Raymond Cannon (born Ulises Tildmann Cannon; September 1, 1892 – June 7, 1977) 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 ...

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. ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

known for his work with D. W. Griffith and

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

Background

Ulises Tillman Cannon was born September 1, 1892 in Long Hollow, Tennessee to Newton Cannon and Sarah Lincoln Bolinger. In 1910 he was working at a soda fountain in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...

, but after leaving

divinity school A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, he moved west, performing 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 working as a

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

and

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

. In April 1918, Cannon became a journalist for Elmer M. Robbins' weekly magazine ''Camera! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry''. E.M. Robbins died in 1920 and Cannon bought the magazine in 1921, co-publishing it with Lola B Robbins until he sold his interest in 1922. On February 19, 1929, Cannon married

Fanchon Royer Fanchon Royer (1902–1986) was an American film producer, active during the 1930s. She was one of the few woman producers in Hollywood during the era, associated with low-budget independent studios such as Mayfair Pictures. After graduating fr ...

, an actress-turned-journalist who began as society editor, then assistant editor, and then

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

at ''Camera!'' until leaving it in 1922. She and Cannon divorced in 1931.

Career

When Cannon reached Los Angeles in the early 1910s, he was using the name Raymond and his first acting job was in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

in 1912 performing at the

Bentley Grand Theater Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

. He then found work in films with the Thomas Ince Company. His first film role was in the

Selig Polyscope The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring T ...

serial ''

The Adventures of Kathlyn ''The Adventures of Kathlyn'' (1913) is an American motion picture serial released on December 29, 1913, by the Selig Polyscope Company. An adventure serial filmed in Chicago, Illinois, its thirteen episodes were directed by Francis J. Grando ...

'' in 1913. Cannon worked for D. W. Griffith and appeared in several

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

films. When Griffith moved his productions to

Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of M ...

, Cannon remained in Los Angeles as a freelancer working with

Douglas MacLean Charles Douglas MacLean (January 10, 1890 – July 9, 1967) was an American stage and silent film actor who later worked as a producer and screenwriter in the sound era. Early life and stage career Born in Philadelphia, MacLean was educated at ...

. In 1924, Cannon left acting and began screenwriting. In 1925, Cannon had been hired by

and co-wrote the 1925 film '' Go West'', after which Keaton loaned him to

Universal Studios 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 ...

and Cannon did not return. After numerous projects as film director and screenwriter, his last film effort was ''

Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

'' for Cavalcade Pictures in 1945, after which he turned his attentions to

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' ...

stage. One of his productions ''Her Majesty the Prince'', starred Carla Laemmle. A scene from

Entering semi-retirement at the urging of his doctor, Cannon turned his attention to his hobby of

sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit (economics), profit; or subsistence fishing ...

off the Baja coast. He subsequently wrote the books ''How to Fish the Pacific Coast'' (1952) and ''The Sea of Cortez'' (1965), as well as authoring a fishing column in ''Western Outdoor News'' for 24 years. Laemmle became his long-term typist, illustrator, researcher, and editor. He and Laemmle remained companions until his death in 1977 from complications resulting from treatment for

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

Filmography

Actor

* ''

'' (1913) * ''

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer St ...

'' (1919) as The chauffeur * ''

True Heart Susie ''True Heart Susie'' is a 1919 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the British Film Institute. The film has seen several VHS releases as well as a DVD issu ...

'' (1919) as Sporty Malone * ''

Nugget Nell ''Nugget Nell'' is a 1919 American comedy silent film directed by Elmer Clifton and written by John R. Cornish. The film stars Dorothy Gish, David Butler, Raymond Cannon, Regina Sarle, Jim Farley, and Bob Fleming. The film was released on July 2 ...

'' (1919) as The City Chap * '' Nobody Home'' (1919) as Crandall Park * '' Turning the Tables'' (1919) as Monty Feverill * ''

Mary Ellen Comes to Town ''Mary Ellen Comes to Town'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Elmer Clifton and written by Wells Hastings and Helen G. Smith. The film stars Dorothy Gish, Kate Bruce, Ralph Graves, Adolph Lestina, Charles K. Gerrard, and Raymo ...

'' (1920) as 'Beauty' Bender * '' Chickens'' (1921) as Willie Figg * ''

Penny of Top Hill Trail ''Penny of Top Hill Trail'' is a 1921 American silent Western comedy film based on the 1919 novel by Belle Kanaris Maniates. It was directed by Arthur Berthelet and stars Bessie Love. The film was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions ...

'' (1921) as Jo Gary * ''

The Unfoldment ''The Unfoldment'' is a lost 1922 silent film feature directed by George Kern and starring Florence Lawrence. It was produced by an independent company. Only a fragment of this film survives in the Library of Congress collection. Cast *Floren ...

'' (1922) as Jack Nevin * '' Watch Your Step'' (1922) as Lon Kimball * ''

His Back Against the Wall ''His Back Against the Wall'' is a 1922 American comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee and written by Julien Josephson. The film stars Raymond Hatton, Virginia Valli, Will Walling, J. Gordon Russell, W.H. Bainbridge and Virginia Madison. The f ...

'' (1922) as Jimmy Boyle * '' Mary of the Movies'' (1923) as Oswald Tate * '' The Printer's Devil'' (1923) as Alec Sperry

Director

* ''

Red Wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...

'' (1928) * '' Joy Street'' (1929) * '' Why Leave Home?'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * ''

Ladies Must Play Ladies Must Play is a 1930 pre-Code comedy film starring Dorothy Sebastian and Neil Hamilton directed by Raymond Cannon. Tony, a popular but bankrupt New York socialite, sends his stenographer to Newport to find and marry a millionaire, but sh ...

'' (1930) * '' The Victim'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * '' Swanee River'' (1931) * ''

Night Life in Reno ''Night Life in Reno'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. Cast * Virginia Valli as June Wyatt *Jameson Thomas as John Wyatt *Dorothy Christy as Gwen Maynard *Arthur Housman as Roy Carlton *Dixie ...

'' (1931) * ''

Hotel Variety A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' (1933) * '' The Outer Gate'' (1937) * '' Swing It, Sailor!'' (1938) * ''

'' (1945)

Screenwriter

* ''

The Yankee Consul ''The Yankee Consul'' is a 1924 American black-and-white silent comedy film directed by James W. Horne and written by Raymond Cannon. With a screen adaptation by Lewis Milestone and Raymond Griffith, the film is based upon the 1904 Broadway ...

'' (1924) * '' Never Say Die'' (1924) * ''

Introduce Me ''Introduce Me'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by George J. Crone and produced by and starring Douglas MacLean. It was released through Associated Exhibitors.

'' (1925) (story) * '' Go West'' (1925) (scenario) * ''

The Carnival Girl ''The Carnival Girl'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Cullen Tate and starring Marion Mack, Gladys Brockwell and Frankie Darro.Munden p.113 Cast * Marion Mack as Nanette * Gladys Brockwell as Her Mother * Frankie Darro as Her ...

'' (1926) (titles & story) * ''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...

'' (1926) (adaptation and scenario) * '' Taxi! Taxi!'' (1927) (adaptation) * ''

Fast and Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a ...

'' (1927) (adaptation) * '' The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary'' (1927) *'' The Broncho Buster'' (1927) * '' Something Always Happens'' (1928) * ''

'' (1928) * '' Joy Street'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * ''

Old Age Pension A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...

'' (1935) * '' My Girl Sally'' (1935) * '' His Last Fling'' (1935) * '' Bring 'Em Back a Lie'' (1935) * ''

Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery ''Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery'' is a 12-episode 1935 Universal movie serial based on the Tailspin Tommy comic strip by Hal Forrest and starring Clark Williams, Jean Rogers and Noah Beery, Jr. The picture was the 96th of the 137 serials ...

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1945)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Raymond (actor) 1892 births 1977 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California American male silent film actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors American directors American male screenwriters Male actors from Tennessee 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters