Robert Joseph Connelly (April 4, 1909 – July 5, 1922) was an American

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...

of silent films. He is one of the first male child stars of American motion pictures beginning his career in 1913 at the age of four.

Career

Connelly's parents were vaudeville performers and young Connelly began in films with the Kalem company. His sister Helen also had a career as a child actress. In 1914 Connelly switched to

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...

, which were based primarily in New York and New Jersey, close to where Connelly and his family lived. He appeared in films with major players of the day and in 1914–15 portrayed "Sonny Jim" in a series of shorts about the adventures of a young boy. In 1917, he got his own series of films with his name in the title to emphasize his star billing. His career pertains primarily with the Vitagraph studios but occasionally he would appear in other studios' productions such as '' Humoresque'' produced by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

in 1920. ''Humoresque'', a story by Fannie Hurst was a huge hit in 1920 and is one of Connelly's few films to survive. On stage, Connelly acted in ''Man and Wife'' at Proctor's Theater in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

Death

In 1917, Connelly was diagnosed with

endocarditis Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves. Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, o ...

. Nevertheless, he was still allowed to keep a heavy work schedule. In 1922, Connelly became ill after completing work on the film '' Wildness of Youth''. He died of

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

at his home on July 5, 1922, at the age of 13.New York Times "BOBBY" CONNELLY DEAD.; Child Screen Star Dies of Bronchitis at His Home...(Friday July 7, 1922)
/ref>

Selected filmography

*'' Salvation Joan'' (1916) *'' The Suspect'' (1916) *'' A Prince in a Pawnshop'' (1916) *''

Her Right to Live ''Her Right to Live'' is a 1917 dramatic silent film released by the Vitagraph Studios. This film is now lost. Plot Polly Biggs (Peggy Hyland) is the eldest of a family of orphaned children who are taken in by their uncle, Mayor Hoadley ( Jo ...

'' (1917) *'' The Seal of Silence'' (1918) *'' Beyond the Law'' (1918) *'' Out of a Clear Sky'' (1918) *'' The Road Through the Dark'' (1918) *'' The Unpardonable Sin'' (1919) *'' A Child for Sale'' (1920) *''

The Flapper ''The Flapper'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film starring Olive Thomas. Directed by Alan Crosland, the film was the first in the United States to portray the "flapper" lifestyle, which became a cultural craze or fad in the 1920s. Plot Si ...

'' (1920) *'' Humoresque'' (1920) * '' Other Men's Shoes'' (1920) * '' A Wide Open Town'' (1922)

References

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 39.

External links

* 1909 births 1922 deaths American male child actors American male film actors American male silent film actors Deaths from bronchitis Male actors from Brooklyn 20th-century American male actors People from Lynbrook, New York {{US-film-actor-1900s-stub