Ernest Torrence

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Ernest Torrence with Lois Wilson in The Caravan (1923)

Ernest Thayson Torrence-Thompson (born June 26, 1878 in Edinburgh , Scotland , † May 13, 1933 in New York City ) was a British actor who was mainly known in rogue roles.

Life

Ernest Torrence was born in Scotland. As a child he was a pianist and baritone. He attended the Conservatory in Stuttgart and the Edinburgh Academy and then received a scholarship from the London Royal Academy of Music . He toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and played in The Emerald Isle (1901) and The Talk of the Town (1905) , among others . Voice problems later forced him to give up his job. Together with his older brother, the actor David Torrence , he went from Scotland to the USA before the First World War , where they concentrated on a pure acting career. They performed on New York Broadway stages . In 1912 Torrence received praise for his role in Modest Suzanne and his appearance in the theater production The Night Boat (1920) brought him into the spotlight of Hollywood filmmakers.

In 1921, the tall, heavyweight Torrence played in Henry King's Tol'able David as the villain Luke Hatburn, the opponent of Richard Barthelmess . He was so convincing in this role that from then on he was supposed to play mostly rough, often not very sympathetic supporting characters. 1923 joined Ernest Torrence as an old man in The Covered Wagon of James Cruze and as king of the beggars in The Hunchback of Notre Dame on. He took on the role of Captain Hook in the 1924 film adaptation of Peter Pan . Other important roles were that of the Apostle Peter in The King of Kings (1927) and the steamship captain and father in Buster Keaton's classic Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). Torrence had no problems with the introduction of the sound film. He starred alongside Gary Cooper and Lili Damita in Fighting Caravans (1931) and acted Professor Moriarty in the 1932 film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. His last role was a smuggler in I Cover the Waterfront (1933) alongside Claudette Colbert .

Shortly after the filming of this film was finished, Ernest Torrence suffered acute biliary colic on a ship crossing to Europe and was transported back to New York to the hospital, where he died of complications from the necessary surgical procedure. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today commemorates him.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Torrence, Ernest
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Torrence-Thompson, Ernest Thayson (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH June 26, 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh , Scotland
DATE OF DEATH May 13, 1933
Place of death New York City