Leo White | |
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Photoplay magazine (March 1917)
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Born |
Graudenz, Germany |
November 10, 1882
Died | September 20, 1948 Glendale, California, U.S. |
(aged 65)
Years active | 1911–1949 |
Leo White (November 10, 1882 – September 20, 1948) was a stage performer who appeared as a character actor in many Charlie Chaplin films.
Born in Germany, White grew up in England where he started his stage career. He was brought to the United States under the aegis of Daniel Frohman, a well known Broadway producer. He started his film career in 1911 and in 1913 moved to the Essanay Studios. In 1915, he began appearing in Chaplin's comedies and continued through Chaplin's Mutual Film comedies. His last appearance in a Chaplin film was a small role in The Great Dictator, released in 1940.
White also acted in and directed Triple Trouble, Essanay's last Chaplin release. Chaplin himself acknowledged Triple Trouble in his autobiography but did not actually participate in its production. (White filmed new scenes around existing footage of Chaplin.)
White typically played dapper, continental villains or noblemen in films, and this typecast him for the rest of his screen career. Well into the 1940s, he was still playing excitable Frenchmen in short subjects and feature films. Before his death in 1948, White had appeared in over 400 films. He is buried in Glendale, California's Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery.