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 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. His work includes roles in notable productions such as ''

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 ...

'' (1915), ''

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), ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' (1921), ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'' (1922), '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1927), and ''

The Man Who Laughs ''The Man Who Laughs'' (also published under the title ''By Order of the King'' from its subtitle in French) is a Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title ''L'Homme qui rit''. It takes place in Engl ...

'' (1928).

Early life and career

Born 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 1882, Siegmann is listed as having been in over 100 films. His more notable roles include Silas Lynch in D.W. Griffith's ''

'' (1915),

Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia ( ; 530 BC), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Achaemenid dynasty (i. The clan and dynasty) Hailing from Persis, he brought the Achaemenid dynasty to power by defeating the Media ...

in ''

'' (1916),

Porthos Porthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844), '' Twenty Years After'' (1845), and '' The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' (1847–1850) by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the o ...

in ''

'' (1921),

Bill Sikes William Sikes is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists (alongside Monks) in the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much o ...

in ''

'' (1922), the guard in the 1927 film '' The Cat and the Canary'', and Dr. Hardquanonne in ''

'', which was completed in 1927 but released in 1928. In 1919, Siegmann served as a director for

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

' production of the five-reel horror film ''The Trembling Hour'' starring

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was a popular American actor during the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer roles. His career extended into the sound film era, but during that span he rarely c ...

and Helen Eddy.

Personal life and death

Siegmann's career almost ended early, in 1915, when he was seriously injured while riding as a passenger in a car driven by fellow film actor and director

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 var ...

. Browning collided at full speed with a "street work car loaded with iron rails", reportedly due to his not seeing that work vehicle's "rear lamp"."Elmer Booth Killed"
''

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 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

, San Francisco, California. Retrieved November 18, 2019. Another actor, Elmer Booth, was a passenger as well in Browning's car. Booth died instantly, and Siegmann suffered four broken ribs, a deeply lacerated thigh, and internal injuries. Browning was badly injured too, including a shattered right leg and the loss of his front teeth. Siegmann married at least twice. In 1917 he married 22-year-old Marguerite Webb, a native of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The length of their union is undetermined, although it presumably ended by divorce prior to his marriage to Maud Darby in 1927. That second marriage proved to be a relatively brief one, for the following year George, at age 46, died of

pernicious anemia Pernicious anemia is a disease where not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, vitamin B12. Those affected often have a gradual onset. The most common initial symptoms are Fatigue, feeling tired and weak. Other ...

Filmography

* '' The Hessian Renegades'' (1909, Short) - Hessian (film debut) * '' A Flash of Light'' (1910, Short) - Wedding Guest * '' The Green-Eyed Devil'' (1914, Short) * '' Brute Force'' (1914, Short) * '' Home, Sweet Home'' (1914) * ''

The Lover's Gift ''The Lover's Gift'' is a 1914 in film, 1914 United States, American silent film, silent short film. The film starred Earle Foxe, Mary Alden, Francelia Billington and George Siegmann. External links

* American silent short films 1914 fil ...

'' (1914, Short) - Sheriff Reed * ''

The Angel of Contention ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1914, Short) - Sheriff Magoon * '' The Avenging Conscience'' (1914) - The Italian * ''

'' (1915) - Silas Lynch - Mulatto Lieut. Governor * '' A Yankee from the West'' (1915) - Sheriff Dick * ''

'' (1916) -

Cyrus Cyrus () is a Persian-language masculine given name. It is historically best known as the name of several List of monarchs of Iran, Persian kings, most notably including Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid Empire in 550 BC. It remains wid ...

(uncredited) * '' Should She Obey?'' (1917) - Allegorical Types * ''

Grafters ''Grafters'' was a British drama–comedy programme originally broadcast in the United Kingdom, UK on ITV (TV network), ITV from 27 October 1998 to 20 December 1999 for 16 episodes over two series. ''Grafters'' relates the lives of the Purvis ...

'' (1917) - The Menace * '' The Little Yank'' (1917) * ''Mother Love and the Law'' (1917) - William Bernard * '' Hearts of the World'' (1918) - Von Strohm * '' The Great Love'' (1918) - Mr. Seymour * '' The Hawk's Trail'' (1919) - Quang Goo Hai * '' The Spitfire of Seville'' (1919) * '' The Trembling Hour'' (1919) * '' The Untamed'' (1920) - Jim Silent * '' Little Miss Rebellion'' (1920) - Col. Moro * ''

The Big Punch ''The Big Punch'' is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by John Ford. No copy of the film is known to survive in either a public repository or private collection, so it is currently presumed to be a lost film. In France, the film was ...

'' (1921) - Flash McGraw * ''

Partners of Fate ''Partners of Fate'' is a lost 1921 American silent film, silent Drama (genre), drama film directed by Bernard Durning. It is not known whether the film currently survives. Plot Helen Meriless is married to Byron Millard, while Frances Lloyd is ...

'' (1921) - Purser * ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 historical novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court ...

'' (1921) - Sir Sagramore * '' The Queen of Sheba'' (1921) - King Armud of Sheba * '' Desperate Trails'' (1921) - Sheriff Price * ''

Shame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. Definition Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...

'' (1921) - Foo Chang * ''

'' (1921) -

* '' Silent Years'' (1921) - Pierre Gavot * '' The Truthful Liar'' (1922) - Mark Potts * '' Fools First'' (1922) - Spud Miller * '' Monte Cristo'' (1922) - Luigi Vampa * ''

'' (1922) -

* '' Hungry Hearts'' (1922) - Rosenblatt * '' A California Romance'' (1922) - Don Juan Diego * '' Lost and Found on a South Sea Island'' (1923) - Faulke * '' Slander the Woman'' (1923) - Scarborough * '' Stepping Fast'' (1923) - 'Red' Pollock * ''

Merry-Go-Round A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

'' (1923) - Schani Huber * ''

Scaramouche Scaramouche () or Scaramouch (; Italian: Scaramuccia ; ) is a stock clown character of the 16th-century commedia dell'arte (comic theatrical arts of Italian literature). The role combined characteristics of the Zanni (servant) and il Capitan ...

'' (1923) - Danton * '' Hell's Hole'' (1923) - Conductor * '' The Eagle's Feather'' (1923) - Van Brewen * '' Jealous Husbands'' (1923) - 'Red' Lynch * ''

Anna Christie ''Anna Christie'' is a Play (theatre), play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway theatre, Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work. According ...

'' (1923) - Anna's Uncle * '' Enemies of Children'' (1923) * '' The Man Life Passed By'' (1923) - Crogan * '' On Time'' (1924) - Wang Wu * '' Singer Jim McKee'' (1924) - 'Brute' Bernstein * '' Stolen Secrets'' (1924) - Nat Fox * '' The Shooting of Dan McGrew'' (1924) - Jake Hubbel * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1924) - Rogojin * '' The Right of the Strongest'' (1924) - 'Trav' Williams * '' The Guilty One'' (1924) - Captain * ''

Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

'' (1924) - Hofer * '' Janice Meredith'' (1924) - Colonel Rahl * ''

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

'' (1924) - Bud McGinnis * '' A Sainted Devil'' (1924) - El Tigre * '' Recompense'' (1925) - Stenhouse * '' Zander the Great'' (1925) - Black Bart * '' Never the Twain Shall Meet'' (1925) - James Muggridge * '' Pursued'' (1925) - John Grant * '' Manhattan Madness'' (1925) - Dr. Harlan * ''The Caretaker's Daughter'' (1925, Short) - The Gunman - Prospective Car Buyer * '' The Red Kimono'' (1925) - Mr. Mack * '' The Sporting Life'' (1925) - Limehouse Dan Crippen * '' The Phantom Express'' (1925) - Rufus Hardy * '' The Palace of Pleasure'' (1926) - Caesar * '' The Midnight Sun'' (1926) - Ivan Kusmin - Banker * '' My Old Dutch'' (1926) - Workhouse Superintendent * '' Born to the West'' (1926) - Jesse Fillmore * '' The Carnival Girl'' (1926) - Sigmund * '' Poker Faces'' (1926) - George Dixon * '' The Old Soak'' (1926) - Al * '' Hotel Imperial'' (1927) - Gen. Juschkiewitsch * '' The Red Mill'' (1927) - Willen * '' The King of Kings'' (1927) -

Barabbas According to the New Testament, Barabbas () was a Jewish bandit and rabble-rouser who was imprisoned by the Judaea (Roman province), Roman occupation in Jerusalem, only to be chosen over Jesus by a crowd to be pardoned by Roman governor Pontius ...

* '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1927) - The Guard * '' Love Me and the World Is Mine'' (1927) - Porter * ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' (1927) - Simon Legree * '' The Thirteenth Juror'' (1927) - The Politician, George Quinn * '' Stop That Man!'' (1928) - 'Butch' Barker * ''

'' (1928) - Dr. Hardquanonne (final film)

References

External links

*
George Siegmann, 1922 passport photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siegmann, George 1882 births 1928 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles)