Fred Rosewell Church (October 17, 1889National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; ARC Identifier 583830 / MLR Number A1 534; NARA Series: M1490; Roll #1085 – January 7, 1983) was an American actor of the

silent era 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, wh ...

. After entering vaudeville when he was a boy, Church became part of a double act that spent two years on the circuit. After touring the U.S. in vaudeville, he acted in repertory theater in the central western U.S., including the Selig Company in Chicago. In 1908, Church joined

Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western (genre), Western film genre. He was a ...

in Western films for the latter's

Essanay Studios Essanay Studios, officially the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago by George Kirke Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson, originally as the Peerless Film Manufactu ...

. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1908 and 1935. From 1928 to 1930, he made six films billed as Montana Bill. Church was born in

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Boone ...

(another source says Quebec, Canada), and died in

Blythe, California Blythe () is a city in eastern Riverside County, California, United States. It is in the Palo Verde Valley of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River, approximatel ...

,California Death Index, 1940-1997, Riverside County; Date: January 7, 1983; Social Security: 565149978 near his home in

Quartzsite, Arizona Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413. Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite which is at the intersection of U.S. Route 95 and Arizona State Route 95 wi ...

, from

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

Selected filmography

* '' Across the Plains'' (1911) * ''

Alkali Ike's Auto ''Alkali Ike's Auto'' is a 1911 American silent short comedy film directed by Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson. The film is the first in the " Alkali Ike" series. Cast * Augustus Carney as Alkali Ike * Harry Todd as Mustang Pete * Marg ...

'' (1911) * '' The Secret of the Swamp'' (1916) * ''

It Happened in Honolulu ''It Happened in Honolulu'' is a 1916 American silent comedy film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring Myrtle Gonzalez, Val Paul and George Hernandez.Connelly p.367 Cast * Myrtle Gonzalez as Mabel Wyland * Val Paul as Larry Crane * George ...

'' (1916) * ''

Southern Justice ''Southern Justice'' is a reality television series that follows the activities and exploits of two southern Sheriff's departments in the Appalachian Mountains of the southern United States. These departments are the Sullivan County Sheriff's Off ...

'' (1917) * ''

Madame Du Barry Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry (; 28 August 1744 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed by guillotine during the French Revolution on accusations of treason—particularly being ...

'' (1917) * '' The Son-of-a-Gun'' (1919) * ''

Chalk Marks ''Chalk Marks'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Marguerite Snow and June Elvidge. It was distributed by Producers Distributing Corporation. Cast Preservation With no prints of ''Chalk Marks'' lo ...

'' (1924) * '' The Lost Express'' (1925) * ''

Prince of the Saddle ''Prince of the Saddle'' is a lost 1926 American silent Western film starring Fred Church and Pauline Curley. Cast * Fred Church * Pauline Curley Pauline Curley (December 19, 1903 – December 11, 2000) was a vaudeville and silent film ...

'' (1926) * '' The Vanishing West'' (1928) * ''

Trails of Treachery ''Trails of Treachery'' is a 1928 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Robert J. Horner and starring Fred Church (actor), Fred Church and Ione Reed.Langman, p. 465 Cast * Fred Church (actor), Fred Church * Ione ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Riding Kid ''The Riding Kid'' is a 1931 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Jack Irwin and starring Buddy Roosevelt, Jean Kay and Fred Church (actor), Fred Church. The title is sometimes spelled ''The Ridin' Kid''. It was an independent fil ...

'' (1931) * ''

So This Is Arizona ''So This Is Arizona'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by J. P. McGowan and starring Hal Taliaferro, Fred Church and Buzz Barton. Cast * Hal Taliaferro as Bob Ransome * Don Wilson as Wobbly * Fred Church as Jake McKeever ...

'' (1931) * ''

Wild West Whoopee ''Wild West Whoopee'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Robert J. Horner and starring Jack Perrin, Josephine Hill and Buzz Barton.Pitts p.171 Cast * Jack Perrin * Josephine Hill * Buzz Barton * Fred Church * Horace ...

'' (1931) * ''

Flying Lariats ''Flying Lariats'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western film directed by Alan James and David Kirkland and starring Hal Taliaferro, Buzz Barton and Fred Church (actor), Fred Church.Pitts, p. 69. Summary Wally Dunbar is tryin ...

'' (1931) * ''

Riders of the Cactus ''Riders of the Cactus'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by David Kirkland and starring Hal Taliaferro, Buzz Barton and Fred Church. Location shooting took place in Sonora, California, and near Tucson, Arizona at the Tanque Verde Ranch ...

'' (1931)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Church, Fred 1889 births 1983 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Iowa 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors Male Western (genre) film actors American vaudeville performers