Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era into the 1960s. He won an

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...

in 1942 for his performance in '' How Green Was My Valley''.

Early life

Donald Crisp was born George William Crisp at 3 Clay Hall Road,

Bow, London Bow () is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, it became part of the County of L ...

, on 27 July 1882. He was the youngest of ten children (four boys and six girls) born to Elizabeth (née Christy) and James Crisp, a labourer. He was educated locally and in 1901 was living with his parents and working as a driver of a

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a piece of equipment pulled by one or more horses. These vehicles typically have two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by auto ...

. Crisp made a number of claims about his early life that were eventually proven false decades after his death. He claimed that he was born in 1880 in Aberfeldy in

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and even went so far as to maintain a Scottish accent throughout his life in Hollywood. In fact, he had no connections to Scotland, but in 1996, a plaque commemorating him was unveiled by Scottish comedian

Jimmy Logan James Allan Short, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE, RSAMD, FRSAMD (4 April 1928 – 13 April 2001), known professionally as Jimmy Logan, was a Scotland, Scottish performer, theatrical producer, impresario and Theatre director, ...

in Crisp's supposed hometown of Aberfeldy. He claimed on alternative occasions that his father was a cattle farmer, a country doctor or a royal physician to King Edward VII. He also claimed that he was educated at Eton and

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, and that he served as a trooper in the

10th Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 11th Hussars (Prince ...

in the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

Early career

While travelling on the SS ''Carmania'' to the United States in July 1906, Crisp's singing talents during a ship's concert caught the attention of

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

John C. Fisher, who immediately offered him a job with his company. Crisp spent his first year in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in the

Grand Opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...

, and the following year as a stage director. It was while touring with the company in the United States and

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

that Crisp first became interested in the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

. By 1910, Crisp, now using the name Donald (he retained George as a middle name), was working as a

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including overseeing of the rehearsal proce ...

for the renowned entertainer, composer, playwright and director George M. Cohan. It was during this time he met and befriended film director D.W. Griffith. When Griffith ventured west, to seek his fortune in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

in 1912, Crisp accompanied him. From 1908 to 1930, Crisp, in addition to directing dozens of films, also appeared in nearly 100 silent films, though many in

bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as ...

or small parts. One notable exception was his casting by Griffith as

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

in Griffith's landmark film ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a 1915 American Silent film, silent Epic film, epic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and ...

'' in 1915. Another was his role in Griffith's 1919 film '' Broken Blossoms'' as "Battling Burrows", the brutal and abusive father of the film's heroine, Lucy Burrows (played by

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in movies of the silent era. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was dubbed the "F ...

; the actress was only 11 years his junior).

Director

Crisp worked as an assistant to Griffith for several years and learned much during this time from Griffith, an early master of film story telling who was influential in advancing a number of early techniques, such as cross cutting in editing his films. This experience fostered a similar passion in Crisp to become a director in his own right. His first directing credit was ''Little Country Mouse'', made in 1914. Many directors (and actors) would find themselves turning out a dozen or more films in a single year at this time. Over the next fifteen years, Crisp directed some 70 films in all, most notably '' The Navigator'' (1924) with

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

and '' Don Q, Son of Zorro'' (1925) with

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

. When asked later by an interviewer why he eventually gave up directing and returned full-time to acting, Crisp commented that directing had become extremely wearisome because he was so often called upon, if not forced, to do favours for studio chiefs by agreeing to employ their relatives in his films. His final directorial effort was the film '' The Runaway Bride'' (1930).

Military career

Between working for Griffith and other producers, along with his many acting roles, Crisp managed to return to the U.K., serving in British army intelligence during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(1914–1918). Crisp became an American citizen in 1930; during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1939–1945), he served in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...

, attaining the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Return to acting

With the advent of "

talkies A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, 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, bu ...

", Crisp abandoned directing and devoted himself entirely to acting after 1930. He became a much sought after

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he appeared in a wide range of roles alongside some of the era's biggest

stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

, including

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

in '' The Little Minister'' (1934) and '' A Woman Rebels'' (1936),

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

in ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...

'' (1935),

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

and Henry Fonda in '' That Certain Woman'' (1937) and ''

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

'' (1938),

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

in ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'' (1939),

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

in ''

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'', for a time also entitled ''Elizabeth the Queen'', is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on ...

'' (1939) and The Charge of the Light Brigade, '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) and

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...

in '' The Valley of Decision'' (1945). A versatile

supporting actor A supporting actor or supporting actress is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give ...

, Crisp could be equally good in lovable or sinister roles. During the same period he was playing loving

father figure A father figure is usually an older man, normally one with power, authority, or strength, with whom one can identify on a deeply psychology, psychological level and who generates emotions generally felt towards one's father. Despite the literal t ...

s or charming old codgers in classic films like '' National Velvet'' and ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was d ...

'', he also turned in a well-received performance as

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

Beach, the tormented presumptive

grandfather Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...

in Lewis Allen's '' The Uninvited'' (1944). Undoubtedly, however, Crisp's most memorable role was as the taciturn but loving father in '' How Green Was My Valley'' (1941) directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

. The film received ten

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nominations, winning five, including Best Picture, with Crisp winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1942.

Hollywood power broker

Crisp was an active and important liaison between the film industry and outside business interests. His extensive experience in business, the military and entertainment, including being a production and studio executive, lent itself well to this task. He became a highly valued

adviser An adviser or advisor is normally a person with more and deeper knowledge in a specific area and usually also includes persons with cross-functional and multidisciplinary expertise. An adviser's role is that of a mentor or guide and differs catego ...

whose clear-headed forward thinking proved invaluable to the

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...

, which was one of the leading sources of

working capital Working capital (WC) is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organisation, or other entity, including governmental entities. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is consi ...

for the film industry for many years (an industry whose life blood was loans). Crisp served on the bank's

advisory board An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to the ...

for several decades, including a stint as its

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

. In this role, he had the ear of its

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

, and many of the films eventually financed by the bank during the 1930s and 1940s got their most important approval from Crisp.Profile of Donald Crisp
''The New York Times''; accessed 9 July 2014.

Later years and legacy

Crisp eventually became one of the more wealthy members of the film industry. His "banker's sobriety", extensive contacts and clarity of thought allowed him to make good investments, particularly in the

real estate market Real estate business is the profession of buying, leasing, managing, or selling real estate (commercial, industrial, residential, or mixed-use premises)."Real estate": Oxford English Dictionary online: Retrieved September 18, 2011 Marketing and ...

. He continued to appear in films throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s. During more than half a century as an actor, he appeared in as many as 400 two-reel and feature-length productions, perhaps a great deal more.

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later J ...

, who counted over 500 films to his own credit (the Internet Movie Database records over 300), told his son Keith, who repeated the story during a 2018

Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, best-known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York dialect, his squint, and his edgy, often-controversial, sense of humor. Hi ...

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

, that only Donald Crisp had appeared in more movies. Crisp's final screen role was as Grandpa Spencer alongside former film co-stars Henry Fonda and

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

in the 1963 film '' Spencer's Mountain''. This film, adapted from the novel by Earl Hamner, Jr., was the basis for the 1970s television series ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural mountainous Western Virginia of the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains / Blue Ridge Mountains chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemp ...

''. Crisp was in his eighties by the time he quit acting entirely, continuing to work long after it was financially necessary simply because he enjoyed it. He was married three times. In 1912, he married actress Helen Pease, and they remained together until her death the following year. In 1917, he married Marie Stark, whom he divorced in 1920; she went on to act in silent films as Marie Crisp. In 1932, he married film

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

Jane Murfin, whom he divorced in 1944. He died in 1974, a few months short of his 92nd birthday, due to complications from a series of

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

s. In addition to being one of the premier character actors of his era, he left behind an extensive list of contributions to the film industry he worked to promote for more than fifty years. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. He was a staunch Republican who campaigned for

Thomas Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...

in 1944. On February 8, 1960, Crisp received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

for his contributions to the motion pictures industry at 1628

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, and Melrose Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine being symbolic of Hollywood itself. The intersection has be ...

Partial filmography

As actor

*''The French Maid'' (1908, Short) *''Through the Breakers'' (1909, Short) as At the Club *''Sunshine Sue'' (1910, Short) as Head of Sweatshop *''A Plain Song'' (1910, Short) as at station *''A Child's Stratagem'' (1910, Short) as policeman *''The Golden Supper'' (1910, Short) as courtier (uncredited) *''Winning Back His Love'' (1910, Short) as at stage door *'' The Two Paths'' (1911, Short) as footman *''

Heart Beats of Long Ago ''Heart Beats of Long Ago'' is a 1911 American short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring George Nichols and featuring Blanche Sweet. The film is preserved in the Library of Congress as a paper print. Cast See also * D. ...

'' (1911, Short) as courtier *'' What Shall We Do with Our Old?'' (1911, Short) as bailiff *''

The Lily of the Tenements ''The Lily of the Tenements'' is a 1911 American short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Clara T. Bracy and featuring Blanche Sweet. Cast See also * D. W. Griffith filmography * Blanche Sweet filmography __NOTOC_ ...

'' (1911, Short) *''

A Decree of Destiny ''A Decree of Destiny'' is a 1911 American short silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Mary Pickford and featuring Blanche Sweet. Cast See also * List of American films of 1911 A list of American films rele ...

'' (1911, Short) as at the club / at the wedding *'' The White Rose of the Wilds'' (1911, Short) *'' Her Awakening'' (1911, Short) as accident witness *'' The Primal Call'' (1911, Short) *'' Out from the Shadow'' (1911, Short) at a dance *'' The Making of a Man'' (1911, Short) as actor / backstage *'' The Long Road'' (1911, Short) as a servant / the landlord *'' The Battle'' (1911, Short) as a Union soldier *''

The Miser's Heart ''The Miser's Heart'' is a 1911 American short film, short silent film, silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey where early film studios in America's first motion pictu ...

'' (1911, Short) as a policeman *'' The Italian Barber'' (1911, Short) as at ball *''Help Wanted'' (1911, Short) as in corridor *'' Fate's Turning'' (1911, Short) as a valet *''The Poor Sick Men'' (1911, Short) as policeman *''A Wreath of Orange Blossoms'' (1911, Short) as servant *''Conscience'' (1911, Short) as policeman *''In the Days of '49'' (1911, Short) *''The Diving Girl'' (1911, Short) as a bather *'' Swords and Hearts'' (1911, Short) as bushwacker *''The Squaw's Love'' (1911, Short) as Indian *'' The Adventures of Billy'' (1911, Short) as first tramp *''The Failure'' (1911, Short) as employer *'' The Eternal Mother'' (1912, Short) as in-field *'' The Musketeers of Pig Alley'' (1912, Short) as rival gang member *'' The Inner Circle'' (1912, Short) *'' Pirate Gold'' (1913, Short) *'' Near to Earth'' (1913, Short) *'' The Sheriff's Baby'' (1913, Short) *'' Olaf—An Atom'' (1913, Short) as the beggar *'' The Mothering Heart'' (1913, Short) (unconfirmed) *'' Two Men of the Desert'' (1913, Short) *''

Black and White Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

'' (1913, Short) *'' The Battle of the Sexes'' (1914) as Frank Andrews * '' The Great Leap; Until Death Do Us Part'' (1914) *'' Home, Sweet Home'' (1914) as the mother's son *'' The Escape'' (1914) as "Bull" McGee *'' The Folly of Anne'' (1914, Short) *'' The Sisters'' (1914, Short) *''The Mysterious Shot'' (1914, Short) as Buck *''The Stiletto'' (1914, Short) as Angelino *''The Mountain Rat'' (1914, Short) as Steve *''Ashes of the Past'' (1914, Short) *''The Different Man'' (1914, Short) as ranch farmer *''The Miniature Portrait'' (1914, Short) *''The Soul of Honor'' (1914, Short) *''The Newer Woman'' (1914, Short) *''Their First Acquaintance'' (1914, Short) *''The Birthday Present'' (1914, Short) as the burglar *''The Weaker Strain'' (1914, Short) *'' The Avenging Conscience'' (1914) as Minor Role (uncredited) *''The Idiot'' (1914, Short) *''The Tavern of Tragedy'' (1914, Short) as spy, Bob Jameson *''Her Mother's Necklace'' (1914, Short) as the burglar *''A Lesson in Mechanics'' (1914, Short) *''Down the Hill to Creditville'' (1914, Short) *''The Great God Fear'' (1914, Short) as Dick Stull *''His Mother's Trust'' (1914, Short) as Dr. Keene *''The Warning'' (1914, Short) as Mr. Edwards *''Another Chance'' (1914, Short) as The Tramp *''A Question of Courage'' (1914, Short) *'' Over the Ledge'' (1914, Short) *''An Old Fashioned Girl'' (1915, Short) *''

'' (1915) as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant *'' The Love Route'' (1915) as Harry Marshall *''The Commanding Officer'' (1915) as Col. Archer *'' May Blossom'' (1915) as Steve Harland *'' The Foundling'' (1915) (scenes cut) *'' A Girl of Yesterday'' (1915) as A. H. Monroe *'' Ramona'' (1916) as Jim Farrar *''

Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system * ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith * ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...

'' (1916) as Extra (uncredited) *'' Joan the Woman'' (1916) *'' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) as Battling Burrows *'' The Bonnie Brier Bush'' (1921; also directed) as Lachlan Campbell *'' Don Q, Son of Zorro'' (1925) as Don Sebastian *'' The Black Pirate'' (1926) as MacTavish *'' Stand and Deliver'' (1928) as London Club Member (uncredited) *'' The River Pirate'' (1928) as Caxton *'' The Viking'' (1928) as Leif Ericsson *'' Trent's Last Case'' (1929) as Sigsbee Manderson *'' The Pagan'' (1929) as Mr. Roger Slater *'' The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' (1929) as Colonel Moran *''

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

'' (1930) as Charles Fox *''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Defini ...

'' (1931) as The Laird *'' Kick In'' (1931) as Police Commissioner Harvey *'' A Passport to Hell'' (1932) as Sgt. Snyder *'' Red Dust'' (1932) as Guidon, overseer *'' Broadway Bad'' (1933) as Darrall *'' The Crime Doctor'' (1934) as D.A. Mr. Anthony *'' The Key'' (1934) as Peadar Conlan *'' The Life of Vergie Winters'' (1934) as Mike Davey *'' British Agent'' (1934) as Marshall O'Reilly (scenes cut) *'' What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) as David Wylie *'' The Little Minister'' (1934) as Doctor McQueen *'' Vanessa: Her Love Story'' (1935) as George, the Inn Keeper *'' Laddie'' (1935) as Mr. Pryor *'' Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935) as J.T. McCarter *''

'' (1935) as Burkitt * '' The White Angel'' (1936) as Doctor Hunt *'' Mary of Scotland'' (1936) as Huntly *'' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1936) as Col. Campbell *'' A Woman Rebels'' (1936) as Judge Byron Thisthlewaite *'' Beloved Enemy'' (1936) as Liam Burke *'' The Great O'Malley'' (1937) as Captain Cromwell *'' Parnell'' (1937) as Davitt *'' The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937) as Maitre Labori *''

Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...

'' (1937) as Presiding Judge *'' That Certain Woman'' (1937) as Jack Merrick, Sr. *'' Sergeant Murphy'' (1938) as Col. Todd Carruthers *''

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

'' (1938) as Dr. Livingstone *'' The Beloved Brat'' (1938) as John Morgan *'' The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse'' (1938) as Police Inspector Lewis Lane *'' Valley of the Giants'' (1938) as Andy Stone *'' The Sisters'' (1938) as Tim Hazelton *'' Comet Over Broadway'' (1938) as Joe Grant *'' The Dawn Patrol'' (1938) as Phipps *''

The Oklahoma Kid ''The Oklahoma Kid'' is a 1939 Western film starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. The film was directed for Warner Bros. by Lloyd Bacon. Cagney plays an adventurous gunslinger in a broad-brimmed cowboy hat while Bogart portrays his bl ...

'' (1939) as Judge Hardwick *''

'' (1939) as Dr. Kenneth *'' Juarez'' (1939) as General Marechal Achille Bazaine *''

Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty was a loosely organized, clandestine, sometimes violent, political organization active in the Thirteen American Colonies founded to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. It p ...

'' (1939, Short) as Alexander MacDongall *'' Daughters Courageous'' (1939) as Samuel 'Sam' Sloane *'' The Old Maid'' (1939) as Dr. Lanshell *''

'' (1939) as Francis Bacon *'' Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet'' (1940) as Minister Althoff *'' Brother Orchid'' (1940) as Brother Superior *'' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) as Sir John Burleson *'' City for Conquest'' (1940) as Scotty MacPherson *''

Knute Rockne, All American ''Knute Rockne, All American'' is a 1940 American biographical film that tells the story of Knute Rockne, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame's legendary football coach. It stars Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien as Rockne and Ronald Reagan as p ...

'' (1940) as Father John Callahan *'' Shining Victory'' (1941) as Dr. Drewitt *''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series ...

'' (1941) as Sir Charles Emery *'' How Green Was My Valley'' (1941) as Gwilym Morgan *'' The Gay Sisters'' (1942) as Ralph Pedloch *'' Forever and a Day'' (1943) as Capt. Martin *''

'' (1943) as Sam Carraclouch *'' The Uninvited'' (1944) as Commander Beech *'' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) as J.B. Pond *'' National Velvet'' (1944) as Mr. Herbert Brown *'' Son of Lassie'' (1945) as Sam Carraclouch *'' The Valley of Decision'' (1945) as William Scott *''

Ramrod A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloader, muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was u ...

'' (1947) as Jim Crew *'' Hills of Home'' (1948) as Drumsheugh *'' Whispering Smith'' (1948) as Barney Rebstock *'' Challenge to Lassie'' (1949) as John "Jock" Gray *'' Bright Leaf'' (1950) as Mayor James Singleton *'' Home Town Story'' (1951) as John MacFarland *''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full s ...

'' (1954) as King Aguar *'' The Long Gray Line'' (1955) as Old Martin *'' The Man from Laramie'' (1955) as Alec Waggoman *'' Drango'' (1957) as Judge Allen *'' Saddle the Wind'' (1958) as Dennis Deneen *'' The Last Hurrah'' (1958) as Cardinal Martin Burke *'' A Dog of Flanders'' (1959) as Jehan Daas *'' Pollyanna'' (1960) as Mayor Karl Warren *'' Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog'' (1961) as James Brown *'' Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) as Grandpa Zubulon Spencer (final film role)

As a director

*'' Her Father's Silent Partner'' (1914, Short) *'' Ramona'' (1916) *'' Rimrock Jones'' (1918) *'' Believe Me, Xantippe'' (1918) *'' The Goat'' (1918) *'' Johnny Get Your Gun'' (1919) *'' Love Insurance'' (1919) *'' Why Smith Left Home'' (1919) *''It Pays to Advertise'' (1919) *'' Too Much Johnson'' (1919) *'' The Six Best Cellars'' (1920) *'' Miss Hobbs'' (1920) *'' Held by the Enemy'' (1920) *'' Appearances'' (1921) *''

The Princess of New York ''The Princess of New York'' is a 1921 British crime film directed by Donald Crisp. Alfred Hitchcock is credited as a title designer. The film is now considered a lost film. Cast * David Powell - Geoffrey Kingsward * Mary Glynne - Helen Stan ...

'' (1921) *'' The Bonnie Brier Bush'' (1921; also acted) *'' Tell Your Children'' (1922) *'' The Navigator'' (1924) (co-directed with

) *'' Ponjola'' (1924) (co-directed with James Young) *'' Don Q, Son of Zorro'' (1925; also acted) *'' Young April'' (1926) *'' Dress Parade'' (1927) *'' Nobody's Widow'' (1927) *'' The Cop'' (1928) *'' The Runaway Bride'' (1930)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crisp, Donald 20th-century American male actors 20th-century English male actors American male film actors English male film actors American male silent film actors English male silent film actors Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners British silent film directors Film directors from Los Angeles Film directors from London Male actors from London Writers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army reservists British Army personnel of World War I Naturalized citizens of the United States English emigrants to the United States Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 1882 births 1974 deaths People from Bow, London