Wallace Worsley
| Wallace Worsley | |
|---|---|
 Jack Holt, Wallace and Charles Schoenbaum on the set of Nobody's Money (1923) | |
| Born |
Wallace Ashley Worsley December 8, 1878 Wappingers Falls, New York |
| Died |
March 26, 1944 (aged 65) Hollywood, California |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
| Occupation | film director |
| Years active | 1918–1928 |
| Spouse(s) | Julia M. Taylor (1878–1976) [1] |
| Children |
Wallace Worsley, Jr. (1908-91)[2] Paul B. Worsley (1920-33) [3] |
Wallace A. Worsley, Sr. (December 8, 1878 - March 26, 1944) was an American stage actor who became a film director in the silent era. During his career, Worsley directed 29 films and acted in 7 films. He directed several motion pictures starring Lon Chaney Sr., and his professional relationship with the actor was the best Chaney had, second to his partnership with Tod Browning.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) is one of his best-known works and along with The Penalty (1920), enjoys good exposure on home video and DVD. Worsley's 1922 horror film A Blind Bargain with Chaney is one of the most sought after lost films.
Early life
Worsley was born in Wappingers Falls, New York, the only surviving of two children, to first-generation Americans,[4] Ashley Worsley, a civil engineer,[5] born in Rhode Island, and Maria Goring, born in New York. Both pairs of his grandparents emigrated from England to the United States prior to the turn of the twentieth century.
Personal life
Worsley married Indiana-born actress, Julia Marie Taylor, on September 18, 1904.[6] Amongst Julia's film credits is the title role of Juliet in the 1911 short, Romeo and Juliet,[7] directed by Barry O'Neil, considered to be the first attempt to distill the entire Shakespeare narrative into a single film. Together, they had two sons, Wallace Worsley, Jr. (1908-1991), an assistant director and production manager whose career spanned nearly six decades and included The Wizard of Oz and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,[8] and Paul Brackenride Worsley (1920-1933), who predeceased his parents at the age of 12.
Selected Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Borrowed Plumage | Sir Charles Broome |
| 1917 | Alimony | John Flint |
| 1918 | A Man's Man | Henry Jenks |
| 1918 | Madam Who? | Albert Lockhart |
| 1918 | The Goddess of Lost Lake | Director |
| 1919 | Diane of the Green Van | Director |
| 1919 | A Woman of Pleasure | Director |
| 1920/I | The Penalty | Director |
| 1921 | The Ace of Hearts | Director |
| 1921 | Voices of the City | Director |
| 1922 | A Blind Bargain | Director |
| 1922 | Enter Madame | Director |
| 1923 | A Man's Man | Henry Jenks |
| 1923 | Nobody's Money | Director |
| 1923 | Is Divorce a Failure? | Director |
| 1923 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Director |
| 1924 | The Man Who Fights Alone | Director |
| 1926 | Shadow of the Law | Director |
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wallace Worsley. |
- Wallace Worsley at the Internet Movie Database
- Wallace Worsley at Internet Broadway Database]
- Wallace Worsley as an actor on Broadway; photo from NYP Library
- Wallace Worsley gravesite at Findagrave
References
- ↑ Julia Marie Taylor Worsley at Find a Grave
- ↑ Wallace Worsley, Jr at Find a Grave
- ↑ Paul Brackenride Worsley at Find a Grave
- ↑ "Ashley Worsley", United States Census, 1880; Wappinger, New York; roll 7-296, page 54, line 30, National Archives film number T9. Retrieved on 2016-06-28.
- ↑ "Ashley Worsley", United States Census, 1900; District of Columbia, Washington; roll 7-224, page 24, line 86, National Archives film number T623. Retrieved on 2016-06-28.
- ↑ Biography for Wallace Worsley at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Julia M. Taylor at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Wallace Worsley Jr. at the Internet Movie Database