Robert Frazer (born Robert William Browne, June 29, 1891August 17, 1944) 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 ...

who appeared in some 224 shorts and films from the 1910s until his death. He began in films with the Eclair company which released through

Universal Pictures 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 ...

Early years

Frazer was born in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

, and educated in Massachusetts. When he was young, he worked in a grocery store during vacations and spent much of his spare time reading plays and literature about becoming an actor. He also staged backyard plays for his friends.

Acting career

Frazer acted with several repertory companies, including the Cosgrove Stock Company, toured the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in productions, and performed on Broadway in ''Seremonda'' (1917). After some theater experience he swiftly moved into acting in silent films. In 1912 he began his movie career by portraying

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in ''The Holy City'', and in the same year played the lead in ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

''. He also appeared in two classic horror films, ''

White Zombie (film) ''White Zombie'' is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film independently produced by Edward Halperin and directed by Victor Halperin. The screenplay by Garnett Weston, based on ''The Magic Island'' by William Seabrook, is about a young woman's t ...

'' (1932) and ''

The Vampire Bat ''The Vampire Bat'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, and Dwight Frye. Plot When the villagers of Kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town father ...

'' (1933).

Personal life and death

Frazer was married to Mildred Bright, an actress. On August 17, 1944, Frazer died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

in Los Angeles, California. He was 53.

Partial filmography

* '' The Holy City'' (1912) * ''

'' (1912) * '' Rob Roy'' (1913) * ''

Duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...

'' (1914) * '' The Lone Star Rush'' (1915) (filmed in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

)
here for Table of Contents
* '' The Decoy'' (1916) * '' The Light at Dusk'' (1916) * ''

The Ballet Girl ''The Ballet Girl'' (german: Das Mädel vom Ballet) is a 1918 German silent film, silent comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Ossi Oswalda, Harry Liedtke and Margarete Kupfer.Thomson p. 145 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in ...

'' (1916) * '' The Dawn of Love'' (1916) * '' The Feast of Life'' (1916) * ''

Her Code of Honor ''Her Code of Honor'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by John M. Stahl and starring Florence Reed. Its alternate title was ''The Call of the Heart''. A print of it is held by the British Film Institute's National Film and Televisio ...

'' (1919) * ''

Bolshevism on Trial ''Bolshevism on Trial'' is a 1919 American silent propaganda film made by the Mayflower Photoplay Company and distributed through Lewis J. Selznick's Select Pictures Corporation. Directed by Harley Knoles from a screenplay by Harry Chandlee, ...

'' (1919) * '' Fascination'' (1922) * ''

My Friend the Devil ''My Friend the Devil'' is a lost 1922 silent film romantic drama directed by Harry Millarde. It starred stage actor Charles Richman and was produced and distributed by Fox Film. Cast * Charles Richman as George Dryden * Ben Grauer as Georg ...

'' (1922) * ''

How Women Love ''How Women Love'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Kenneth S. Webb and starring Betty Blythe, Gladys Hulette and Julia Swayne Gordon.Munden p.367 A promising singer his signed up by a backer for the new opera he is producing, ...

'' (1922) * '' When the Desert Calls'' (1922) * '' Mr. Potter of Texas'' (1922) * '' As a Man Lives'' (1923) * ''

Jazzmania ''Jazzmania'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring his then-wife Mae Murray. In keeping with Murray's previous films and a few of her succeeding films, the movie possesses some of the most provocative ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Love Piker ''The Love Piker'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Anita Stewart, Robert Frazer and Betty Francisco.Connelly p.379 Synopsis A wealthy society woman falls in love with an engineer, but as th ...

'' (1923) * '' After the Ball'' (1924) * '' Women Who Give'' (1924) * ''

Traffic in Hearts ''Traffic in Hearts'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and starring Robert Frazer, Mildred Harris, and Marion Feducha.Munden p. 825 Synopsis A man plans to build modern tenement buildings, but is opposed by his ...

'' (1924) * ''

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) * ''

When a Man's a Man ''When a Man's a Man'' is a 1935 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Frank Mitchell Dazey and Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars George O'Brien (actor), George O'Brien, Dorothy Wilson (actres ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Foolish Virgin ''For the earlier silent.film of the same name see The Foolish Virgin (1916 film)'' ''The Foolish Virgin'' is a lost 1924 American silent romantic drama film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by George W. Hill and stars Elaine H ...

'' (1924) * '' The Charmer'' (1925) * '' Miss Bluebeard'' (1925) * ''

The White Desert ''The White Desert'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Reginald Barker. The film stars Claire Windsor and Pat O'Malley, with Robert Frazer, Frank Currier, and Sōjin Kamiyama. It is written by Monte M. Katterjohn and Gordon R ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Other Woman's Story ''The Other Woman's Story'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by B.F. Stanley and starring Alice Calhoun, Robert Frazer, and Helen Lee Worthing. In America it was distributed by the independent outfit Preferred Pictures while its Brit ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Love Gamble ''The Love Gamble'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward LeSaint and starring Lillian Rich, Robert Frazer and Pauline Garon.Munden p.456 Cast * Lillian Rich as Peggy Mason * Robert Frazer as Douglas Wyman * Pauline Garon as ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Scarlet West ''The Scarlet West'' is a 1925 American silent historical drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Robert Frazer and Clara Bow. It was distributed by the First National company. This was an ambitious silent film made by an independ ...

'' (1925) * '' The Keeper of the Bees'' (1925) * ''

Why Women Love ''Why Women Love'' (also known as ''Sea Woman'') is a 1925 American silent drama film produced and directed by Edwin Carewe and distributed by First National Pictures. Blanche Sweet starred in the film which was based on the Broadway play ''Th ...

'' (1925) * ''

Secret Orders ''Secret Orders'' is a lost 1926 American silent drama film directed by Chester Withey and starring Harold Goodwin, Robert Frazer, and Evelyn Brent. The film was set in World War I and contained what the ''Chester Times'' described as a "world ...

'' (1926) * ''

Sin Cargo ''Sin Cargo'' is a 1926 American silent thriller film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring Shirley Mason, Robert Frazer and Earl Metcalfe. The film's sets were designed by the art director Edwin B. Willis. Plot The film is about a man i ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Speeding Venus ''The Speeding Venus'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Robert Thornby and starring Priscilla Dean, Robert Frazer and Dale Fuller (actress), Dale Fuller.Munden p.754 Cast * Priscilla Dean as Emily Dale * Robert Fraz ...

'' (1926) * ''

Desert Gold Desert Gold may refer to: * ''Geraea canescens'', a wildflower also known as Desert Sunflower * Desert Gold (horse), a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse **Desert Gold (1919 film), ''Desert Gold'' (1919 film), an Australian film about the racehorse ...

'' (1926) * ''

Dame Chance ''Dame Chance'' is a surviving 1926 American silent romantic drama film produced and released by independent companies David Hartford Productions and American Cinema Associates respectively. The stars are Julanne Johnston, Robert Frazer, Gertru ...

'' (1926) * '' The Isle of Retribution'' (1926) * '' The City'' (1926) * ''

One Hour of Love ''One Hour of Love'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Robert Florey and starring Jacqueline Logan, Robert Frazer and Montagu Love.Munden p.568 It is now considered to be a lost film. The film's sets were designed by the ...

'' (1927) * ''

The Silent Hero ''The Silent Hero'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Duke Worne and starring Robert Frazer, Edna Murphy and Joseph W. Girard.Connelly, p. 410. A man travels north to take part in the Alaska Gold Rush, leaving the woman he l ...

'' (1927) * ''

Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...

'' (1927) * ''

Out of the Past ''Out of the Past'' (billed in the United Kingdom as ''Build My Gallows High'') is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring (using the pseu ...

'' (1927) * '' Back to God's Country'' (1927) * ''

Burning Up Broadway ''Burning Up Broadway'' is a 1928 American silent drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Helene Costello, Robert Frazer, and Sam Hardy, and was released February 1928. Plot Spike and Nick own a speakeasy in New York, where the chief cho ...

'' (1928) * '' The City of Purple Dreams'' (1928) * '' Black Butterflies'' (1928) * '' Out of the Ruins'' (1928) * ''

Sioux Blood ''Sioux Blood'' is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by John Waters. It stars Western action star Tim McCoy. A print is preserved at the George Eastman House in New York. Cast * Tim McCoy as Flood * Robert Frazer as Lone Eagle * E ...

'' (1929) * '' The Woman I Love'' (1929) * '' The Drake Case'' (1929) * '' Beyond the Law'' (1930) * ''

Two-Gun Caballero ''Two-Gun Caballero'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by Jack Nelson and starring Robert Frazer, Consuelo Dawn and Carmen Laroux.Pitts p.182 Cast * Robert Frazer as Bob Blake - posing as Lopez * Consuelo Dawn as Sally Thompson * Ca ...

'' (1931) * '' Ten Nights in a Bar-Room'' (1931) * ''Mystery Trooper'' (1931) rare serial * ''

The King Murder ''The King Murder'' is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Conway Tearle, Natalie Moorhead and Marceline Day.Pitts p. 90 Main cast * Conway Tearle as Detective Chief Henry Barton * Natalie Moorhead ...

