Richard Talmadge (born Sylvester Alphonse Metz; 3 December 1892 – 25 January 1981) also known as Sylvester Metzetti, Ricardo Metzetti, or Sylvester Ricardo Metzetti, was a German-born actor, stuntman and film director.

Early life

Born in Germany in 1892, Talmadge arrived in Hollywood in 1910 and began his career as a stuntman (including a stint with

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

) before becoming an actor himself. He began starring in silent action pictures in 1921, and began producing his own vehicles in 1923. His last silent feature, ''The Poor Millionaire'' (1930), was the very last silent production filmed in Hollywood (except for two Charlie Chaplin silent features that were released well after the advent of sound).

Career

Richard Talmadge spoke fluent English, but with a German accent that became obvious when talkies arrived. Still acting as his own producer, he began starring in lower-budgeted features. His accent didn't matter much in these pictures, which had Talmadge in almost constant motion, doing spectacular stunts throughout the films. During the Depression he gave up his production company and signed with a major studio,

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, where he starred in the 12-chapter serial ''

Pirate Treasure ''Pirate Treasure'' is a 1934 Universal film serial. It was the twenty-first sound serial released by Universal, of the sixty-nine they released in total (it was the eighty-ninth serial if Universal's silent serials are considered as well, of a ...

'' (1934). Independent producers Bernard B. Ray and Harry S. Webb then signed Talmadge for a series of action features, with titles emphasizing Talmadge's breakneck speed: ''Never Too Late'', ''Step on It'', ''The Live Wire'', etc. These were his last starring efforts. Talmadge then began working behind the cameras as assistant director, stunt coordinator, and director. His later work included '' How the West Was Won'', ''

The Greatest Story Ever Told ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens. It is a retelling of the Biblical account about Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity through to the Ascension. Along with the ensemble cast ...

'' and '' Casino Royale''.

Personal life

He was the stepfather of American polo pioneer and Polo's Grande Dame Sue Sally Hale. His brothers, Otto and Victor Metzetti, both had success as stunt performers, and were members of the vaudeville troupe the Flying Metzettis, (or the Five Metzettis) who were the first to perform the quadruple back somersault in 1917, at Barnum and Bailey's, with Richard as ''voltiguer''. The family was close, with brothers Otto, Victor, and Leon working on the Richard Talmadge productions of the 1930s.

Death

Talmadge died of cancer at the age of 88 on 25 January 1981, in Carmel,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, his grave marked with the name "Richard Metzetti Talmadge".

Selected filmography

*'' The Cub Reporter'' (1922) * '' Wildcat Jordan'' (1922) * ''

Lucky Dan ''Lucky Dan'' is a 1922 American silent action film directed by William K. Howard and starring Richard Talmadge, George A. Williams and Dorothy Wood.Munden p.466 Plot Cast * Richard Talmadge Richard Talmadge (born Sylvester Alphonse Met ...

'' (1922) *'' Danger Ahead'' (1923) * '' Let's Go'' (1923) *'' On Time'' (1924) *'' American Manners'' (1924) * '' Stepping Lively'' (1924) * '' Laughing at Danger'' (1924) * '' In Fast Company'' (1924) *'' The Prince of Pep'' (1925) * '' The Fighting Demon'' (1925) * ''

Youth and Adventure ''Youth and Adventure'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by James W. Horne and starring Richard Talmadge, Margaret Landis, and Joseph W. Girard. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, having squandered a million dollar ...

'' (1925) * '' Tearing Through'' (1925) * '' The Wall Street Whiz'' (1925) * '' Jimmie's Millions'' (1925) * ''

The Mysterious Stranger ''The Mysterious Stranger'' is a novel attempted by the American author Mark Twain. He worked on it intermittently from 1897 through 1908. Twain wrote multiple versions of the story; each involves a supernatural character called "Satan" or "No. ...

'' (1925) * '' The Blue Streak'' (1926) * '' The Better Man'' (1926) * '' Doubling with Danger'' (1926) * '' The Night Patrol'' (1926) * '' The Merry Cavalier'' (1926) *''

The Cavalier ''Woodstock, or The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one'' (1826) is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Set just after the English Civil War, it was inspired by the legend of the Good Devil ...

'' (1928) * '' The Bachelor's Club'' (1929) *'' Sonny Boy'' (1929) * '' The Poor Millionaire'' (1930, his last silent feature) *'' Yankee Don'' (1931, his first sound feature) * '' Scareheads'' (1931) * '' Speed Madness'' (1932) * '' Get That Girl'' (1932) *''

'' (1934, serial) *'' The Fighting Pilot'' (1935) *'' Now or Never'' (1935) *'' The Live Wire'' (1935) *'' Never Too Late'' (1935) *'' Step on It'' (1936) * '' The Speed Reporter'' (1936) * ''

Black Eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

'' (1948) * '' Fortunes of Captain Blood'' (1950) * '' Border Outlaws'' (1950) *''

Project Moonbase ''Project Moonbase'' (a.k.a. ''Project Moon Base'') is a 1953 independently made black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Jack Seaman, directed by Richard Talmadge, and starring Ross Ford, Donna Martell, Hayden Rorke. It co-stars Larry ...

'' (1953) (director) *''

I Killed Wild Bill Hickok ''I Killed Wild Bill Hickok'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Richard Talmadge. It is an entirely fictional account of Wild Bill Hickok ( Tom Brown) who is the villain of the film. The film was produced and written by Johnny Carpe ...

'' (1956) (director) *'' Casino Royale'' (1967) (director) (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Talmadge, Richard 1892 births 1981 deaths Pseudonymous artists German male film actors American stunt performers American film directors American male film actors American male silent film actors People from Saale-Holzland-Kreis 20th-century American male actors 20th-century German male actors Male actors from Munich German emigrants to the United States Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery