Richard Barthelmess
| Richard Barthelmess | |
|---|---|
Publicity photo of Barthelmess for A Modern Hero (1934)
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| Born |
May 9, 1895 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 17, 1963 (aged 68) Southampton, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1916–1942 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Hay (1920–1927) 1 daughter Jessica Stewart Sargent (1928–1963) |
Richard Semler "Dick" Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1928.
Barthelmess was born in NYC in 1895 as the son of Caroline W. Harris (November 1, 1866 Brooklyn – April 23, 1937 Manhattan), a stage actress, and Alfred W. Barthelmess (July 20, 1861 – May 5, 1896 Manhattan). His father died when the boy was a year old. Through his mother, he grew up in the theatre, doing "walk-ons" from an early age. In contrast to that, he was educated at Hudson River Military Academy at Nyack and Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut. He did some acting in college and other amateur productions. By 1919 he had five years in stock company experience.
Russian actress Alla Nazimova, a friend of the family, was taught English by Caroline Barthelmess. Nazimova convinced Richard Barthelmess to try acting professionally, and he made his debut screen appearance in 1916 in the serial Gloria's Romance as an uncredited extra. He also appeared as a supporting player in several films starring Marguerite Clark.
His next role, in War Brides opposite Nazimova, attracted the attention of director D.W. Griffith, who offered him several important roles, finally casting him opposite Lillian Gish in Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920). He founded his own production company, Inspiration Film Company, together with Charles Duell and Henry King. One of their films, Tol'able David (1921), in which Barthelmess starred as a teenage mailman who finds courage, was a major success. In 1922, Photoplay described him the "idol of every girl in America."
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