Paul Willis (April 9, 1901 – November 3, 1960) was an American actor of the

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 ...

era.

Biography

Born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

,Movie Kids
/ref> Willis began his career as a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

in the 1910s.''The New York Times Movies''
/ref> He made his screen debut for

Vitagraph Studios 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, ...

at the age of twelve in the title role of the 1913 drama-short ''Little Kaintuck''.Special Collections Belk Library, Appalachian State University. ''Southern Mountaineers Filmography''
He would go on to play a variety of juvenile roles, often opposite child actress

Mildred Harris Mildred Harris (April 18, 1901 – July 20, 1944) was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress during the early part of the 20th century. Harris began her career in the film industry as a child actress when she was 10 years old. She was a ...

. One notable film starring Willis was the 1914 Edward Dillon-directed comedy-short ''Bill Goes in Business for Himself'' which also starred actor and future successful film director

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

. In 1917 Willis appeared opposite the popular onscreen duo

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 ...

and

May Allison May Allison (June 14, 1890 – March 27, 1989) was an American actress whose greatest success was achieved in the early part of the 20th century in silent films, although she also appeared on stage. Life and career Allison was born in Rising ...

in the romantic drama ''The Promise''. Through the 1910s and into the 1920s, Paul Willis would appear opposite such actors as

Carmel Myers Carmel Myers (April 9, 1899 – November 9, 1980) was an American actress who achieved her greatest successes in silent film. Early life Myers was born in San Francisco, the daughter of Isidore Myers, a Russian-Jewish rabbi who was born in ...

Lester Cuneo Lester H. Cuneo (October 25, 1888 – November 1, 1925) was an American stage and silent film actor. He began acting in live theatre while still in his teens. Early years Born in Chicago, Illinois, Cuneo attended Culver Military Academy and wa ...

Broncho Billy Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western film genre. He was a founder and star ...

and

Mae Marsh Mae Marsh (born Mary Wayne Marsh; November 9, 1894U.S. Census records for 1900, El Paso, Texas, Sheet No. 6 – February 13, 1968) was an American film actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Mae Marsh was born Mary Wayne M ...

. Willis is possibly best recalled for his portrayal of

Dickon Sowerby ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels and ...

in the 1919

Gustav von Seyffertitz Gustav von Seyffertitz (4 August 1862 – 25 December 1943) was a German film actor and director. He settled in the United States. He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria, and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81. Biography Gustav von Seyffertit ...

-directed film adaptation of the

Frances Hodgson Burnett Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (published in 1885–1886), '' A Little ...

novel ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels and ...

'' for the

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

, in which he appeared opposite actors

Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka Appe ...

Richard Rosson Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he directed the logging sequences in the 1936 film ''Co ...

and

Spottiswoode Aitken Frank Spottiswoode Aitken (16 April 1868 – 26 February 1933) was a Scottish-American actor of the silent era. He played Dr. Cameron in D. W. Griffith's epic drama ''The Birth of a Nation''. Early years Aitken was born 16 April 1868 in Edin ...

. The film is now considered lost. Willis retired from acting at age 22. His final film appearance was in the 1923 Tom Forman-directed drama ''

Money! Money! Money! ''Money, Money, Money'' is a lost 1923 silent film drama directed by Tom Forman and starring Katherine MacDonald. It was produced by B. P. Schulberg under his production company Preferred Pictures and released through Associated First National, ...

'', opposite

Katherine MacDonald Katherine Agnew MacDonald (December 14, 1891–June 4, 1956) was an American stage and film actress, film producer, and model. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was the older sister of actresses Miriam MacDonald and Mary MacLaren. ...

and

Carl Stockdale Carl Stockdale also known as Carlton Stockdale (February 19, 1874 – March 15, 1953) was one of the longest-working Hollywood veteran actors, with a career dating from the early 1910s. He also made the difficult transition from silent fi ...

. Willis died at the age of 59 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1960.

Partial filmography

*''

Little Kaintuck Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

'' (1913, Short) - Little Kaintuck *'' The Brute'' (1914, Short) - Ted Barton - Black's Son *'' Johanna, the Barbarian'' (1914, Short) - George - Johanna's Son *'' The Poor Folks' Boy'' (1914, Short) - Benny Benson *''

The Milkfed Boy ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1914, Short) - The Widow's Milkfed Boy *'' Bill Goes in Business for Himself'' (1914, Short) - Bill's Other Friend *'' The Little Matchmaker'' (1915, Short) - Paul *'' A Man for All That'' (1915, Short) - The Young Boy *'' The Little Soldier Man'' (1915, Short) - Paul *'' A Rightful Theft'' (1915, Short) - Paul Brown - the Widow's Son *'' The Old Batch'' (1915, Short) - Johnny - the Adopted Son *'' The Little Lumberjack'' (1915, Short) - Paul - the Little Lumberjack *'' The Indian Trapper's Vindication'' (1915, Short) - Arnold King - their Son *'' Could a Man Do More?'' (1915, Short) - Richard Sherwood *''

The Fall of a Nation ''The Fall of a Nation'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Thomas Dixon Jr., and a sequel to the 1915 film ''The Birth of a Nation'', directed by D. W. Griffith. Dixon, Jr. attempted to cash in on the success of the controversi ...

'' (1916) - Billy *'' The Promise'' (1917) - Charlie Manton *'' The Haunted Pajamas'' (1917) - Francis Billings *'' The Trouble Buster'' (1917) - 'Blackie' Moyle *'' Shootin' Mad'' (1918) *''

'' (1919) - Dickon Sowerby *'' The Son-of-a-Gun'' (1919) - Buddy Brown *'' The Cry of the Weak'' (1919) - Budd *''

Nobody's Kid ''Nobody's Kid'' is a 1921 American silent comedy drama film directed by Howard Hickman and starring Mae Marsh, Kathleen Kirkham and Anne Schaefer. It was based on the 1910 novel ''Mary Cary "Frequently Martha"'' by Kate Langley Bosher.Goble p.48 ...

'' (1921) - John Maxwell *'' Thunderclap'' (1921) - Tommy *''

'' (1923) - Lennie Hobbs (final film role)

References

Bibliography

* John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 19.

External links

* American male film actors American male silent film actors American male child actors 1901 births 1960 deaths 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Chicago {{US-screen-actor-1900s-stub