Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director.

Biography

Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while holding down odd jobs there, he tried his hand as a stage actor. He joined the Edison Manufacturing Company around 1908, first acting, later writing and directing. He was active during the

silent era 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 ...

, then pursued a short-lived career in talkies. His last film was '' A Wicked Woman'' for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

in 1934. Brabin married his first wife socialite Suzan "Susette" Jeanette Mosher, the daughter of Edwin Howard Mosher and Jennie Slater Mosher of New York City. They wed December 14, 1913, at Bedford Congregational Church in the Bronx, shortly after Brabin returned from a trip to England and Europe. Brabin's best friend, screen actor Marc MacDermott, served as best man. Charles and Suzan Brabin remained married for seven years."United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," names and record appear in database with images, National Archives and Records Administration. Theda Bara & Charles Brabin 1922

Brabin later wed silent-film " vamp" star Theda Bara July 2, 1921, remaining married to her until her death from abdominal

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on April 7, 1955.

Partial filmography

The following are some of Brabin's films. * '' A Soldier's Duty'' (1912) * '' What Happened to Mary'' (1912, 12-episode serial) * ''An Unsullied Shield'' (1913) * '' The Man Who Disappeared'' (serial, 1914) * '' The Raven'' (1915) * ''

The Price of Fame ''The Price of Fame'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. The album was released on December 19, 2006 through LBW Entertainment and Columbia Records. The production on the album was primarily handled by Jermaine Dupri, Nit ...

'' (1916) * '' That Sort'' (1916) * '' The Adopted Son'' (1917) * ''

Red, White and Blue Blood ''Red, White and Blue Blood'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, and Adella Barker, and was released on December 24, 1917. Cast list * Francis X. Bushman as John Spauld ...

'' (1917) * '' The Sixteenth Wife'' (1917) * '' Babette'' (1917) * '' Mary Jane's Pa'' (1917) * '' His Bonded Wife'' (1918) * '' The Poor Rich Man'' (1918) * '' Breakers Ahead'' (1918) * '' Social Quicksands'' (1918) * '' A Pair of Cupids'' (1918) * '' Buchanan's Wife'' (1918) * '' Kathleen Mavourneen'' (1919) * '' La Belle Russe'' (1919) * '' Thou Shalt Not'' (1919) * ''

While New York Sleeps ''While New York Sleeps'' is a 1920 American crime drama film produced by Fox Film Corporation and directed by Charles Brabin, who was the husband of actress Theda Bara. The film tells three distinct episodic stories using the same actors, Este ...

'' (1920) * '' Blind Wives'' (1920) * '' Footfalls'' (1921) * '' The Lights of New York'' (1922) * '' The Broadway Peacock'' (1922) * '' Six Days'' (1923) * '' Driven'' (1923) * '' So Big'' (1924) * '' Stella Maris'' (1925) * '' Ben-Hur'' (1925, uncredited) * ''

Mismates ''Mismates'' is a 1926 silent film starring Doris Kenyon and Warner Baxter. The movie was written by Sada Cowan from a play by Myron C. Fagan and directed by Charles Brabin. This film is now lost.Twinkletoes'' (1926) * '' Framed'' (1927) * '' Hard-Boiled Haggerty'' (1927) * '' The Valley of the Giants'' (1927) * ''

Burning Daylight ''Burning Daylight'' is a novel by Jack London, published in 1910, one of the best-selling books of that year and London's best-selling book in his lifetime. The novel has been adapted for film. Plot The first part of the novel takes place in ...

'' (1928) * '' The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' (1929) * '' The Ship from Shanghai'' (1929) * ''

Call of the Flesh ''Call of the Flesh'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Charles Brabin. The film stars Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan, and Renée Adorée. It featured several songs performed by Novarro and originally included a sequence photo ...

'' (1930) * ''

The Great Meadow ''The Great Meadow'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code adventure film, produced and distributed by MGM with direction by Charles Brabin. The film starred Eleanor Boardman and Johnny Mack Brown. It is based on the novel ''The Great Meadow'' by Elizabeth ...

'' (1931) * '' Sporting Blood'' (1931) * '' The Beast of the City'' (1932) * '' The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932) * '' Rasputin and the Empress'' (1932) * '' Stage Mother'' (1933) * '' A Wicked Woman'' (1934)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brabin, Charles American film directors American male screenwriters English film directors British male screenwriters English emigrants to the United States 1882 births 1957 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters People from Liverpool 20th-century British screenwriters British emigrants to the United States