Robert Edeson (June 3, 1868 – March 24, 1931) was an American film and stage actor of the

silent era 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, wh ...

and a vaudeville performer.

Life and career

Edeson was born in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, the son of manager and actor George R. Edeson. After working as treasurer of the Park Theatre in Brooklyn, he initially acted in New York in 1887 in a production of ''Fascination.'' He debuted on Broadway in ''Marriage'' (1896). His last Broadway appearance was in ''The World We Live In'' (1922). He also performed in vaudeville. Edeson received his first boost in films in 1914 when he starred in the

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 ...

directed film, '' The Call of the North'' (1914). Edeson replaced actor Rudolph Christians in

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

's production of ''

Foolish Wives ''Foolish Wives'' is a 1922 American erotic silent drama film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures under their Super-Jewel banner and written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The drama features von Stroheim, Rudolph Christians, ...

'' (1922), after Christians died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

. Edeson famously only showed his back to the camera so as not to clash with shot footage of Christians that was still to be used in the completed film. Edeson's final film was ''Aloha'' (1931). His third wife was the former Aida Banker.

Death

On March 24, 1931, Edeson died at his home in Hollywood. He was 62 years old.

Selected filmography

*''

The Paymaster's Son ''The Paymaster's Son'' is a surviving 1913 silent short drama film directed by Francis Ford and produced by Thomas H. Ince. Cast *Robert Edeson - John Burton, The Paymaster's Son *Charles K. French - Silas Burton, The Paymaster *Robert Stanton ...

'' (1913) as The Paymaster's Son *'' The Call of the North'' (1914) as Ned Stewart *''

The Absentee ''The Absentee'' is a novel by Maria Edgeworth, published in 1812 in ''Tales of Fashionable Life'', that expresses the systemic evils of the absentee landlord class of Anglo-Irish and the desperate condition of the Irish peasantry. There are ma ...

'' (1915) as Nathaniel Crosby *''

The Light That Failed ''The Light That Failed'' is the first novel by the Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling, first published in ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine'' in January 1891. Most of the novel is set in London, but many important events through ...

'' (1916) as Dick Hedlar * ''

Big Jim Garrity ''Big Jim Garrity'' is a 1916 silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Robert Edeson, Eleanor Woodruff and Carl Harbaugh. The film has been restored by the Cinémathèque Française. Cast * Robert Edeson as Jim Garrity * Ele ...

'' (1916) as Jim Garrity *''

On the Night Stage ''On the Night Stage'' is a 1915 American silent Western film directed by Reginald Barker and starring William S. Hart and Rhea Mitchell. The film is based upon a story by C. Gardner Sullivan with the scenario written by Thomas H. Ince. A c ...

'' (1915) as Austin *'' The Caveman'' (1915) as Hanlick Smagg *'' Public Defender'' (1917) as Arthur Nelson *'' Extravagance'' (1921) as Richard Vane *''

'' (1922) as Andrew J. Hughes *''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...

'' (1922) as Colonel Zapta *''

Sure Fire Flint ''Sure Fire Flint'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Dell Henderson and starring Johnny Hines. Cast *Johnny Hines as Sure Fire Flint * Edmund Breese as Johnny Jets * Robert Edeson as Anthony De Lanni *Effie Shannon as Mrs. De La ...

'' (1922) as Anthony De Lanni * ''

Any Night ''Any Night'' is a 1922 American silent crime film directed by Martin Beck and starring Tully Marshall, Robert Edeson and Lila Leslie.Munden p.21 Cast * Tully Marshall as Jerry Maguire * Robert Edeson as Jim Barton * Lila Leslie as Mrs. Ann B ...

'' (1922) as Jim Barton * ''

You Are Guilty ''You Are Guilty'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Edgar Lewis and starring James Kirkwood, Doris Kenyon and Robert Edeson.Connelly p. 439 Synopsis Stephen Martin takes the blame over some missing funds in order to spare his ha ...

'' (1923) as Theodore Tennent *'' The Tie That Binds'' (1923) as Charles Dodge *''

The Silent Partner ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1923) as Ralph Coombes *'' To the Last Man'' (1923) as Gaston Isbel *''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments ( Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

'' (1923) as Inspector Redding *''

Feet of Clay Feet of clay is an idiom used to refer to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires. An entity with feet of clay may appe ...

