Adolph Lestina (1861– August 23, 1923) was an American stage and film actor who was a member of

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 na ...

's stock company of film actors.

Career

He received positive notice for his performance in Justin McCarthy's ''If I Were King'' and in Laurence Irving's ''The Fool Hath Said There Is No God''. Lestina's performance in the play ''A Citizen's Home'' was noted as being "sympathetic". Lestina was credited with "discovering"

. "This gentleman saw to it that young Griffith played the role of Old Man Marks in '' The Lights o' London'' with the Meffert company ..The gentleman who "discovered Griffith as an actor, Adolphe Lestina, later appeared in many D. W. Griffith film productions, including '' Hearts of the World'' (1918) and '' The Love Flower'' (1920)". Griffith, speaking of his time with the Meffert Stock Company, said that Lestina told him that to be a playwright, one first had to be an actor.

Personal life

Adolph Lestina was married to Bessie Lee Lestina. He died of heart disease in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

on August 23, 1923.

Broadway credits

* '' Children of the Ghetto'' (October 16, 1899 – December 1899) * ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sn ...

'' (January 31, 1902 – January 31, 1902) * ''The Eternal City'' (November 17, 1902 – February 1903) * ''

Our American Cousin ''Our American Cousin'' is a three-act play by English playwright Tom Taylor. It is a farce featuring awkward, boorish American Asa Trenchard, who is introduced to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family ...

'' (January 27, 1908 – April 25, 1908) * ''A Citizen's Home'' (October 1, 1909 – October 1909)

Filmography

* ''On the Reef'' (1910) (Short) as The Priest * ''

The Cord of Life ''The Cord of Life'' is a 1909 American silent short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. A print of the film exists in the film archive of the Library of Congress. Cast * Charles Inslee as Galora * Marion Leonard as Galora's Wife * George G ...

'' (1909) (Short) * ''The Honor of His Family'' (1910) (Short) as Servant * ''The Last Deal'' (1910) (Short) as At Card Game * ''

Winning Back His Love ''Winning Back His Love'' is a 1910 silent film short directed by D. W. Griffith. A surviving Griffith short on the paper print. Cast *Wilfred Lucas - Frederick Wallace *Stephanie Longfellow - Mrs. Frederick Wallace *Vivian Prescott - Vera Blair ...

'' (1910) (Short) as A Waiter * '' The Two Paths'' (1911) (Short) as The Tempter * '' The Italian Barber'' (1911) (Short) as Buying Newspapers / At Ball * '' His Trust: The Faithful Devotion and Self-Sacrifice of an Old Negro Servant'' (1911) (Short) as Black Servant / Confederate Soldier * '' His Trust Fulfilled'' (1911) (Short) as Freed Slave * '' Fate's Turning'' (1911) (Short) as The Minister * '' A Wreath of Orange Blossoms'' (1911) (Short) as At Party * '' Heart Beats of Long Ago'' (1911) (Short) as Courtier * '' What Shall We Do with Our Old?'' (1911) (Short) as The Doctor * '' The Lily of the Tenements'' (1911) (Short) as One of the Father's Friends * ''

A Decree of Destiny ''A Decree of Destiny'' is a 1911 American short silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Mary Pickford and featuring Blanche Sweet. Cast * Joseph Graybill as Kenneth Marsden * Marion Sunshine as Edith * Mary Pickford ...

'' (1911) (Short) as The Doctor * ''Conscience'' (1911) (Short) as Detective * '' Through Darkened Vales'' (1911) (Short) as Oculist's Assistant * '' The Miser's Heart'' (1911) (Short) as The Miser * '' A Woman Scorned'' (1911) (Short) as The Sneak Thief * '' The Failure'' (1911) (Short) as The Bank Manager / In Tavern * ''

A Terrible Discovery A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1911) (Short) as A Thug / One of the District Attorney's Friends * The Old Bookkeeper (1912) (Short) as In Office * '' The Sunbeam'' (1912) (Short) as 1st Health Inspector * '' A String of Pearls'' (1912) (Short) as The Doctor * ''

A Lodging for the Night A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1912) (Short) as A Deputy * '' The Narrow Road'' (1912) (Short) as The Bartender * '' The Inner Circle'' (1912) (Short) as The Widower * ''

So Near, Yet So Far ''So Near, Yet So Far'' is a 1912 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive in the Museum of Modern Art film archive. Cast * Walter Miller as Howard * Mary Pickford as The Young Woman * Robert Harron ...

'' (1912) (Short) as In Club * '' A Feud in the Kentucky Hills'' (1912) (Short) as Second Clan Member * '' The Chief's Blanket'' (1912) (Short) as The Doctor * '' The Musketeers of Pig Alley'' (1912) (Short) as The Bartender / On Street * '' My Baby'' (1912) (Short) as At Table * '' My Hero'' (1912) (Short) as Settler * '' The Burglar's Dilemma'' (1912) (Short) as The Butler * ''

The God Within ''The God Within'' is a 1912 American short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet. A print of the film survives. Cast * Henry B. Walthall as The Woodsman * Claire McDowell as The Woodsman's Wife * Blanche Sweet ...

'' (1912) (Short) as In Other Town * ''

An Adventure in the Autumn Woods An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian ...

'' (1913) (Short) as At Trading Post * '' Brothers'' (1913) (Short) as The Doctor * ''

A Chance Deception ''A Chance Deception'' is a 1913 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet. Cast * Blanche Sweet as The Wife * Charles Hill Mailes as The Jealous Husband * Harry Carey as Raffles * Mildred Manning as Raffles' W ...

'' (1913) (Short) as The Visitor * ''

Love in an Apartment Hotel ''Love in an Apartment Hotel'' is a 1913 American drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet. Cast * Blanche Sweet - The Young Woman * Adolph Lestina - The Young Woman's Father * Henry B. Walthall - The Young Woman's Fian ...

'' (1913) (Short) as The Young Woman's Father * ''

Fate Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although ofte ...

'' (1913) (Short) as In Bar * '' A Welcome Intruder'' (1913) (Short) as The Construction Boss * '' The Lady and the Mouse'' (1913) (Short) as The Doctor * '' A Timely Interception'' (1913) (Short) as Uncle James's Friend * '' Red Hicks Defies the World'' (1913) (Short) as Second Creditor * '' The Mothering Heart'' (1913) (Short) as The Doctor / Club Patron * ''

Her Mother's Oath Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer ** ''H.E.R.'' (album), 2017 * HIM (Finnish ...

'' (1913) (Short) as The Justice of the Peace / In Church * '' The Coming of Angelo'' (1913) (Short) as Teresa's Father * '' The Adopted Brother'' (1913) (Short) as The Sheriff – Outside Sheriff's Office * ''

Her Wedding Bell Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun She (pronoun), she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer **H.E.R. (album), ''H.E.R.'' ...

'' (1913) (Short) as Wedding Guest * ''Fruits of Desire'' (1916) as Rev. Courtenay * ''

The Yellow Passport ''The Yellow Passport'' is a lost 1916 silent film drama produced and distributed by the World Film Company. Based on Michael Morton's 1914 Broadway play of the same title, it was directed by Edwin August and starred Clara Kimball Young. On t ...

'' (1916) as Chief of Police * '' Hearts of the World'' (1918) as The Grandfather * '' The Hun Within'' (1918) as Beth's father * '' Battling Jane'' (1918) as Mr. Pollett * '' The Greatest Thing in Life'' (1918) as Leo Peret * '' A Romance of Happy Valley'' (1919) as Vinegar Watkins * '' The Girl Who Stayed at Home'' (1919) as Mr. France * '' Scarlet Days'' (1919) as Randolph's Friend , * '' The Idol Dancer'' (1920) as Black Slave * '' Mary Ellen Comes to Town'' (1920) as Col. Fairacres * '' The Love Flower'' (1920) as Bevan's Old Servant * ''

Orphans of the Storm ''Orphans of the Storm'' is a 1921 American silent drama film by D. W. Griffith set in late-18th-century France, before and during the French Revolution. The last Griffith film to feature both Lillian and Dorothy Gish, it was a commercial fail ...

'' (1921) as doctor

References

External links

* * *
Adolph Lestina
at

Broadway World BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City covering Broadway, Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lestina, Adolph 1861 births 1923 deaths American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors