directed films in London and Paris. In 1922, he was named production manager of a new film corporation in Italy. Overall, he directed 30 silent films during his career. When he returned to the United States, it was to pursue his first love — stage acting. During World War II, he was among the cast of ''

Ten Little Indians "Ten Little Indians" is a traditional American children's counting out rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 12976. The term "Indians" in this sense refers to Indigenous North American peoples. In 1868, songwriter Septimus Winner adapt ...

'', a production of the U.S. Army Special Service/USO Camp Shows in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. In 1947, Garrick was once again on stage in New York City, performing as the mental-health doctor or "stranger" in the original production of ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...

'', which co-starred

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and

Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe ...

. He reprised that role in the 1951 film version of the play. His appearances in both the play and

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

marked the start of a second film career for Garrick. During the 1950s, he played small supporting roles in numerous Hollywood movies. His television acting credits include the role of Benjamin Franklin in ''Night Strike'' on ''Calvacade of America'' (April 29, 1953 and October 19, 1954); and the role of Thaddeus Grimshaw in the episode ''Royal Carriage'' on ''My Friend Flicka''

My Friend Flicka ''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The p ...

(March 16, 1956). Throughout his career, Garrick performed along with some of the brightest actors and actresses in stage and film history, including

James Arness James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the CBS television series '' Gunsmoke''. Arness has the distinction of having played the ...

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Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

Brian Keith Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent T ...

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

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Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His best ...

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

, Jean Simmons,

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

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John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

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and

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, '' Kiss of Death'' (1947) ...

. Garrick taught at the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

, and in 1930 he opened the Richard Garrick Studio in Santa Ana, California, to teach drama, English, public speaking, and other subjects to aspiring actors. Garrick died on August 21, 1962, in

Los Angeles 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' ...

and is buried as a U.S. veteran at

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

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 ...

Director

* ''A Heart Reclaimed'' (1912) * ''The Part of Her Life'' (1912) * '' The Laird's Daughter'' (1912) * '' His Father's Bugle'' (1912) * ''Officer Murray'' (1912) * ''By-Gone Days'' (1913) * ''

'' (1914) * ''A Wondrous Melody'' (1914) * '' A Tangle in Hearts'' (1915) * ''The Idol of the Stage'' (1916 film) - Also acted in the role of Clark Porter * ''The Drifter'' (1916) * '' The House with Nobody in It'' (1915) * ''Quality of Faith'' (1916) * '' According to Law'' (1916) * ''

A Rank Outsider ''A Rank Outsider'' is a 1920 British silent sports film directed by Richard Garrick and starring Gwen Stratford, Cameron Carr and Lewis Dayton. It was based on a novel by Nathaniel Gould. Cast * Gwen Stratford as Myra Wynchmore * Camer ...

'' (1920) * ''

Trent's Last Case ''Trent's Last Case'' is a detective novel written by E. C. Bentley and first published in 1913. Its central character, the artist and amateur detective Philip Trent, reappeared subsequently in the novel '' Trent's Own Case'' (1936), and the s ...

'' (1920) * '' The Pride of the Fancy'' (1920) * ''

The Romance of a Movie Star ''The Romance of a Movie Star'' is a 1920 British silent romance film directed by Richard Garrick and starring Violet Hopson, Stewart Rome and Gregory Scott.Low p.438 It is based on the novel ''The World's Best Girl'' by Coralie Stanton. Plo ...

'' (1920)

Actor

* ''A Certain Party'' (1911 play) - Roundsman Timothy Moline * ''The Deep Purple'' (1911 film) - Inspector Bruce * ''The Mistress of the Air'' (1914 film) - Tom Hendricks, the Villain * '' Tess of the Storm Country'' (1914 film) - Ben Letts * '' The House with Nobody in It'' (1915 film) * ''The Yellow Streak'' (1915 film) * ''The Collingsby Pearls'' (1915 film) * '' Daughter of Destiny'' (1917) - Graham West * '' Nell of the Circus'' (1922) * ''Le soleil de minuit'' (1926) * ''

Desire Under the Elms ''Desire Under the Elms'' is a 1924 play written by Eugene O'Neill. Like ''Mourning Becomes Electra'', ''Desire Under the Elms'' signifies an attempt by O'Neill to adapt plot elements and themes of Greek tragedy to a rural New England setting. ...

'' (1940 play) - Old Ephraim * '' Deep Are the Roots'' (1946 play), Fulton Theatre, New York, NY - Sheriff Serkin * ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...

'' (1947 film) - Graham Rogers - Storekeeper (uncredited) * ''

Green Grass of Wyoming ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Louis King and starring Peggy Cummins, Charles Coburn and Robert Arthur. The screenplay, written by Martin Berkeley, is based on the third book in the popular, "My Friend ...

