Richard Barthelmess

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Richard Barthelmess (1923)

Richard Barthelmess (born May 9, 1895 in New York , † August 17, 1963 in Southampton on Long Island ); actually Richard Semler Barthelmess was an American actor who celebrated his greatest successes in the 1920s.

Life

Richard Barthelmess attended Trinity College in Hartford and played the theater on the side. He had inherited his tendency to acting from his mother, Carolyn Harris, who was also an actress in amateur theatrical productions. In 1916, Barthelmess was discovered by Alla Nazimova , a friend of his mother's, and in the same year he played his first leading role in Gloria's Romance . Within a few years, Barthelmess rose to become a major star and in 1918 signed a contract with David Wark Griffith , under whose direction he starred alongside Lillian Gish in Broken Blossoms in 1919 and in Far East the following year . Barthelmess had his breakthrough to become a top star in 1921 with the self-produced film The attack on the Virginia Post , directed by Henry King . The actor specialized in portraying somewhat naive but lovable men from the country who prevailed against all kinds of hostility. As First National 's greatest male star , Barthelmess made $ 375,000 a year and $ 125,000 per film at the height of his career.

In contrast to many of his fellow actors during the silent film era, Barthelmess made the transition to sound films without losing popularity. At the Academy Awards in 1929 he was nominated for the Oscar for best actor for his appearances in The Night Without Hope and The World in Flames . He starred in Howard Hawk's war drama Start into the Twilight in 1930 , but his popularity slowly began to decline in the years that followed. Younger actors have now been cast in the boyish role type by Barthelmess. Barthelmess had a generous contract with Warner Brothers that allowed him freedom of choice in his projects, and he often chose controversial or political subjects like Heroes for Sale (1933), which casts a hard look at the Great Depression . His better sound film roles also include appearances as a disoriented soldier after the First World War in the film drama The Last Flight and as a poor southerner in The Hut in the Cotton Field next to Bette Davis . Barthelmess' contract with Warner Brothers was not renewed in 1935. In 1939 the actor made a comeback as a character actor in SOS Fires On Board , directed by Howard Hawks. This return to film was short-lived, however, and in 1942 he withdrew completely from the business.

In 1927 Barthelmess was one of the 36 founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , which awards the Oscars to this day . From 1920 until the divorce in 1927 he was married to Mary Hay, they had one daughter. In his second marriage he was in a marriage with Jessica Stewart Sargent from 1928 until his death. Barthelmess, who was also successful in real estate business, spent the last decades of his life withdrawn in great prosperity on Long Island. He died of cancer in August 1963 at the age of 68.

Filmography (selection)

Richard Barthelmess (1921)

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Richard Barthelmess at Golden Silents
  2. ^ Obituary for Richard Barthelmess in the Tuscaloosa News
personal data
SURNAME Barthelmess, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Barthelmess, Richard Semler (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH May 9, 1895
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH 17th August 1963
Place of death Southampton