Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson, 26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film

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 ...

who appeared in many Hollywood films, including '' Broken Chains'' (1922) with

Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...

, '' Mantrap'' (1926) with

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

and '' Fighting Caravans'' (1931) with

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

and Lili Damita. A towering figure, tall, Torrence frequently played cold-eyed and imposing villains.

Biography

Education and early work

He was born to Colonel Henry Torrence Thayson and Jessie (née Bryce) on 26 June 1878, in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

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 as a child was an exceptional pianist and operatic baritone and graduated from the Stuttgart Conservatory,

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Stockbridge, is now part of the Senior Scho ...

before earning a scholarship at London's

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

. He toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in such productions as '' The Emerald Isle'' (1901), '' Little Hans Andersen'' (1903) and ''The Talk of the Town'' (1905) before disarming vocal problems set in and he was forced to abandon this career path. Sometime prior to 1900, he changed the spelling of Torrance to Torrence and dropped the name Thomson. Both Ernest and his actor brother David Torrence went to America, with Ernest joining David in New York in September 1911. Focusing on a purely acting career, Ernest and his brother developed into experienced players on the Broadway New York stage. Ernest received significant acclaim with '' Modest Suzanne'' in 1912, and a prominent role in '' The Night Boat'' in 1920 brought him to the attention of the early Hollywood filmmakers. He also created the role of the painter Andrew McMurray in

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

's '' The Only Girl'' (1914).

Film career

Torrence played the despicable adversary Luke Hatburn in ''

Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of vio ...

'' (1921) opposite

Richard Barthelmess Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's '' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) and ''Way Down East'' (1920) and ...

and immediately settled into films for the rest of his career and life. He played an old codger in the acclaimed classic western ''

The Covered Wagon ''The Covered Wagon'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Epic film, epic Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a 1922 novel of the same name by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers tr ...

'' (1923) and gained attention from his roles in '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1923) as Clopin, king of the beggars, and with

Betty Bronson Elizabeth Ada Bronson (November 17, 1906 – October 19, 1971) was an American film and television actress who began her career during the silent film era. Early years Bronson was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Frank and Nellie Smith Bronso ...

in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' (1924) as the dastardly

Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...

. He played an Army General who escapes into the circus world and becomes a clown in '' The Side Show of Life'' (1924). Ian and Ernest Torrence

In an offbeat bit of casting he paired up with

in '' Mantrap'' (1926), unusually as a gentle, giant type backwoodsman in search of a wife. He appeared in other silent film classics such as '' The King of Kings'' (1927) (as Peter) and '' Steamboat Bill, Jr.'' (1928) as

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 ...

's steamboat captain father. During the course of his twelve-year film career, Ernest made 49 films, both silent and "talkies".

Death

Torrence made the transition into talking films very well, starring in '' Fighting Caravans'' (1931) with

and Lili Damita. He was able to play a notable nemesis, Dr. Moriarty, to

Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English stage and film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the Unit ...

's Sherlock in ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' (1932) in one of his last roles. Filming for '' I Cover the Waterfront'' (1933), in which he starred as a smuggler opposite

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

in New York City, had just been completed when he died suddenly on 15 May 1933. While ''en route'' to Europe by ship, Torrence suffered an acute attack of gall stones and was rushed back to a New York City hospital. He died of complications following surgery.

Partial filmography

*''A Dangerous Affair'' (1919) - Abner *''

'' (1921) - Luke Hatburn * '' The Prodigal Judge'' (1922) - Solomon Mahaffy *'' Singed Wings'' (1922) - Emilio *'' Broken Chains'' (1922) - Boyan Boone *'' The Kingdom Within'' (1922) - Krieg *''

'' (1923) - William Jackson *'' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1923) - 'Devil' Jud Tolliver *'' The Brass Bottle'' (1923) - Fakresh-el-Aamash *'' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1923) - Clopin *''

Ruggles of Red Gap ''Ruggles of Red Gap'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and starring: Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles and ZaSu Pitts and featuring Roland Young and Leila Hyams. It was based on the best-selling 1915 nove ...

'' (1923) - Cousin Egbert Floud *'' West of the Water Tower'' (1923) - Rev. Adrian Plummer *'' Heritage of the Desert'' (1924) - August Naab *'' The Fighting Coward'' (1924) - Gen. Orlando Jackson *'' The Side Show of Life'' (1924) - Andrew Lackaday *'' North of 36'' (1924) - Jim Nabours *''

'' (1924) - Captain James Hook *'' The Dressmaker from Paris'' (1925) - Angus McGregor *'' The Wanderer'' (1925) - Tola *'' Night Life of New York'' (1925) - John Bentley *'' The Pony Express'' (1925) - 'Ascension' Jones *'' The American Venus'' (1926) - King Neptune *'' The Blind Goddess'' (1926) - Mr. Clayton *'' The Rainmaker'' (1926) - Mike *'' Mantrap'' (1926) - Joe Easter *'' The Lady of the Harem'' (1926) - Hassan *'' The King of Kings'' (1927) - Peter *'' Captain Salvation'' (1927) - Captain of the 'Panther' *'' Twelve Miles Out'' (1927) - Red McCue *'' Across to Singapore'' (1928) - Capt. Mark Shore *'' Steamboat Bill, Jr.'' (1928) - William "Steamboat Bill" Canfield Sr. *'' The Cossacks'' (1928) - Ivan *'' Desert Nights'' (1929) - Lord Stonehill *''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The ...

'' (1929) - Uncle Pio *''

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...

'' (1929) - Jim MacDonald *'' The Unholy Night'' (1929) - Dr. Ballou *'' Untamed'' (1929) - Ben Murchison *'' Officer O'Brien'' (1930) - John P. O'Brien *''

Strictly Unconventional ''Strictly Unconventional'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by David Burton, written by Sylvia Thalberg and Frank Butler, and starring Catherine Dale Owen, Paul Cavanagh, Tyrell Davis, Lewis Stone and Ernest Torrence. It wa ...

'' (1930) - Lord Porteous *'' Sweet Kitty Bellairs'' (1930) - Sir Jasper Standish *'' Call of the Flesh'' (1930) - Esteban *'' Fighting Caravans'' (1931) - Bill Jackson *'' Shipmates'' (1931) - Scotty *'' The Great Lover'' (1931) - Potter *'' Sporting Blood'' (1931) - Mr. Jim Rellence *''

New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford ''New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime / romantic comedy film directed by Sam Wood and starring William Haines as a con artist and Jimmy Durante as his pickpocket buddy. The film is based on a serie ...

'' (1931) - Blackie Daw *'' The Cuban Love Song'' (1931) - Romance *''

'' (1932) - Professor James Moriarty *''

Hypnotized Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychological ...

'' (1932) - Prof. Horace S. Limberly - Hypnotist *'' I Cover the Waterfront'' (1933) - Eli Kirk (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Photographs and literature on Ernest Torrence
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torrence, Ernest 1878 births 1933 deaths 20th-century Scottish male opera singers 20th-century Scottish male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths from digestive disease Scottish male film actors Scottish male silent film actors Scottish operatic baritones Scottish pianists State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart alumni Scottish expatriate male actors in the United States