William E. Shay was an American actor of stage and

silent film 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, when ...

s. He had leading roles including in ''

The Clemenceau Case ''The Clemenceau Case'' is a 1915 American silent drama film written and directed by Herbert Brenon and costarring Theda Bara and William H. Shay. The film is based on the French novel ''L'affaire Clémenceau'', by Alexandre Dumas, fils, and i ...

'' (1915), and ''

A Daughter of the Gods ''A Daughter of the Gods'' was a 1916 American silent fantasy drama film written and directed by Herbert Brenon. The film was controversial because of the sequences of what was regarded as superfluous nudity by the character Anitia, played by A ...

'' (1916).

Biography

In 1902, Shay appeared in

Martha Morton Martha Morton (October 10, 1865 – February 18, 1925) was the first successful American woman to sustain a lengthy career as a professional playwright. Author of numerous plays, she founded the Society of Dramatic Authors, and helped open doo ...

's ''

The Diplomat ''The Diplomat'' is an international online news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Indo-Pacific region. It is based in Washington, D.C. It was originally an Australian bi-monthly print magazine, founded by Minh Bui Jones ...

'' at Hoyt's Theatre; and in 1909, he appeared as ''Baron Sokoli'' in the stage production of

John Luther Long John Luther Long (January 1, 1861 – October 31, 1927) was an American lawyer and writer best known for his short story "Madame Butterfly", which was based on the recollections of his sister, Jennie Correll, who had been to Japan with her husba ...

's ''Kassa'' at Liberty Theatre on Broadway in New York City. He also starred in the stage productions ''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Ethnic group * Zazas, a group of people in eastern Anatolia (southeastern Turkey) * Zaza–Gorani languages, Indo-Iranian languages ** Zaza language, spoken by the Zazas People Given name * Zaza Sor. Aree (born 1993), Thai k ...

'' and

David Belasco David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of m ...

's ''Du Barry''. Shay made his film debut in 1911 at age 45, in '' A Manly Man''. He shot almost all of his films in a ten years span. He attended the first meeting of The Screen Club in 1912, a motion picture group founded in New York City.

Filmography

* '' A Manly Man'' (1911) as Duncan; extant film * '' When the Cat's Away'' (1911) * '' The Girl and the Half-Back'' (1911) * The Long Strike (1912) * ''Angel of Death'' (1912) * ''

War on the Plains ''War on the Plains'', also called Across the Plains, is a 1912 American silent short Western film directed by Thomas H. Ince and starring Francis Ford, Ethel Grandin and Ray Myers. It was produced by Bison Motion Pictures, a subsidiary of the ...

'' (1912) *'' The Romance of an Old Maid'' (1912) *''

Lady Audley's Secret ''Lady Audley's Secret'' is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published in 1862. John Sutherland. "Lady Audley's Secret" in ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction'', 1989. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. C ...

'' (1912) * ''

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Now I lay me down to sleep is a classic Christian child's prayer#Bedtime prayer, children's bedtime prayer from the 18th century. Text Perhaps the earliest version was written by George Wheler (travel writer), George Wheler in his 1698 book ''T ...

'' (1913) * '' His Hour of Triumph'' (1913) * ''Neptune's Daughter'' (1914), as King William; partially extant film * ''

The Kreutzer Sonata ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (russian: Крейцерова соната, ) is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, named after Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven), Kreutzer Sonata. The novella was published in 1889, and was promptly censored by the Rus ...

'' (1915), as Gregor Randar * '' The Heart of Maryland'' (1915), as Alan Kendrick * ''

'' (1915), as Pierre Clemenceau * ''

The Soul of Broadway ''The Soul of Broadway'' is a 1915 American silent crime drama film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by Herbert Brenon. Popular vaudeville performer Valeska Suratt starred in the film which was also her silent s ...

'' (1915), as William Craig * ''

A Fool There Was A Fool There Was may refer to: * ''A Fool There Was'' (1914 film) or ''She Wanted a Car'', a comedy directed by Frank Griffin and featuring Oliver Hardy * ''A Fool There Was'' (1915 film), a melodrama directed by Frank Powell and starring Theda B ...

'' (1915) * '' The Sin'' (1915), as Luigi * ''

'' (1916) * '' The Ruling Passion'' (1916) * '' The Two Orphans'' (1915) as Chevalier de Vaudrey * ''

The Lone Wolf The Lone Wolf may refer to: * ''The Lone Wolf'', a 1914 novel by Louis Joseph Vance ** The Lone Wolf (character), a recurring eponymous character in Vance's novels and various film adaptations ** ''The Lone Wolf'' (1917 film), a silent film bas ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Eternal Sin ''The Eternal Sin'' is a lost 1917 American silent historical drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Florence Reed. Brenon produced and Lewis J. Selznick handled the distribution. Cast *Florence Reed - Lucretia Borgia *William E. Shay ...

'' (1917) as The Duke of Ferrara * ''

The Fall of the Romanoffs ''The Fall of the Romanoffs'' is a 1917 silent American historical drama film directed by Herbert Brenon. It was released only seven months after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in February 1917. This film is notable for starring Rasputin's ri ...

'' (1918), as Theofan * ''

The Telephone Girl ''The Telephone Girl'' is a farce musical comedy by C. M. S. McLellan (as Hugh Morton), with music by composer Gustave Kerker. The play made its New York debut at the Casino Theatre under the direction of George W. Lederer on December 27, 1897. ...

'' (1927), as Detective

References

External links

* {{Authority control Year of birth missing Year of death missing American male stage actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors