William Stowell (March 13, 1885 – November 24, 1919) was an American

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 ...

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 ...

. A handsome actor with matinee idol good looks, Stowell was signed into film in 1909 with IMP (forerunner of

Universal Studios 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 ...

), and debuted by starring in the popular hit '' The Cowboy Millionaire'' (1909), also starring

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

. Between 1909 and 1919 Stowell starred in 119

s, often playing in over 10 films a year. In 1915 he starred in ''

The Great Question ''The Great Question'' is a 1915 American silent short romantic drama film written and directed by Thomas Ricketts. The film stars Harold Lockwood, May Allison, Harry von Meter, William Stowell, Eugenie Forde Eugenie Forde (June 22, ...

'' alongside actors such as

Harold Lockwood Harold A. Lockwood (April 12, 1887 – October 19, 1918) was an American silent film actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most popular matinee idols of the early film period during the 1910s. Early life and career Born in Brookl ...

with American Studios. In 1916 he starred in ''

The Love Hermit ''The Love Hermit'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Jack Prescott. The film stars William Russell and Charlotte Burton. Cast * William Russell as Tom Weston * Charlotte Burton as Marie Bolton * Harry von Meter as James Bolto ...

'' portraying Jack Hillman, and began appearing in a series of Universal features that paired him with

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

and

Dorothy Phillips Dorothy Phillips (born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible, October 30, 1889 – March 1, 1980) was an American stage and film actress. She is known for her emotional performances in melodramas, having played a number of "brow beaten" women on screen, bu ...

. Stowell's early death brought the series of adventures to a close. In 1918 he co-starred with Dorothy Phillips and

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 ...

in ''

The Heart of Humanity ''The Heart of Humanity'' is a 1918 American silent war propaganda film produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Allen Holubar. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Erich von Stroheim. Overview The film "follows the gen ...

''. In 1919 Universal sent Stowell to the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

to scout for filming locations. While en route to Elizabethville Stowell was riding in the caboose car of his train. An out-of-control locomotive engine from another train slammed into Stowell's car, killing him instantly.AllMovie.com bio; by Hans Wollstein
/ref>

Selected filmography

* '' The Cowboy Millionaire'' (1909) * '' Brown of Harvard'' (1911) * ''

The Ex-Convict's Plunge ''The Ex-Convicts Plunge'' is a 1913 American silent film drama produced by Hardee Kirkland. The film stars William Stowell, Harry J. Lonsdale and Adrienne Kroell. The film status is uncertain but a release flier survives which is now at the M ...

'' (1913) * ''

The Buzzard's Shadow ''The Buzzard's Shadow'' is a 1915 American silent military drama film directed by Thomas Ricketts starring Harold Lockwood and May Allison. U.S. troops appear in the film, which was shot in San Diego at the San Diego Military Reservation. Th ...

'' (1915) * ''

'' (1916) * ''

The Other Side of the Door ''The Other Side of the Door'' is a 1916 American silent romantic drama film directed by Tom Ricketts. Based on the novel of the same name by Lucia Chamberlain, it stars Harold Lockwood and May Allison. Plot Sets in the 19th century, the plo ...

'' (1916) * ''

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 ...

'' (1917) * ''

Pay Me! ''Pay Me!'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. In the United States, the film is also known as ''The Vengeance of the West''. The screenplay was written ...

'' (1917) * '' Fighting Mad'' (1917) * '' Bondage'' (1917) * '' The Rescue'' (1917) * ''

Fires of Rebellion ''Fires of Rebellion'' is a 1917 American silent drama film written and directed by Ida May Park, and starring Lon Chaney, William Stowell, and Dorothy Phillips. The film is today considered lost. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role o ...

'' (1917) * ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having bee ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Flashlight ''The Flashlight'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Ida May Park and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. The screenplay was written by Ida May Park, based on the short story by Albert M. Treynore. This wa ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Girl in the Checkered Coat ''The Girl in the Checkered Coat'' (aka ''The Girl With the Checkered Coat'') is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips and William Stowell. It was written by Ida May Park, based on ...

'' (1917) * ''

Hell Morgan's Girl ''Hell Morgan's Girl'' is a 1917 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse, and starring William Stowell, Dorothy Phillips and Lon Chaney. The screenplay was written by Ida May Park, based on the Harvey Gates story ent ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Piper's Price ''The Piper's Price'' is a 1917 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. It was the first in a series of films co-starring William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips together. The sc ...

'' (1917) * '' The Talk of the Town'' (1918) * ''

Broadway Love ''Broadway Love'' is a 1918 American silent film, silent romance film directed by Ida May Park and starring Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Lon Chaney. It was written by Ida May Park, based on the novelette by W. Carey Wonderly. Plot The ...

'' (1918) * '' The Grand Passion'' (1918) * ''

The Man in the Moonlight ''The Man in the Moonlight'' is a 1919 American silent drama film a set in the great north, starring Colleen Moore and Monroe Salisbury. Plot Two strangers arrive at the wedding of Sergeant O'Farrell of the Royal Mounted Police and Rosine Delorme ...

'' (1919) * ''Destiny'' (1919) * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1919)

References

External links

*
stills of Lon Chaney, Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell in ''Triumph''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stowell, William 1885 births 1919 deaths American male film actors Male actors from Boston American male silent film actors Railway accident deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 20th-century American male actors