'' (1948 film) - Charlie - Old-Timer * ''

'' (1947 play) - A Doctor * ''

'' (1951 film) - A Doctor * ''

Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pete ...

'' (1951 film) - Slave (uncredited) * ''

Viva Zapata! ''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable'' as a guide. The cast includes Jean Pe ...

'' (1952 film) - Old General * ''

Dreamboat "Dreamboat" is a popular music song, the words and music to which were written by Jack Hoffman, (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Al Hoffman). A version produced by Walter Ridley, and performed by Alma Cogan, reached number 1 in the UK Sing ...

'' (1952 film) - Judge Bowles * ''

O. Henry's Full House ''O. Henry's Full House'' is a 1952 American anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five films, each based on a story by O. Henry. The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five directors from five screenplays with di ...

'' (1952 film) - Doctor (segment "The Last Leaf") * ''

Bonzo Goes to College ''Bonzo Goes to College'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Frederick De Cordova and starring Maureen O'Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn, Charles Drake, Gigi Perreau, Gene Lockhart, and Bonzo. Plot Former lab chimpanzee Bonzo, suddenly literat ...

'' (1952 film) - Judge George Simpkins * ''

Something for the Birds ''Something for the Birds'' is a 1952 film directed by Robert Wise and starring Victor Mature and Patricia Neal. Plot Johnnie Adams, an engraver in Washington, uses some of the invitations his firm makes to crash Washington parties. He gets to ...

'' (1952 film) - Chandler * ''

Stars and Stripes Forever "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. History In his 1928 autob ...

'' (1952 film) - Secretary of the Navy (uncredited) * ''

Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...

'' (1953 film) - Supreme Court Justice (uncredited) * ''

Trouble Along the Way ''Trouble Along the Way'' is a 1953 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring John Wayne and Donna Reed, with a supporting cast including Charles Coburn and Marie Windsor. The black-and-white film was released by Warner Bros. with an ...

'' (1953 film) - Judge (uncredited) * '' The System'' (1953 film) - Frank Tasker * ''

Law and Order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...

'' (1953 film) - Judge Williams * ''

Powder River (film) ''Powder River'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Louis King and starring Rory Calhoun, Corinne Calvet and Cameron Mitchell.

(1953 film) - Ferry Master * The Frightened Bride' Episode of Mr. & Mrs. North'' (1953 television) - Amos Stoker * ''

Riding Shotgun "Riding shotgun" was a phrase used to describe the bodyguard who rides alongside a stagecoach driver, typically armed with a break-action shotgun, called a coach gun, to ward off bandits or hostile Native Americans. In modern use, it refers ...

'' (1954 film) - Walters * '' Désirée'' (1954 film) - Count Regnaud (uncredited) * '' Many Rivers to Cross'' (1955 film) - Preacher Ellis (uncredited) * '' East of Eden'' (1955 film) - Dr. Edwards (uncredited) * ''

A Man Called Peter ''A Man Called Peter'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster, and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate and pastor of the New York Avenu ...

'' (1955 film) - Col. Evanston Whiting * ''

Violent Saturday ''Violent Saturday'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan and Stephen McNally. Set in a mining town, Bradenville, Arizona, the film depicts the planning of a bank rob ...

'' (1955 film) - Mr. Braden (uncredited) * ''

Hilda Crane ''Hilda Crane'' (also known as ''The Many Loves of Hilda Crane'') is a 1956 American drama film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Philip Dunne and produced by Herbert B. Swope Jr. from a screenplay adapted by Dunne from the play by ...

'' (1956 film) - Dr. Joe Francis * ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

'' (1956 film) - Lords' Butler * The Royal Carriage' Episode of My Friend Flicka'' (1956 television) - Thaddeus Grimshaw * ''

The Mountain The Mountain (french: La Montagne) was a political group during the French Revolution. Its members, called the Montagnards (), sat on the highest benches in the National Convention. They were the most radical group and opposed the Girondins. Th ...

'' (1956 film) - Coloz * ''

The Three Faces of Eve ''The Three Faces of Eve'' is a 1957 American film noir mystery drama film presented in CinemaScope, based on the book of the same name about the life of Chris Costner Sizemore, which was written by psychiatrists Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. ...

'' (1957 film) - Mr. Fox (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

*
Richard Garrick Official Website

Richard Garrick films on Amazon Prime

Richard Garrick on Curlie.org Directory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrick, Richard 1878 births 1962 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Actors from County Waterford People from North Adams, Massachusetts United States Army soldiers American military personnel of the Philippine–American War 20th-century American male actors Film directors from California Film directors from Massachusetts