William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. (March 8, 1892 – March 13, 1918) was an American silent film actor whose career was cut short after he fell victim to the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

Early years

William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

was the son of

William Courtleigh William Louis Courtleigh (1867 or 1869 – 1930) was an American stage and film actor who appeared in Broadway productions, vaudeville theatre, and silent films Courtleigh was born June 28, either 1867 or 1969 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada to Step ...

,Death Notices-The New York Times March 15, 1918; pg. 13 a Canadian-born American stage and screen actor. Two of his four half-brothers (Stephen and

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

) also became actors. They had careers on stage and later in television. His half-brothers were the product of his father's second marriage and considerably younger than him.

Career

Like his father, Courtleigh began in stock. His film career began the year before playing Rev. Mark Stebbing in the

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

film ''The Better Man'', based on the novel by

Cyrus Townsend Brady Cyrus Townsend Brady (December 20, 1861 – January 24, 1920) was a journalist, historian and adventure writer. His best-known work is ''Indian Fights and Fighters''. Background He was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the U.S. ...

. Courtleigh appeared in at least 14 films over his brief career and was probably best remembered for playing Neal Hardin in the 1915 serial ''

Neal of the Navy ''Neal of the Navy'' is a 1915 American adventure film serial directed by William Bertram and W. M. Harvey. The film is considered to be lost. ''Neal of the Navy'' was the first use of a man's name in the title of a serial. Plot An Annapolis ...

'' with

Lillian Lorraine Lillian Lorraine (born Ealallean De Jacques; 1892/1894 – April 17, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress of the 1910s and 1920s, best known for her beauty and for being perhaps the most famous Ziegfeld Girl in the Broadway revues ...

. Courtleigh played opposite Ann Pennington in her first two films, ''

Susie Snowflake ''Susie Snowflake'' is a lost American silent film released by Paramount Pictures on June 25, 1916. The picture was directed by James Kirkwood, Sr. and filmed by cinematographer Ned Van Buren. ''Susie Snowflake'' was written and adapted for the s ...

'' and '' The Rainbow Princess,'' both released in 1916. His last film, ''Children of Destiny'', another Brady story, was released in 1920 by Weber Productions.The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel 4 May 1918 pg. 4; Ancestry.com scan

Personal life

In July 1915, Courtleigh married actress

Ethel Fleming Ethel Fleming (December 27, 1890 – December 26, 1965) was an American actress and swimmer. She appeared in various films and stage productions during the early 20th century, including in a leading role opposite William Desmond in a stage prod ...

, whom he met when they were working for different companies at a studio in

Long Beach, California 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 ...

Death

Courtleigh died in Philadelphia on March 13, 1918, an early casualty of the worldwide flu pandemic at age 26.William Courtleigh 1920 US Census, Ancestry.com scan

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1915) * ''

Out of the Drifts ''Out of the Drifts'' is a lost 1916 silent film romance produced by the Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by J. Searle Dawley and starred Marguerite Clark. Cast *Marguerite Clark - Elise * J. W ...

'' (1916) * ''

'' (1916) * '' The Rainbow Princess'' (1916) * ''

The Heart of a Lion ''The Heart of a Lion'' is a lost 1917 silent film drama directed by Frank Lloyd and starring William Farnum. Fox Film Corporation produced and distributed the movie. It is based on a novel by Ralph Connor. Cast *William Farnum – Barney Kemper * ...

'' (1917) * ''

By Right of Purchase ''By Right of Purchase'' is a 1918 American silent drama film starring Norma Talmadge in a story produced by her husband Joseph Schenck. The film was distributed by Lewis J. Selznick's Select Pictures company. An up-and-coming actress and soon ...

'' (1918)

Sources

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Courtleigh, William Jr. 1892 births 1918 deaths Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in Pennsylvania American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors American people of Canadian descent