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Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990)LA Times Star Walk
/ref> was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor in more than a dozen films, including '' 7th Heaven'', '' Street Angel'', and '' Lucky Star.'' Later in life, he starred on TV in the 1950s
Farrell continued to work throughout the next few years in relatively minor roles without much success until he was signed by Fox Film, Fox Studios and was paired with fellow newcomer Janet Gaynor in the romantic drama '' 7th Heaven''. The film was a public and critical success, and Farrell and Gaynor would go on to star opposite one another in more than a dozen films throughout the late 1920s and into the talkie era of the early 1930s. Unlike many of his silent screen peers, Farrell had little difficulty with "voice troubles" and remained a publicly popular actor throughout the sound era.
Farrell was romantically involved with Janet Gaynor, with whom he starred in twelve films, from 1926 until her first marriage in 1929. Shaken by the death of his close friend, actor Fred Thomson, Farrell proposed marriage to Gaynor around 1928, but the couple was never married. Years later, Gaynor explained her breakup with Farrell: "I think we loved each other more than we were 'in love.' He played polo, he went to the Hearst Ranch for wild weekends with Marion Davies, he got around to the parties – he was a big, brawny, outdoors type... I was not a party girl... Charlie pressed me to marry him, but we had too many differences. In my era, you didn't live together. It just wasn't done. So I married a San Francisco businessman, Lydell Peck, just to get away from Charlie."
Farrell married former actress Virginia Valli on February 14, 1931; the couple was married until Valli's death from a stroke on September 24, 1968.
In the 1930s, Farrell became a resident of the desert city of Palm Springs, California. In 1934, he opened the popular Palm Springs Racquet Club in the city with his business partner, fellow actor Ralph Bellamy.
here for Table of Contents
) A major player in the developing prosperity of Palm Springs in the 1930s through the 1960s, Farrell was elected to the city council in 1946 and served as mayor from 1947 to 1955. The Jack Benny Program regularly featured Farrell when they broadcast from Palm Springs, always reminding the audience he had starred in "7th Heaven". Farrell died May 6, 1990, at the age of 89 from heart failure in Palm Springs where he was interred at the Palm Springs, California#Cemeteries, Welwood Murray Cemetery.
Charles Farrell at Golden Silents
Photographs of Charles Farrell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Charles 1900 births 1990 deaths American actor-politicians American male film actors American male silent film actors American male television actors Burials at Welwood Murray Cemetery California city council members Male actors from Massachusetts Male actors from Palm Springs, California Mayors of Palm Springs, California People from Walpole, Massachusetts 20th-century American male actors 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American politicians
/ref> was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor in more than a dozen films, including '' 7th Heaven'', '' Street Angel'', and '' Lucky Star.'' Later in life, he starred on TV in the 1950s
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
s ''My Little Margie
''My Little Margie'' is an American television situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California, at Hal Ro ...
'' and played himself in ''The Charles Farrell Show''. He was active in business and civic affairs in Palm Springs, California, serving for a time as mayor.
Biography
Career
Born inWalpole, Massachusetts
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Walpole Town, as the Census refers to it, is located about south of downtown Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population of Walpole was 26,383 at the 2020 censu ...
, he began his career in Hollywood as a bit player
In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British television, ...
for Paramount Pictures. Farrell did extra work for films ranging from ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame
''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
'' with Lon Chaney, Sr.
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...
, Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
's ''The Ten Commandments (1923 film), The Ten Commandments'', and ''The Cheat (1923 film), The Cheat'' with Pola Negri.
Farrell continued to work throughout the next few years in relatively minor roles without much success until he was signed by Fox Film, Fox Studios and was paired with fellow newcomer Janet Gaynor in the romantic drama '' 7th Heaven''. The film was a public and critical success, and Farrell and Gaynor would go on to star opposite one another in more than a dozen films throughout the late 1920s and into the talkie era of the early 1930s. Unlike many of his silent screen peers, Farrell had little difficulty with "voice troubles" and remained a publicly popular actor throughout the sound era.
Early 1950s
During the early 1950s, a decade after his career in motion pictures had ended, Farrell regained popularity as a co-star on the television series ''My Little Margie
''My Little Margie'' is an American television situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California, at Hal Ro ...
'', which aired on CBS and NBC between 1952 and 1955. He played the role of the widower Vern Albright, the father of a young woman, Margie Albright, with a knack for getting into trouble, portrayed by Gale Storm. In 1956, Farrell starred in his own television program, ''The Charles Farrell Show''.
Personal life, public service and retirement
Farrell was romantically involved with Janet Gaynor, with whom he starred in twelve films, from 1926 until her first marriage in 1929. Shaken by the death of his close friend, actor Fred Thomson, Farrell proposed marriage to Gaynor around 1928, but the couple was never married. Years later, Gaynor explained her breakup with Farrell: "I think we loved each other more than we were 'in love.' He played polo, he went to the Hearst Ranch for wild weekends with Marion Davies, he got around to the parties – he was a big, brawny, outdoors type... I was not a party girl... Charlie pressed me to marry him, but we had too many differences. In my era, you didn't live together. It just wasn't done. So I married a San Francisco businessman, Lydell Peck, just to get away from Charlie."
Farrell married former actress Virginia Valli on February 14, 1931; the couple was married until Valli's death from a stroke on September 24, 1968.
In the 1930s, Farrell became a resident of the desert city of Palm Springs, California. In 1934, he opened the popular Palm Springs Racquet Club in the city with his business partner, fellow actor Ralph Bellamy.here for Table of Contents
) A major player in the developing prosperity of Palm Springs in the 1930s through the 1960s, Farrell was elected to the city council in 1946 and served as mayor from 1947 to 1955. The Jack Benny Program regularly featured Farrell when they broadcast from Palm Springs, always reminding the audience he had starred in "7th Heaven". Farrell died May 6, 1990, at the age of 89 from heart failure in Palm Springs where he was interred at the Palm Springs, California#Cemeteries, Welwood Murray Cemetery.
Awards
For his contributions to both motion pictures and television, Charles Farrell was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard for motion pictures and 1617 Vine Street for television. In 1992, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.Filmography
Features: Short Subjects: * ''The Gosh-Darn Mortgage'' (1926 in film, 1926) – Joe Hoskins * ''Hollywood Hobbies'' (1935 in film, 1935) – Himself * ''Screen Snapshots Series 15, No. 7'' (1936 in film, 1936) – HimselfSee also
* List of Mayors of Palm Springs, CaliforniaReferences
Further reading
*External links
*Charles Farrell at Golden Silents
Photographs of Charles Farrell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Charles 1900 births 1990 deaths American actor-politicians American male film actors American male silent film actors American male television actors Burials at Welwood Murray Cemetery California city council members Male actors from Massachusetts Male actors from Palm Springs, California Mayors of Palm Springs, California People from Walpole, Massachusetts 20th-century American male actors 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American politicians