Hobart Bosworth
Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth ( born August 11, 1867 in Marietta, Ohio; † December 30, 1943 in Glendale, California ) was an American actor and film director.
Life and work
Hobart Bosworth was born the son of Daniel Perkins Bosworth and Clara Van Zandt Mumford in the northeastern United States. After his mother died, his father married again. Bosworth did not get along with her stepmother and left at the age of 12 years, his parents' house. After a five- month trip from New York to San Francisco, he began to work as many in his family as a sailor. Around 1885 he began his career as a stage actor first in smaller roles, then soon in larger ones. His breakthrough he reached on Broadway in 1888 with the role of Charles wrestler in Shakespeare's As You Like It. After a tour of Europe, he worked with actress Julia Marlowe to other Shakespeare plays. While his actor's success grew, he became ill with tuberculosis, from which he suffered the rest of his life. A major success on Broadway was for him 1903 appearances in Henrik Ibsen Hedda Gabler.
In 1908 he made his film debut in the role of Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo. Bosworth was thus one of the first well-known U.S. actors who are seriously concerned with this new medium. In the next few years he worked with renowned directors such as DW Griffith. In addition to his performances in front of the camera Bosworth worked in his films and behind the camera: he directed some 60 films directed, over 30 times was involved as a writer and as a producer in a dozen films. With his own production company filmed Bosworth Inc., among other dramas by Jack London as the catfish, in the Bosworth in 1913 even played the lead role, while Jack London had a cameo. After his company was eventually closed, Bosworth had to settle for supporting roles from the 1920s.
He made the jump to the talkies, though his roles were minor. He played the role of the Southern General Robert E. Lee, among others, in Griffiths Portrait President Abraham Lincoln. He usually came at this time only in supporting roles in B- Western, or in short, timed appearances in major films. He often portrayed in later years respect characters like fathers, doctors or judges. In 1942 he ended his film career after around 290 films, he died a year later.
His first wife was the silent film actress Adele Farrington (1867-1963), performing with the Bosworth in several films. They divorced in 1919 and married a year later Bosworth Cecile Kibre. He adopted her son Percival.