John Bowers (born John E. Bowersox; December 25, 1885 – November 17, 1936) was an American stage and

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

actor who starred in 94 films including several short subjects. He has been identified as being an inspiration for the character Norman Maine in '' A Star Is Born'' (1937).

Early life and career

Born John E. Bowersox in

Garrett, Indiana Garrett is a city in Keyser Township, DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,286 at the 2010 census. History Garrett was platted in 1875 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for J ...

, to George and Ida Bowersox, John Bowers attended Huntington Business College in

Huntington, Indiana Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is the largest city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington and Union townships. It is also part of Fort Wayne, Indiana's metropolitan area. The population wa ...

, where he became interested in acting. He joined a stock stage group and traveled until he landed in New York in 1912, where he appeared in Broadway productions. Bowers began his film career in 1914. Within five years, he became one of the most popular leading men. During his career he co-starred frequently with

Marguerite De La Motte Marguerite De La Motte (June 22, 1902 – March 10, 1950) was an American film actress, most notably of the silent film era. Early years Born in Duluth, Minnesota, De La Motte was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph De La Motte. She was a ...

, whom he later married. Like many silent film stars, Bowers saw his career collapse when

talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

became the standard.

Death

On November 17, 1936, Bowers heard that his old friend

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgrou ...

was directing

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

in ''

Souls at Sea ''Souls at Sea'' is a 1937 American adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. Based on a story by Ted Lesser, the film is about a first mate on a slave ship who frees the slaves on the ship after a mutiny ...

'' on and off the shore of Santa Catalina. The 50-year-old actor rented a 16-foot sloop and sailed to the island, hoping to land a part in the picture, only to learn that it had been cast. He never returned to shore, and his body was found on the beach at

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...

, California. Chuck Palahniuk claims folk legend dictates John simply walked into the ocean upon hearing this news. His life, and particularly his death, is identified as inspiration for the character Norman Maine in '' A Star Is Born'' (1937). That character was also based on

Norman Kerry Norman Kerry (born Norman Hussey Kaiser,"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards,registration for Norman Hussey Kaiser, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1942 This document lists his full name as Norman Hussey Kaiser, noting the na ...

. For his contributions to the film industry, Bowers received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1709 Vine Street in 1960.

Selected filmography

References

External links

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John Bowers
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowers, John 1885 births 1936 suicides 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Indiana American male film actors American male silent film actors American male stage actors Suicides by drowning in the United States Suicides in California People from DeKalb County, Indiana 1936 deaths