Raymond Cannon (born Ulises Tildmann Cannon; September 1, 1892 – June 7, 1977) was an American

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 (), lit ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

, and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

known for his work with

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

and

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

Background

Ulises Tillman Cannon was born September 1, 1892 in Long Hollow, Tennessee to Newton Cannon and Sarah Lincoln Bolinger. In 1910 he was working at a soda fountain in Knoxville, but after leaving divinity school, he moved west, performing in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and working as a

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

and

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

. In April 1918, Cannon became a journalist for Elmer M. Robbins' weekly magazine ''Camera! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry''. E.M. Robbins died in 1920 and Cannon bought the magazine in 1921, co-publishing it with Lola B Robbins until he sold his interest in 1922. On February 19, 1929, Cannon married

Fanchon Royer Fanchon Royer (1902–1986) was an American film producer, active during the 1930s. She was one of the few woman producers in Hollywood during the era, associated with low-budget independent studios such as Mayfair Pictures. After graduating fr ...

, an actress-turned-journalist who began as society editor, then

assistant editor Copy editing (also known as copyediting and manuscript editing) is the process of revising written material ( copy) to improve readability and fitness, as well as ensuring that text is free of grammatical and factual errors. ''The Chicago Manual o ...

, and then

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

at ''Camera!'' until leaving it in 1922. She and Cannon divorced in 1931.

Career

When Cannon reached Los Angeles in the early 1910s, he was using the name Raymond and his first acting job was in

Long Beach 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. Incorporat ...

in 1912 performing at the Bentley Grand Theater. He then found work in films with the Thomas Ince Company. His first film role was in the

Selig Polyscope The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring T ...

serial ''

The Adventures of Kathlyn ''The Adventures of Kathlyn'' (1913) is an American motion picture serial released on December 29, 1913, by the Selig Polyscope Company. An adventure serial filmed in Chicago, Illinois, its thirteen episodes were directed by Francis J. Grandon ...

'' in 1913. Cannon worked for

and appeared in several

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

films. When Griffith moved his productions to Mamaroneck, New York, Cannon remained in Los Angeles as a freelancer working with Douglas MacLean. In 1924, Cannon left acting and began screenwriting. In 1925, Cannon had been hired by

and co-wrote the 1925 film '' Go West'', after which Keaton loaned him to

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 Americ ...

and Cannon did not return. After numerous projects as film director and screenwriter, his last film effort was ''

Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...

'' for Cavalcade Pictures in 1945, after which he turned his attentions to

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 ...

stage. One of his productions ''Her Majesty the Prince'', starred

Carla Laemmle Rebekah Isabelle LaemmleBiodata (with correct birthname)
, laemmle.us; accessed June ...

Entering semi-retirement at the urging of his doctor, Cannon turned his attention to his hobby of

sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishin ...

off the Baja coast. He subsequently wrote the books ''How to Fish the Pacific Coast'' (1952) and ''The Sea of Cortez'' (1965), as well as authoring a fishing column in ''Western Outdoor News'' for 24 years. Laemmle became his long-term typist, illustrator, researcher, and editor. He and Laemmle remained companions until his death in 1977 from complications resulting from treatment for

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

Filmography

Actor

* ''

'' (1913) * '' Boots'' (1919) as The chauffeur * ''

True Heart Susie ''True Heart Susie'' is a 1919 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the British Film Institute. The film has seen several VHS releases as well as a DVD is ...

'' (1919) as Sporty Malone * '' Nugget Nell'' (1919) as The City Chap * '' Nobody Home'' (1919) as Crandall Park * '' Turning the Tables'' (1919) as Monty Feverill * '' Mary Ellen Comes to Town'' (1920) as 'Beauty' Bender * ''

Chickens The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

'' (1921) as Willie Figg * '' Penny of Top Hill Trail'' (1921) as Jo Gary * ''

The Unfoldment ''The Unfoldment'' is a lost 1922 silent film feature directed by George Kern and starring Florence Lawrence. It was produced by an independent company. Only a fragment of this film survives in the Library of Congress collection. Cast *Floren ...

'' (1922) as Jack Nevin * '' Watch Your Step'' (1922) as Lon Kimball * '' His Back Against the Wall'' (1922) as Jimmy Boyle * ''

Mary of the Movies ''Mary of the Movies'' is a 1923 American silent semi-autobiographical comedy film based on the career of Marion Mack. It was written by Mack and her husband Louis Lewyn, and stars Mack and Creighton Hale. Hale and director John McDermott pla ...

'' (1923) as Oswald Tate * '' The Printer's Devil'' (1923) as Alec Sperry

Director

* ''

Red Wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple gr ...

'' (1928) * ''

Joy Street ''Joy Street'' is a 1929 American film directed by Raymond Cannon and starring Lois Moran, Nick Stuart and Rex Bell.Kohner p.347 It was made by the Fox Film Corporation using the studio's Movietone system to record music and sound effects. C ...

'' (1929) * '' Why Leave Home?'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * ''

Ladies Must Play Ladies Must Play is a 1930 pre-Code comedy film starring Dorothy Sebastian and Neil Hamilton directed by Raymond Cannon. Tony, a popular but bankrupt New York socialite, sends his stenographer to Newport to find and marry a millionaire, but sh ...

'' (1930) * '' The Victim'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * '' Swanee River'' (1931) * ''

Night Life in Reno ''Night Life in Reno'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. Cast *Virginia Valli as June Wyatt *Jameson Thomas as John Wyatt *Dorothy Christy as Gwen Maynard *Arthur Housman as Roy Carlton *Dixie L ...

'' (1931) * '' Hotel Variety'' (1933) * ''

The Outer Gate ''The Outer Gate'' is a 1937 American film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. The screenplay concerns a man who organizes a revenge plot after being sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Plot summary Bob Terry works for Joh ...

'' (1937) * ''

Swing It, Sailor! ''Swing It, Sailor!'' is a 1938 American film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. Plot summary Sailor Husky proposes marriage to every girl in every port. He can't swim, and is ready to be discharged from the Navy, but he's always ...

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1945)

Screenwriter

* ''

The Yankee Consul ''The Yankee Consul'' is a 1924 American black-and-white silent comedy film directed by James W. Horne and written by Raymond Cannon. With a screen adaptation by Lewis Milestone and Raymond Griffith, the film is based upon the 1904 Broadway ...

'' (1924) * '' Never Say Die'' (1924) * ''

Introduce Me ''Introduce Me'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by George J. Crone and produced by and starring Douglas MacLean. It was released through Associated Exhibitors.

'' (1925) (story) * '' Go West'' (1925) (scenario) * ''

The Carnival Girl ''The Carnival Girl'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Cullen Tate and starring Marion Mack, Gladys Brockwell and Frankie Darro.Munden p.113 Cast * Marion Mack as Nanette * Gladys Brockwell as Her Mother * Frankie Darro as Her ...

'' (1926) (titles & story) * ''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...

'' (1926) (adaptation and scenario) * '' Taxi! Taxi!'' (1927) (adaptation) * '' Fast and Furious'' (1927) (adaptation) * ''

The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary ''The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary'' is a lost film, lost 1927 American silent comedy film starring veteran actress May Robson and released by Cecil B. DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation (PDC). Robson had first appeared in the Broadway ...

'' (1927) *'' The Broncho Buster'' (1927) * '' Something Always Happens'' (1928) * ''

'' (1928) * ''

'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * '' Old Age Pension'' (1935) * '' My Girl Sally'' (1935) * '' His Last Fling'' (1935) * '' Bring 'Em Back a Lie'' (1935) * '' Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery'' (1935) * ''

'' (1945)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Raymond (actor) 1892 births 1977 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California American male silent film actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors American directors American male screenwriters Male actors from Tennessee 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters