| Hobart
Bosworth
1867
- 1943 |
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The actor, director and writer Hobart Bosworth belonged to the pioneers
of the American film. He was called "Dean of Hollywood" because he brought
the film business to Los Angeles.
When his mother dies and his father got remarried, Hobart Bosworth
run away from his home because they didn't get along well together.
So the young Hobart worked as a liftboy on the ship "Sovereign of the
Seas" and perambulated the sea. In the next years he worked as a sailor
and continued with it an old family tradition.
Afterwards he eked out a living with different jobs, among others as
a semipro boxer and wrestler and as a worker for a ranch where he learnt
a lot about horses.
Finally his way led him to the stage where he worked as a stage manager.
With this job he financed his study for painting.
When he had to fill in as an actor for a play his future path of life
was predetermined. It followed other smaller roles.
In 1887 he came to the Alcazar theater in San Francisco where he recited
Shakespeare and at the age of 21 he already had interpreted nearly all
famous characters of Shakespeare on stage.
After a tour as an assistant of the magician Hermann the Great he came
to New York in 1888 where he was engaged by Augustin Daly. The cooperation
lasted 10 years. In this time he normally impersonated smaller roles but
his tours also led him to the big cities of Europe.
Finally he left Augustin Daly and went to Julia Marlowe who offered
him bigger roles on stage.
Bosworth was on the way to become well-known as a stage actor when
he was confronted with the diagnosis tuberculosis. He had to give up his
stage career and had to avoid indoor rooms.
Limited by his illness he anyhow tried to continue his career and was
able to achieve a huge success on Broadway in 1903.
But when he lost more then 30 pounds within 10 weeks he had to take
leave of the theater again. The definite off came when he also lost his
voice.
But at this moment the new medium came just at the right time. In 1908
he was engaged by the Selig Polyscope Co.
In the first years of his film career he took part in numerous productions,
among them "The Count of Monte Cristo" (08), "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
(08), "The Tenderfoot" (09), "The Stampede" (09), "On the Little Big Horn
or Custer's Last Stand" (09) and "The Christian Martyrs" (09).
He became established as a silent movie star in the 10s and he appeared
in countless movies.
To these movies belong "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (10), "The Spy"
(11), "The Buccaneers" (11), "The Novice" (11), "The Totem Mark" (11),
"Blackbeard" (11), "The Test" (12), "The Hobo" (12), "Rivals" (12), "Monte
Cristo" (12), "Greater Wealth" (13), "Her Guardian" (13) and "In God We
Trust" (13).
He founded his own company, the Hobart Bosworth Productions Co., in
1913 and produced besides other movies also a lot of movies based on stories
by Jack London, one of his preferred writers. In 1916 the company was integrated
to Paramount.
Even his first movie with his own company was Jack London's "The Sea
Wolf" (13) where he not only directed the movie and wrote the script but
also impersonated the leading role Wolf Larsen. The writer Jack London
was also engaged as an actor in the role of a sailor.
Other movies with Hobart Bosworth as an actor are "The Valley of the
Moon" (14), "The Country Mouse" (14), "Business Is Business" (15), "The
Iron Hand" (16), "Oliver Twist" (16), "Betrayed" (17), "The Border Legion"
(18) and "Behind the Door" (19).
He continued his acting career successfully in the 20s and played in
"The Sea Lion" (21), "Man Alone" (23), "Through the Dark" (24), "Captain
January" (24), "Zander the Great" (25), "The Big Parade" (25), "The Far
Cry" (26), "The Chinese Parrot" (27), "A Woman of Affairs" (28), "After
the Storm" (28), "King of the Mountain" (29), "Eternal Love" (29) and "The
Show of Shows" (29).
Hobart Bosworth managed the transition to the sound film with no problem,
not least because his voice picked back up again.
He performed in the productions "Abraham Lincoln" (30), "Du Barry,
Woman of Passion" (30), "This Modern Age" (31), "The Last of the Mohicans"
(32), "The Phantom Express" (32), "Lady for a Day" (33), "The Crusades"
(35), "Wolves of the Sea" (36) and "King of the Sierras" (38).
His last movies were "They Died with Their Boots On" (41), "I Was Framed"
(42) and "Sin Town" (42).
Besides his career as an actor Hobart Bosworth was also an important
director from 1911 to 1915 who realised many movies before the big companies
arised.
Besides the already mentioned "The Sea Wolf" (13) he directed the movies
"The New Faith" (11), "The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada" (11), "In the
Days of Gold" (11), "Evangeline" (11), "A Night Out" (12), "The Pirate's
Daughter" (12), "The Valley of the Moon" (14), "Martin Eden" (14), "The
Checkako" (14) and "The White Scar" (15).
To many of his directions he also wrote the script.
Other movies with Hobart Bosworth:
Rip Van Winkle (08) Damon and Pythias
(08) The Spirit of '76 (08) On Thanksgiving Day (08) Boots and Saddles
(09) In the Badlands (09) Fighting Bob (09) In the Sultan's Power (09)
The Leopard Queen (09) Briton and Boer (09) Up San Juan Hill (09) On the
Border (09) Pine Ridge Feud (09) The Courtship of Miles Standish (10) The
Roman (10) Across the Plains (10) The Common Enemy (10) Davy Crockett (10)
In the Great Northwest (10) The Barge Man of Old Holland (10) The Long
Trail (10) The Sheriff (10) Willie (10) The Schoolmaster of Mariposa (10)
A Tale of the Sea (10) Justinian and Theodora (10) An Englishman's Honor
(11) The Little Circus Rider (11) The Padre (11) The Eye of Conscience
(11) The Code of Honor (11) Unto Us a Child Is Born (11) In Old California
When the Gringos Came (11) Stability vs. Nobility (11) One of Nature's
Noblemen (11) Range Pals (11) A Sacrifice to Civilization (11) The New
Faith (11) The White Medicine Man (11) It Happened in the West (11) The
Profligate (11) The Sheriff of Tuolomne (11) The Knight Errant (11) In
the Shadow of the Pines (11) The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada (11) McKee
Rankin's '49' (11) A Cup of Cold Water (11) John Oakhurst, Gambler (11)
An Indian Vestal (11) Coals of Fire (11) A Painter's Idyl (11) Little Injin
(11) In the Days of Gold (11) The Convent of San Clemente (11) The Right
Name, But the Wrong Man (11) A Frontier Girl's Courage (11) The Maid at
the Helm (11) The Chief's Daughter (11) George Warrington's Escape (11)
Evangeline (11) Brown of Harvard (11) A Counterfeit Santa Claus (11) A
Modern Rip (11) Arthur Preston Hankins (12) The Mate of the Alden Bessie
(12) The Other Fellow (12) Merely a Millionaire (12) Bunkie (12) Disillusioned
(12) The Danites (12) A Cowboy Damon and Pythias (12) As Told by Princess
Bess (12) The Shrinking Rawhide (12) A Crucial Test (12) The Girl of the
Lighthouse (12) The Junior Officer (12) Tenderfoot Bob's Regeneration (12)
Darkfeather's Strategy (12) The End of the Romance (12) The Hand of Fate
(12) The Price He Paid (12) The Coming of Columbus (12) The Love of an
Island Maid (12) A Child of the Wilderness (12) A Reconstructed Rebel (12)
The Vision Beautiful (12) The Professor's Wooing (12) The Polo Substitute
(12) A Messenger to Kearney (12) In the Tents of the Asra (12) Land Sharkds
vs. Sea Dogs (12) The Trade Gun Bullet (12) The Pirate's Daughter (12)
Getting Atmosphere (12) The Fisherboy's Faith (12) The Legend of the Lost
Arrow (12) Atala (12) Miss Aubry's Love Affair (12) The Vintage of Fate
(12) The Girl of the Mountains (12) Harbor Island (12) The Love of
Penelope (13) A Plain Girl's Love (13) Altar of the Aztecs (13) The Artist
and the Brute (13) Pierre of the North (13) Yankee Doodle Dixie (13) A
Wise Old Elephant (13) Alas! Poor Yorick! (13) Seeds of Silver (13) In
the Days of Witchcraft (13) Buck Richard's Bride (13) The Girl and the
Judge (13) The Beaded Buckskin Bag (13) Songs of Truce (13) The Unseen
Defense (13) Fate Fashions a Letter (13) Man of the Woods (13) The Rancher's
Failing (13) The Young Mrs. Eames (13) As a Father Spareth His Son (13)
In the Midst of the Jungle (13) The Traitor (14) John Barleycorn (14) Martin
Eden (14) An Odyssey of the North (14) Burning Daylight (14) The Pursuit
of the Phantom (14) The Beachcomber (15) Tainted Money (15) Buckshot John
(15) Pretty Mrs. Smith (15) Help Wanted (15) Little Sundet (15) The Scarlet
Sin (15) Nearly a Lady (15) A Little Brother of the Rich (15) 'Twas Ever
Thus (15) Fatherhood (15) Colorado (15) The White Scar (15) The Target
(16) The Yaqui (16) Two Men of Sandy Bar (16) Doctor Neighbor (16) The
Way of the World (16) Joan the Woman (16) A Mormon Maid (17) Freckles (17)
Unconquered (17) The Inner Shrine (17) The Little American (17) What Money
Can't Buy (17) The Woman God Forgot (17) The Devil-Stone (17) Below the
Surface (20) His Own Law (20) The Brute Master (20) A Thousand to One (20)
The Foolish Matrons (21) The Cup of Life (21) Blind Hearts (21) White Hands
(22) The Strangers' Banquet (22) Vanity Fair (23) Little Chruch Around
the Corner (23) Rupert of Hentzau (23) The Common Law (23) The Eternal
Three (23) In the Palace of the King (23) The Man Life Passed By (23) Name
the Man (24) Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model (24) The Woman on the Jury
(24) Bread (24) The Silent Watcher (24) Hearts of Oak (24) Sundown (24)
If I Marry Again (25) My Son (25) Chickie (25) The half-Way Girl (25) Winds
of Chance (25) Steel Preferred (25) The Golden Strain (25) The Nervous
Wreck (26) Spangles (26) Three Hours (27) Annie Laurie (27) The Blood Ship
(27) My Best Girl (27) The Smart Set (28) Freckles (28) Hangman's House
(28) A Man of Peace (28) Sawdust Paradise (28) Annapolis (28) The Man Higher
Up (29) Hurricane (29) General Crack (30) Mammy (30) The Devil's Holiday
(30) The Office Wife (30) The Third Alarm (30) Just Imagine (30) Sit Tight
(31) Dirigible (31) Shipmates (31) Fanny Foley Herself (31) Carnival Boat
(32) The Miracle Man (32) The County Fair (32) No Greater Love (32) Million
Dollar Legs (32) Whom the Gods Destroy (34) Music in the air (34) Keeper
of the Bees (35) Together We Live (35) Steamboat Round the Bend (35) The
Dark Hour (36) Wildcat Trooper (36) General Spanky (36) Portia on Trial
(37) The Secret of Treasure Island (38) Rollin' Plains (38) Bullets for
O'Hara (41) One Foot in Heaven (41) Law of the Tropics (41) Wild Bill Hickok
Rides (42) Bullet Scars (42) Escape from Crime (42) The Gay Sisters (42)
Director:
Stability vs. Nobility (11) A Sacrifice
to Civilization (11) It Happened in the West (11) In the Shadow of the
Pines (11) McKee Rankin's '49' (11) A Cup of Cold Water (11) John Oakhurst,
Gambler (11) An Indian Vestal (11) Coals of Fire (11) A Painter's Idyl
(11) Little Injin (11) The Bootlegger (11) The Convent of San Clemente
(11) A Frontier Girl's Courage (11) The Chief's Daughter (11) George Warrington's
Escape (11) A Modern Rip (11) The Mate of the Alden Bessie (12) The Other
Fellow (12) Merely a Millionaire (12) Bunkie (12) Disillusioned (12) The
Hobo (12) A Child of the Wilderness (12) In the Tents of the Asra (12)
land Sharks vs. Sea Dogs (12) The Trade Gun Bullet (12) The Substitute
Model (12) When Edith Played Judge and Jury (12) Getting Atmosphere (12)
The Legend of the Lost Arrow (12) Atala (12) Miss Aubry's Love Affair (12)
John Colter's Escape (12) John Barleycorn (14) An Odyssey of the North
(14) Burning Daylight (14) The Pursuit of the Phantom (14) The Country
Mouse (14) Buckshot John (15) Pretty Mrs. Smith (15) Help Wanted (15) Nearly
a Lady (15) Fatherhood (15)
Writer:
Willie (10) The Totem Mark (11)
The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada (11) McKee Rankin's '49' (11) An Indian
Vestal (11) Coals of Fire (11) Little Injin (11) In the Days of Gold (11)
The Chief's Daughter (11) George Warrington's Escape (11) Evangeline (11)
The Mate of the Alden Bessie (12) Disillusioned (12) The Hobo (12) A Child
of the Wilderness (12) The Polo Substitute (12) In the Tents of the Asra
(12) The Trade Gun Bullet (12) The Substitute Model (12) The Pirate's Daughter
(12) Buck Richard's Bride (13) The Sea Wolf (13) Martin Eden (14) An Odyssey
of the North (14) The Pursuit of the Phantom (14) The Country Mouse (14)
The Beachcomber (15) A Little Brother of the Rich (15) Fatherhood (15)
The White Scar (15) The Brute Master (20)
Producer:
The Awakening (12) The Sea Wolf
(13) John Barleycorn (14) Martin Eden (14) An Odyssey of the North (14)
Burning Daylight (14) The Country Mouse (14) The Beachcomber (15) Betty
in Search of a Thrill (15) The White Scar (15) Blind Hearts (21) The Sea
Lion (21) |