'' (1924) as Dr. Fergus Lansell *''

Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...

'' (1924) as Eb Hooker *''

Men A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...

'' (1924) as Henri Duval *''

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 ...

'' (1924) as Samuel Overton *''

Thy Name Is Woman ''Thy Name Is Woman'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Novarro and Barbara La Marr. A copy of the film survives in the Turner Archive. The film made an estimated profit of more than $100,000. Plot ...

'' (1924) as The Commandante * '' Missing Daughters'' (1924) as Secret Service Chief *''

The Prairie Pirate ''The Prairie Pirate'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Edmund Mortimer and featuring Harry Carey Harry Carey may refer to: *Harry Carey (actor) (1878–1947), American actor * Harry Carey Jr. (1921–2012), American actor * ...

'' (1925) as Don Esteban *'' Men and Women'' (1925) as Israel Cohen *''

The Golden Bed ''The Golden Bed'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the novel ''Tomorrow's Bread'' by Wallace Irwin. Jeanie MacPherson wrote the screenplay. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, ev ...

'' (1925) as Amos Thompson * '' Go Straight'' (1925) as The Hawk *''

Locked Doors ''Locked Doors'' is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by William C. deMille and starring Betty Compson. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot As described in a review in a film ...

'' (1925) as Norman Carter * '' Blood and Steel'' (1925) as W.L. Grimshaw *'' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) as Prince Nikita *''

The Clinging Vine ''The Clinging Vine'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film produced by Cecil B. DeMille and Paul Slone and directed by Sloane. It was distributed by DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation.

'' (1926) as T. M. Bancroft *''

The Blue Eagle ''The Blue Eagle'' is a 1926 American action film directed by John Ford. Prints of the film exist in the Library of Congress film archive and in the UCLA Film and Television Archive, but one reel is missing. Plot Cast * George O'Brien as ...

'' (1926) as Chaplain Regan *'' The King of Kings'' (1927) as Matthew the Apostle *''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'' (1927) as William Flynn *'' Altars of Desire'' (1927) as John Sutherland * ''

The Night Bride ''The Night Bride'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Marie Prevost, Harrison Ford and Franklin Pangborn.Munden p.543 Cast * Marie Prevost as Cynthia Stockton * Harrison Ford as Stanley Warringto ...

'' (1927) *'' George Washington Cohen'' (1928) as Mr. Gorman *''

A Ship Comes In ''A Ship Comes In'' (also known as ''His Country'') is a 1928 silent film which tells the story of immigrants coming to the United States. It stars Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser, Milton Holmes, Linda Landi, and Fritz Feld. The movie was ...

'' (1928) as Judge Gresham *'' Beware of Blondes'' (1928) as Costigan *''

Walking Back ''Walking Back'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Rupert Julian and an uncredited Cecil B. DeMille. Prints of the film exist. Plot A young jazz hound, "Smoke" Thatcher (Richard Walling), is failing his academic studies due to h ...

'' (1928) as Edgar Thatcher *''

Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

'' (1929) as Wise Fool *'' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1929) as Don Fernando *'' Pardon My Gun'' (1930) as Pa Martin *''

A Devil with Women ''A Devil with Women'' is a 1930 American pre-Code film starring Victor McLaglen, Mona Maris, and Humphrey Bogart, and directed by Irving Cummings. Set in a Central American country, adventurer McLaglen and sidekick Bogart find themselves in a ...

'' (1930) as General Garcia *''

Danger Lights ''Danger Lights'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film, directed by George B. Seitz, from a screenplay by James Ashmore Creelman. It stars Louis Wolheim, Robert Armstrong, and Jean Arthur. The plot concerns railroading on the Chicago, M ...

'' (1930) as Tom Johnson *'' The Lash'' (1930) as Don Mariana Delfine *''

The Way of All Men ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1930) Swift * '' Swing High'' (1930)

References

External links

* * *
a young Robert Edeson on the cover of THE THEATRE magazine September 1905
American male film actors American male stage actors American male silent film actors 1868 births 1931 deaths 20th-century American male actors Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery {{US-film-actor-1860s-stub