William Morris (actor)
William Morris | |
|---|---|
 Morris in 1904 | |
| Born | William Henry Morris January 1, 1861 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1936 (aged 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1875–1935 |
| Spouse(s) | Etta Hawkins |
| Children | 5, including Chester Morris |
William Henry Morris (January 1, 1861 – January 11, 1936) was an American stage and film actor.[1]
Career[]
He began his career as a teenager in the theater, first appearing at the Boston Museum in 1875. He became a star on the Broadway stage, where he spent most of his career. He appeared in popular plays such as 1909's Is Matrimony a Failure? He was a character actor in silent films, usually playing gruff fathers or bad guys.[2]
His appearance in Alice Guy's 1917 silent film The Ocean Waif, from Kino DVD, is an example of Morris's surviving screen work.
Personal life[]
He was married to actress Etta Hawkins,[3] with whom he had five children: screenwriter-actor Gordon Morris (1898–1940), actors Chester Morris (1901–1970) and Adrian Morris (1907–1941), and actress Wilhelmina Morris (1902–1971).[4]:7, 263 Their first child, Lloyd Morris, died young (1892–1902).[4]:7
Selected filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | Romeo and Juliet | Abraham | |
| 1930 | Brothers | Dr. Moore | |
| 1931 | The Woman Between | Frederick Weston | |
| The Gang Buster | Andrew Martine |
Selected stage appearances[]
- Men and Women (1890)
- Is Matrimony a Failure? (1909)
- The Concert (1910)
- The Family Cupboard (1913)
- Cheating Cheaters (1916)
References[]
- ^ "William Morris, 75, Veteran Actor, Dies; Father of Chester of the Movies Well Known on Broadway Stage". The New York Times. January 12, 1936. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ The Chester Morris Web the only Chester Morris website on the internet
- ^ "Obituary: Etta Hawkins Morris". The New York Times. July 15, 1945. p. 15. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Nollen, Scott Allen; Nollen, Yuyun Yuningsih (2019). Chester Morris : His Life and Career (softcover) (First ed.). Jefferson, NC, and London: McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-7729-3.
External links[]
- William Morris at IMDb
- William Morris at the Internet Broadway Database
- William Morris at Find a Grave
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| General | |
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- 1861 births
- 1936 deaths
- Male actors from Boston
- American male stage actors
- American male film actors