Foto: Albert Witzel (1879-1929)

1882 - 1930

The actor Milton Sills was born into a wealthy family in Chicago - his father was a trader of mineral resources, his mother a daughter of a banker. He attended the University of Chicago and worked as a professor for psychology and philosophy after his final examination. He could speak the languages Italian, Russian, German and French fluently.

But his entered way of life changed abruptly when the actor manager Donald Robertson visited the university. Milton Sills got enthusiastic about acting immediately, gave up his position at the university and joined Robertson's troup in 1906.

First successes followed from 1908 where he acted on Broadway. Afterwards he took part in more than a dozen Broadway productons and his popularity grew. Finally he was wooed by film producer William A. Brady.
Milton Sills made his film debut in 1914 with "The Pit" and managed the breakthrough at the first go.
In the next years he took part in many other movies, among them "The Deep Purple" (15), "The Taming of Mary" (15), "Patria" (17), "Diamonds and Pearls" (17), "The Other Woman" (18), "The Mysterious Client" (18), "The Savage Woman" (18), "The Stronger Vow" (19) and "Eyes of Youth" (19).

He continued his impressive film career in the 20's and worked as a freelancing actor for different big studions for the time being.
To his popular productions belong "The Week-End" (20), "Dangerous to Men" (20), "Little Fool" (21), "Miss Lulu Bett" (21), "At the End of the World" (21), "Skin Deep" (22), "The Isle of Lost Ships" (23), "Adam's Rib" (23) and two of his greatest successes ever - "Flaming Youth" (23) and "The Sea Hawk" (24).

His fame remained undiminished in the second part of the 20's and he appeared in movies like "As Man Desires" (25), "The Knockout" (25), "Men of Steel" (26), "The Sea Tiger" (27), "The Valley of the Giants" (27), "The Hawk's Nest" (28), "The Barker" (28) and "Love and the Devil" (29).

When the talkies replaced the silent movies Milton Sills was also convincing with his voice. But it was not granted to him to shoot many talkies. He only acted in "Man Trouble" (30) and "The Sea Wolf" (30) in the title role when he died unexpectedly at the age of 48 because of a heart attack during a tennis play.

Milton Sills belonged to the 36 foundation members of the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences" (AMPAS). He was married with the stage actress Gladys Wynne and the film actress Doris Kenyon.
 

Other movies with Milton Sills:
Arrival of Perpetua (15) The Rack (15) Under Southern Skies (15) The Woman Who Lied (15) The Honor System (17) Souls Adrift (17) Married in Name Only (17) The Fringe of Society (17) The Bonds That Tie (18) The Struggle Everlasting (18) The Reason Why (18) The Yellow Ticket (18) The Claw (18) The Hell Cat (18) Shadows (19) Satan Junior (19) The Hushed Hour (19) The Woman Thou Gavest Me (19) The Fear Woman (19) What Every Woman Learns (19) The Street Called Straight (20) The Inferior Sex (20) Behold My Wife (20) Sweet Lavender (20) The Furnace (20) The Faith Healer (21) Salvage (21) The Great Moment (21) One Clear Call (22) The Woman Who Walked Alone (22) Borderland (22) Burning Sands (22) The Forgotten Law (22) Environment (22) The Marriage Chance (22) The Last Hour (23) What a Wife Learned (23) Legally Dead (23) The Spoilers (23) Why Women Remarry (23) A Lady of Quality (24) The Heart Bandit (24) Flowing Gold (24) Single Wives (24) Madona of the Streets (24) I Want My Man (25) The Kaming of O'Malley (25) The Unguarded Hour (25) Puppets (26) Paradise (26) The Silent Lover (26) The Sea Tiger (27) Framed (27) Hard-Boiled Haggerty (27) Burning Daylight (28) The Crash (28) His Captive Woman (29)