Ernest Torrence
| Ernest Torrence | |
|---|---|
Torrence as William Jackson in the western The Covered Wagon
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| Born |
Ernest Thayson Torrence-Thomson 26 June 1878 Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, UK |
| Died | 15 May 1933 (aged 54) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Years active | 1918-1933 |
| Spouse(s) | Elsie Reamer Bedbrook (1902–1933) (his death) (1 child) |
| Children | Ian Torrence (b. 1907; d. 1966) |
Ernest Torrence (26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including Broken Chains (1922) with Colleen Moore, Mantrap (1926) with Clara Bow and Fighting Caravans (1931) with Gary Cooper and Lili Damita. A towering (6' 4") figure, Torrence frequently played cold-eyed and imposing villains.
He was born Ernest Torrance-Thomson to Colonel Henry Torrence Thayson and Jessie (née Bryce) on 26 June 1878, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and as a child was an exceptional pianist and operatic baritone and graduated from the Stuttgart Conservatory, Edinburgh Academy before earning a scholarship at London's Royal Academy of Music. He toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in such productions as The Emerald Isle (1901) and The Talk of the Town (1905) before disarming vocal problems set in and he was forced to abandon this career path.
Sometime prior to 1900, he changed the spelling of Torrance to Torrence and dropped the name Thomson. Both Ernest and his actor brother David Torrence went to America, in March 1911, directly from Scotland prior to the First World War. Focusing instead on a purely acting career, Ernest and his brother developed into experienced players on the Broadway New York stage. Ernest received significant acclaim with Modest Suzanne in 1912, and a prominent role in The Night Boat in 1920 brought him to the attention of the early Hollywood filmmakers.
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