Thomas A. Curran (May 29, 1879 – January 24, 1941), was an Australian-born American actor on the stage and in motion pictures. Between 1915 and 1941 he appeared in 60 films, the last of which was '' Citizen Kane'', in which he played the uncredited role of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in the "News on the March" newsreel sequence.

Biography

Thomas A. Curran was born on May 29, 1879, in Sydney, Australia. He studied acting in the United States, where he made his stage debut in 1897. After returning to Australia for a few years, he returned to the U.S. in 1912 or 1913 and worked 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 repertory theatre. He acted in the original productions of ''Excuse Me'' written by

Rupert Hughes Rupert Raleigh Hughes (January 31, 1872 – September 9, 1956) was an American novelist, film director, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, military officer, and music composer. He was the brother of Howard R. Hughes Sr. and uncle of billionaire Howa ...

(later adapted twice for the screen) and '' Oh! Oh! Delphine''. Curran was signed to a three-year contract by the

Thanhouser Company The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...

in 1915 and made 22 films, including ''

The World and the Woman ''The Woman and the World'' is a 1916 American silent drama film starring Jeanne Eagels as a prostitute who seeks a second chance in the countryside. It was based on the 1914 play ''Outcast'' starring Elsie Ferguson. It was remade in 1922 as '' Ou ...

'' with Jeanne Eagels and '' Inspiration'', the first non-pornographic American film to show full female nudity. In his later years he moved to California and made his living playing bit parts and small roles in studio films. His last film appearance was as Teddy Roosevelt in the "News on the March" sequence in '' Citizen Kane''. The film had not yet been released when Curran, aged 61, died in Hollywood January 24, 1941.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1879 births 1941 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors Articles containing video clips Australian emigrants to the United States {{US-film-actor-1870s-stub