'' (1932) * '' The Arm of the Law'' (1932) * '' White Zombie'' (1932) * ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Mystery Squadron ''The Mystery Squadron'' (aka ''Mystery Squadron'') is a 1933 American pre-Code 12-chapter Mascot film serial, directed by Colbert Clark and David Howard. The film was produced by Nat Levine, and stars Western star Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Wi ...

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' The Fighting Parson'' (1933) * '' Found Alive'' (1933) * '' Love Past Thirty'' (1934) * '' Green Eyes'' (1934) * '' One in a Million'' (1934) * ''

The Clutching Hand ''The Clutching Hand'' (in full, ''The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand'') is a 15-episode serial produced by the Weiss Brothers in 1936, based on the final Craig Kennedy novel of the 1934 same name by Arthur B. Reeve. A 70-minute feature ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Fighting Pilot ''The Fighting Pilot'' (aka ''Fighting Pilot'') is a 1935 American action film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Richard Talmadge, Gertrude Messinger and Robert Frazer. When an inventor develops a new type of aircraft, a crooked businessman ...

'' (1935) * ''

Trails of The Wild ''Trails of the Wild'' is a 1935 American adventure film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Billie Seward, Monte Blue, Matthew Betz, Fuzzy Knight and Wheeler Oakman. The film was released o ...

'' (1935) * '' Million Dollar Haul'' (1935) * ''

The Black Coin ''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 ...

'' (1936) * ''

Easy Money A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 20th century. Most schemes create an impression that partic ...

'' (1936) * ''

We're in the Legion Now! ''We're in the Legion Now'' is a 1936 American adventure comedy film directed by Crane Wilbur and shot in Magnacolor. The film is also known as ''The Rest Cure'' (American reissue title), which was the title of the 1934 original J.D. Newsom stor ...

'' (1936) * ''

Left-Handed Law ''Left-Handed Law'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Frances Guihan. It is based on the 1936 novel ''Left Handed Law'' by Charles M. Martin. The film stars Buck Jones, Noel Francis, Nina Quartero, Fran ...

'' (1937) * '' Black Aces'' (1937) * ''

Religious Racketeers Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

'' (1938) * '' Cipher Bureau'' (1938) * '' Law of the Wolf'' (1939) * ''

Navy Secrets ''Navy Secrets'' is a 1939 American espionage film. Directed by Howard Bretherton, the film stars Fay Wray, Grant Withers, and Dewey Robinson. It was released on February 8, 1939. The screenplay by Harvey Gates was based on the short story "Shore ...

'' (1939) * '' Crashing Thru'' (1939) * ''

Roar of the Press ''Roar of the Press'' is a 1941 American comedy-drama crime film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Jean Parker and Wallace Ford. Plot Married only a few hours, small-town girl Alice makes her first visit to New York with new husband Wally W ...

'' (1941) * ''

Pals of the Pecos ''Pals of the Pecos'' is a 1941 American Western " Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Lester Orlebeck. Cast * Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke * Bob Steele as Tucson Smith * Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin * June Johnson as June Burke * ...

'' (1941) * ''

Gangs of Sonora ''Gangs of Sonora'' is a 1941 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by John English. Cast * Bob Livingston as Stony Brooke * Bob Steele as Tucson Smith * Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin * June Johnson as June Conners * Malcolm M ...

'' (1941) * ''

Black Dragons ''Black Dragons'' is a 1942 American film directed by William Nigh and starring Bela Lugosi, Joan Barclay, and George Pembroke. The cast includes Clayton Moore, who plays a handsome detective. The Black Dragon Society also appears in '' Let's G ...

'' (1942) * ''

Inside the Law ''Inside the Law'' is a 1942 American film directed by Hamilton MacFadden. It is also known as ''Rogues in Clover''. Cast *Wallace Ford as Billy * Frank Sully as Jim Burke *Harry Holman as Judge Mortimer Gibbs * Luana Walters as Dora Mason * ...

'' (1942) * '' Seeing Hands'' (1943) * ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

'' (1944, Serial) * ''

Forty Thieves Forty Thieves or 40 Thieves may refer to: * the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Groups of people * the Forty Thieves (New York gang), an 18th-century New York street gang *The Forty Thieves (New York City Common Council 1852–1853) * the ...

'' (1944) * ''

Law Men ''Law Men'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer, and released by Monogram Pictures. This is the eighth film in the "Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie" series, and stars Johnny Mack Brown as Jack McKenzie and Raymond Hatton as ...

'' (1944)

Notes

References

External links

* *
portraits
(New York City Public Library, Billy Rose collection)
with Pola Negri in the 1924 film ''Men''
1891 births 1944 deaths American male silent film actors Male actors from Massachusetts 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) {{US-film-actor-1890s-stub