Theodore Wharton (1875–1931) was an American film director, producer and writer. He directed 48 films in the 1910s and 1920s, including the 1915 '' The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'' featuring

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

Biography

Wharton was born April 12, 1875 in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. He was the younger brother of

Leopold Wharton Leopold Wharton (September 1, 1870 – September 27, 1927) was an American film director, producer and writer. He directed 37 films between 1911 and 1922, including the 1915 film ''The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'', which featur ...

, who was also became a film director. In 1890, Wharton started in both the business side of the theater as well as acting in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

. He worked for a number of stock companies, including that of

Augustin Daly John Augustin Daly (July 20, 1838June 7, 1899) was one of the most influential men in American theatre during his lifetime. Drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and adapter, he became the first recognized stage director in America. He exer ...

until 1899, and then became a stage manager. In 1907, he visited

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Thom ...

and worked there until 1909. Over the next 3 years, he wrote and directed many screenplays for various studios including

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

. In 1912, the US government commissioned him to produce ''The Late Indian Wars'', the first sevel-reel motion picture in America. It was filmed on location in the

great plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

, with a script by General Charles King and a large cast including other generals and "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

The Whartons Studio Wharton, Inc. was an early silent film production company in Ithaca, New York from 1914 to 1919. The Ithaca movie studio was established by brothers Theodore and Leopold Wharton on the shores of Cayuga Lake, at the site of what is now Stewart Pa ...

opened in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named a ...

in 1914. Stars he directed included Francis X. Bushman,

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

and

Beverly Bayne Beverly Bayne (born Pearl Beverly Van Name; November 11, 1894 – August 18, 1982) was an American actress who appeared in silent films beginning in 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked for Essanay Studios. Early life Born in Minneapoli ...

. In the 1920s Wharton moved to

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a pop ...

, as promoted by mayor Fred Swanton. He died November 28, 1931 in Hollywood.

Selected filmography

* ''

Abraham Lincoln's Clemency ''Abraham Lincoln's Clemency'' was a 1910 American film directed by Theodore Wharton and produced by Pathé Films. The plot revolves around U.S. President Abraham Lincoln pardoning a hapless sentry who had fallen asleep while on duty during the h ...

'' (1910) * ''

The Exploits of Elaine ''The Exploits of Elaine'' is a 1914 American film serial in the damsel in distress genre of '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914). ''The Exploits of Elaine'' tells the story of a young woman named Elaine who, with the help of a detective, tries to f ...

'' (1914) * '' The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'' (1915) * ''

The New Exploits of Elaine ''The New Exploits of Elaine'' is a 1915 American action film serial directed by Louis J. Gasnier, Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton. It is presumed to be lost. Cast * Pearl White as Elaine Dodge * Creighton Hale as Walter Jameson * Arn ...

'' (1915) * ''

The Romance of Elaine ''The Romance of Elaine'' is a 1915 American silent adventure film serial directed by George B. Seitz, Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton, based on the novel by Arthur B. Reeve. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Pearl White as Elai ...

'' (1915) * ''

The Mysteries of Myra ''The Mysteries of Myra'' is a 1916 American silent film serial with episodes directed by Leopold and Theodore Wharton and starring Jean Sothern and Howard Estabrook. It was produced in Ithaca, New York by the Whartons and distributed by Pathé E ...

'' serial (1916) * '' The Lottery Man'' (1916) * ''The Black Stork'' (1917) * ''

Patria Patria may refer to: Entertainment * Patria (novel), a 2016 novel by Spanish writer Fernando Aramburu * Patria (TV series), a 2020 limited television series, based on the novel * ''Patria'' (serial), a 1917 American serial film Music * "Pátri ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Great White Trail ''The Great White Trail'' is a surviving 1917 American silent drama film produced and directed by Leopold Wharton and starring Doris Kenyon.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20'' by The American Film Institute , c.1988 Ca ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Eagle's Eye ''The Eagle's Eye'' is a 1918 American serial film consisting of 20 episodes that dramatizes German espionage in the United States during World War I. The stories are based on the experiences of William J. Flynn during his career as chief of the U ...

'' (1918) * '' The Moon Riders'' (1920) * ''

The Eagle's Talons ''The Eagle's Talons'' is a 1923 American film serial directed by Duke Worne. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Fred Thomson - Jack Alden * Ann Little - Enid Markham * Al Wilson - Charles Dean * Herbert Fortier - Gregory Markham * J ...

'' (1923)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wharton, Theodore 1875 births 1931 deaths Film directors from Wisconsin American male screenwriters Writers from Milwaukee Screenwriters from Wisconsin Film producers from Wisconsin 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters