Charles Kent (actor)
Charles Kent ( born June 18, 1852 in London, † May 21, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York ) was a British actor and film director of the early American film.
Life
Kent was an actor and came in 1908 to film. In the film company Vitagraph he immediately began as an actor and director. He had in 1908 in James Stuart Blacktons Macbeth his film debut. Under Kent's director or actor's involvement emerged around 1910 several high-level literary adaptations at Vitagraph. Film historically important are the first film adaptations of Shakespeare's works: Macbeth (1908), Antony and Cleopatra (1908), Romeo and Juliet (1908), Julius Caesar (1908 ), A Midsummer Night's Dream ( 1909), Twelfth Night (1910 ) and As You Like It (1912). In Launcelot and Elaine (1909 ), he directed and played the role of King Arthur.
The contemporary press criticized Kent for his use of close-ups, which are now seen as creative. From 1913 until his death in 1923, he came only as a performer in appearance. He starred in about 150 films.