William Russell (born William Lerche; April 12, 1884 – February 18, 1929) was an American actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. He appeared in over two hundred silent-era motion pictures between 1910 and 1929, directing five of them in 1916 and producing two through his own

production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and v ...

in 1918 and 1925.

Early life and career

Born in the Bronx borough of New York City, Russell began his acting career on the

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

when he was eight years old. He appeared with such notables as Ethel Barrymore, Chauncey Olcott,

Blanche Bates Blanche Bates (August 25, 1873 – December 25, 1941) was an American actress. Early years Bates was born in Portland, Oregon, while her parents (both of whom were actors) were on a road tour. As an infant, she traveled with them on a t ...

, Maude Adams and others. Russell's Broadway credits include ''Princess Flavia'' (1925), ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (1923), and ''The Tenderfoot'' (1904). His career came to a stop when he was 16, however, when he became an invalid. Through rigorous physical therapy, he recovered his health six years later. He then became an amateur boxing champion.

Motion pictures

Russell began his

screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing * Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry * Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mul ...

career in New York with the

Biograph Company The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, ...

, where he worked for nine months before signing with the

Thanhouser Company The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...

. He was also part of the company of players for the

American Film Manufacturing Company The American Film Manufacturing Company, also known as Flying “A” Studios, was an American motion picture production company. In 1915, the formal name was changed to the American Film Company. History The American Film Manufacturing Comp ...

and its Flying "A" Studios in Santa Barbara. In 1917, he and actress

Charlotte Burton Charlotte E. Burton (May 30, 1881 – March 28, 1942) was an American silent film actress. Career Born in San Francisco, Burton was signed by the American Film Manufacturing Company in 1912 where she worked for several years. She join ...

were married. They divorced in 1921. He and actress

Helen Ferguson Helen Ferguson (July 23, 1901 – March 14, 1977) was an American actress later turned publicist. Biography Born in Decatur, Illinois, in 1901, Ferguson graduated from Nicholas High School of Chicago and the Academy of Fine Arts. Ferguson wa ...

were married on June 21, 1925, at the Wilshire Boulevard Congregational Church, after a six-year romance. William Russell died at the age of 44 from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

at Hollywood Hospital in Los Angeles."Russell Rites To Be Saturday." ''Los Angeles Times''. February 19, 1929. p. A 1. He is entombed in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Love, at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale. His brother, director Albert Russell, died two weeks later from pneumonia.

Selected filmography

Actor

References

External links

*
William Russell Photo
at New York Public Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, William 1884 births 1929 deaths 19th-century American male actors American Christian Scientists American male stage actors American male silent film actors Male actors from New York City Deaths from pneumonia in California 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) People from the Bronx Silent film screenwriters 20th-century screenwriters