Robert Harron , Robert Emmett Harron , Robert Emmett Harron , April 12, 1893 , New York - September 5, 1920 ) is a popular silent movie actor in the 1910s who starred in many of David's films. Wark Griffith , including in his legendary film masterpieces - “The Birth of a Nation” ( 1915 ) and “Intolerance” ( 1916 ).
| Robert Harron | |
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| Robert Harron | |
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| Birth name | Robert Emmett Harron |
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| Profession | actor |
| Career | 1907-1920 |
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Content
Biography
The early years
Robert Harron was the second son of nine brothers and sisters born into a poor working-class family of an Irish Catholic. He studied at the New York Church and Parish Catholic School of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village .
In 1907, at the age of thirteen, to help parents feed their large family, he began working as a messenger in the Biograph studio , which had its own office in New York . Throughout the year, Bobby Harron and his classmate James Smith take part in several films as extras.
Career at Biograph, working with Griffith
His first acting job, in the short film Doctor Skinum (1907), is now considered lost. Having looked at the young guy, David Work Griffith , who made his directorial debut in 1908, signed an agreement with him. Harron quickly became Griffith's favorite and he began to give the fourteen-year-old guy ever greater roles in the short films he shot [4] . Starting with the film "The Valet's Wife" (1908), he becomes a permanent member of the Griffith film crew. A handsome guy, tall - 1.83 cm, still very young, kind and sensual in appearance - this is how American moviegoers of the 1910s liked him, especially the spectators. His career developed rapidly, by 1912 - he was the favorite of the public. In 1912, he starred in forty films, where his partners will be the popular stars of the studio Biograph - May Marsh , Lillian Guiche , Blanche Sweet and Mary Pickford .
The actor is still remembered for his roles in three Griffith epic films: The Judith of Betulia , 1914 , where he plays with Blanche Sweet , Henry B. Walthall and May Marsh . In the controversial film "Birth of a Nation" ( 1915 ), he is one of the main characters, and the film involves no less stellar cast. Finally, in the 1916 blockbuster "Intolerance," Harron plays an important role - a young man in love with the heroine of actress May Marsh .
One of Harron's most popular works remains the role of William Jenkins in Griffith ’s melodrama “Susie's Faithful Heart” ( 1919 ) [5] , where the brilliant Lillian Guiche acted as his partner. Throughout the 1910s, Harron enjoyed continued success and was close to partners like Lillian Guiche and May Marsh in the image of a sensual young man. In his personal life, he had a romantic relationship with actress Dorothy Guiche [6] , Lillian's sister.
Death
In 1920, Harron signed a contract with Metro Pictures , where he starred in the movie "Coincidence." In the same year, Griffith shot one of his most important films, “ Way to the East ” (in the Soviet box office the film was shown under the names “Waterfall of Life”, “Far in the East”), inviting Richard Bartelmess , who played with him for the year, to play the main character before that in Broken Shoots ( 1919 ), considered one of Griffith’s masterpieces. Robert Harron was very jealous of Barthelmesse’s invitation to star in the movie Way to the East and was inconsolable. On September 1, 1920, the actor , who was in New York at that time, locked himself in his Seymour hotel room and shot himself [5] . He was found seriously injured in the lung by director Victor Herman , with whom they shared a double room. An ambulance called in delivered the wounded Harron to the Bellevue Hospital Center , where he died on the fifth day.
Even before his death, while he was in the hospital, rumors appeared that interpreted what had happened differently. There was speculation about his despondency over the end of his leadership in Griffith’s team or speculation about his relationship with Dorothy Guiche . Victor Herman, for example, claimed that Harron was a teetotaler and a virgin, as well as a devout Catholic, and for these reasons could not commit suicide . Actresses Miriam Cooper and Lillian Guiche agreed with him, largely because they knew that Harron was the main source of income for his family. At the time of his death, Bobby Harron was 27 years old. His career lasted thirteen years, during which he starred in 220 films. He was never married.
Robert Harron was buried at Calvary Cemetery in New York .
Interesting Facts
- Bobby built two of his eight brothers and sisters in the film industry. Also as actors, but they were less successful: younger brother John Harron (1903-1939) and sister Mary Harron (who starred in a small role in the film with the teachings of Robert Harron's “Heart of the World”, 1918 ).
- Ironically, there were two more actors with the surname Harron in their history who also died young: Robert's namesake - Tessie Harron (1896-1918), who died at the age of 22 from a Spanish woman and Robert's younger brother - John Harron (1904-1939), nicknamed Johnny, who died of spinal meningitis at the age of 35. Both starred in episodic roles of the film “Hearts of the World” ( 1918 ), in which Bobby had a major role [5] .
Selected Filmography
Notes
- ↑ BNF ID : 2011 Open Data Platform .
- ↑ 1 2 SNAC - 2010.
- ↑ Find a Grave - 1995. - ed. size: 165000000
- ↑ Slide, Anthony, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses , 2002, The University Press of Kentucky, p. 173, ISBN 0-8131-2249-X
- ↑ 1 2 3 Robert Harron IMDB-Biography
- ↑ Slide, Anthony, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses , 2002, The University Press of Kentucky, p. 174, ISBN 0-8131-2249-X
Literature
- Slide, Anthony, Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses , 2002, The University Press of Kentucky, pp. 173-175, ISBN 0-8131-2249-X