Richard Barthelmess

Richard Barthelmess

1895-05-08 – 1963-08-17 (age 68) New York City, New York, USA
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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Richard Semler "Dick" Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 โ€“ August 17, 1963) was an Oscar-nominated silent film star.

Barthelmess was educated at Hudson River Military Academy at Nyack and Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut. His father died when he was a baby and his mother, Caroline Harris , was a stage actress, so he worked in theatres in his early days, between schooling, doing "walk-ons". This led to acting in college, doing amateur productions. Russian actress Alla Nazimova, a friend of the family, had been taught English by Barthelmess's mother. Nazimova in return convinced Barthelmess to try acting professionally and he made his first film appearance in 1916 in the serial Gloria's Romance as an extra. At this time he also appeared as a supporting player in several films starring Marguerite Clark. His next role, in War Brides opposite Alla Nazimova, attracted the attention of legendary 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 soon became one of Hollywood's highest paid performers, starring in such classics as The Patent Leather Kid (1927) and The Noose (1928); he was nominated for Best Actor at the first Academy Awards for his performance in both these films, and he won a Special Citation for producing The Patent Leather Kid. 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.

With the advent of the sound era, Barthelmess' fortunes changed. He made several films in the new medium, most notably Son of the Gods (1930), The Dawn Patrol (1930), The Last Flight (1931), and The Cabin in the Cotton (1932), Central Airport (1933), and a supporting role as Rita Hayworth's character's husband in Only Angels Have Wings (1939).

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Photos

Known For

The Spoilers
The Spoilers

1942

as Bronco Kid

Only Angels Have Wings
Only Angels Have Wings

1939

as Bat MacPherson

Central Airport
Central Airport

1933

as James 'Jim' Blaine

Camille: The Fate of a Coquette
Scarlet Days
Scarlet Days

1919

as Don Maria Alvarez

Young Nowheres
Young Nowheres

1929

as Albert 'Binky' Whalen

The Noose
The Noose

1928

as Nickie Elkins

The Tingler
The Tingler

1959

as David Kinemon (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Show of Shows
The Show of Shows

1929

as Meet My Sister Presenter (uncredited)

The Lash
The Lash

1930

as Francisco Delfino 'Pancho'

Boots
Boots

1919

as Everett White

Peppy Polly
Peppy Polly

1919

as Dr. James Merritt

🎦
Classmates

1924

as Duncan Irving Jr

Nearly Married
Nearly Married

1917

as Dick Griffon

The Enchanted Cottage
The Enchanted Cottage

1924

as Oliver Bashforth

Heroes for Sale
Heroes for Sale

1933

as Tom Holmes

The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol

1930

as Dick Courtney

The Cabin in the Cotton
The Cabin in the Cotton

1932

as Marvin Blake

Camille