William Elmer Booth (December 9, 1882 – June 16, 1915) was an American stage and film actor. He was born in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...
and was the elder brother of
Margaret Booth, a renowned film editor for Hollywood productions for nearly 70 years.
Career
Elmer began acting in touring stock companies as a teenager and achieved great success in the
stock company at the Central Theater in San Francisco from 1903-1906. Between 1910 and 1915 he starred in 40 movies; one of those was
D. W. Griffith's ''
The Musketeers of Pig Alley'' (1912), cited by many film experts as the first
gangster movie.
Playing "The Snapper Kid", a Manhattan street tough engaged in a turf war on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally ...
, Booth interpreted the gangster as a cocky, entertaining antihero, far different from the standard teeth-gnashing movie bad guys of his time.
Death
In the early hours of June 16, 1915, Booth died in an accident in California while riding in a car driven by
Tod Browning
Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...
, an actor and new director with
Reliance-Majestic Studios in Hollywood.
["Investigating Ride to Death", ''Los Angeles Times'', Pictorial City Sheet II, June 17, 1915, p. 1. ]ProQuest
ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...
Historical Newspapers Actor
George Siegmann
George A. Siegmann (also credited as George Seigmann; February 8, 1882 – June 22, 1928) was an American actor and film director in the silent film era. His work includes roles in notable productions such as ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915), ' ...
was also a passenger in Browning's car. The day after the accident, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that the three men were returning to downtown Los Angeles from a
roadhouse when Browning's car crashed into a train of the
Salt Lake Railroad:Browning and Siegmann survived, although they both suffered serious injuries.
["Elmer Booth Killed"](_blank)
''Moving Picture World
The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios.
...
'', July 3, 1915, p.75. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music ...
, San Francisco, California. Retrieved November 18, 2019. Later reports blamed the accident on heavy fog; nevertheless, Elmer's sister Margaret never forgave Browning for the loss of her brother.
D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
, who had planned to cast Booth in an important role in ''
Intolerance'', delivered the actor's graveside eulogy.
Personal life
Booth married actress Irene Outtrim in 1908. That same year, their son was born; he died of pneumonia in March 1910.
Selected filmography
* ''
A Beast at Bay'' (1912)
* ''
An Unseen Enemy'' (1912)
* ''
The Musketeers of Pig Alley'' (1912)
* ''
Gold and Glitter'' (1912)
* ''
The Adopted Brother'' (1913)
* ''
Mrs. Black is Back'' (1914)
* ''
Gasoline Gus'' (1915)
* ''
A Chase by Moonlight'' (1915)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Elmer
1882 births
1915 deaths
American male film actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
Road incident deaths in California
20th-century American male actors
Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery