Gregory Scott Frances (b. 15 December 1879), known professionally as Gregory Scott, was a British film 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 ...

. He worked for a number of film production companies, most significantly for Neptune Films in the early years of

World War I 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 ...

and

Broadwest Films Broadwest or the Broadwest Film Company was a British film production company of the silent era. Its name it a portmanteau of its two founders, George Broadbridge and the film director Walter West. West took an active role in the company's prod ...

during 1916-7 and the post-war years to 1921. Scott featured in mainly dramatic roles playing a variety of characters, including villainous roles.

Biography

Gregory Scott Frances was born on 15 December 1879 in

Sandy Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (Iranian music band), Iranian singer, comp ...

, 8 miles (13 km) to the east of

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

, England.Paul Rothwell-Smith,
Gregory Scott: Biography
, ''IMDb'' website; accessed 8 October 2024.

The theatre

Gregory Frances adopted the stage name of Gregory Scott and commenced acting in the theatre from 1898. His first theatrical engagement was with the

Ben Greet Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a British William Shakespeare, Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager. Early life The younger son of Captain William Gre ...

company "which played a series of

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, Sheridan and

Goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

productions at Brighton".Gregory Scott: The Aristocratic Villain of the British Screen
''The Picture Show'', 8 November 1919, page 15. He later toured with the Ben Greet company.A Successful Film Actor
, ''The Bioscope'', 16 July 1914, page 287. Scott spent three years as a theatre actor at the

St. James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...

under the management of Sir George Alexander. He also worked at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

under the co-management of Frederick Harrison and Cyril Maude. During his theatrical career he was also associated with the actor-manager

Lewis Waller William Waller Lewis (3 November 1860 – 1 November 1915), known on stage as Lewis Waller, was an English actor and theatre manager, well known on the London stage and in the English provinces. After early stage experience with John Lawrence T ...

The screen

Scott commenced film work with the London Film Company in a string of short films. He played walk-on parts for six months before he got a credited role. Scott's first role was playing 'Lieutenant Seton Boyne' in the production of '' Beauty and the Barge'', directed by Harold M. Shaw and released in February 1914.
Gregory Scott
''Notable Londoners, an Illustrated Who's Who of Professional and Business Men'' (1922), London: London Publishing Agency, page 68; accessed 8 October 2024. He appeared in six more films by London Film Productions, both comedy and drama productions, most of them released in the first half of 1914 prior to the outbreak of

.IMDb filmography
Gregory Scott
''IMBd'' website,; accessed 7 October 2024. In an interview in 1920 Scott detailed why he preferred the screen to the stage, claiming: "I hate the stage, chiefly because I dislike the sound of my own voice". In about mid-1914 Scott was engaged by

Percy Nash Percy Nash (1868-1958) was a pioneer British producer, director and screenwriter, who made some 70 films between 1912 and 1927. He was a key figure in the creation of Elstree Studios. The scarcity of information on Nash and his work has meant fi ...

for the newly established Neptune Film Company. He played the role of 'Frank Morland' in '' The Harbour Lights'' (released in October 1914), Neptune's first feature film directed by Nash.Bernard Ince (2007),
"For the love of art": The Life and Work of Percy Nash, Film Producer and Director of the Silent Era
, ''Film History: An International Journal'', Vol. 19, No. 3, 2007, page 295. Scott appeared in several short films made about the same time, including ''Twin Trunks'' playing the male lead opposite Nash's actress wife

Joan Ritz Joan Ritz (c. 1882 – 6 November 1956) was a British actress of the silent era. She was born Jessie Rihll in West Ham, London, UK and died in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK. From 1912 to her death she was married to Percy Nash, who directed nume ...

. Shortly afterwards Scott also had a role in Neptune's second feature production ''

Enoch Arden ''Enoch Arden'' is a narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, published in 1864 during his tenure as British poet laureate. The story on which it was based was allegedly provided to Tennyson by Thomas Woolner. The poem lends its name to a ...

'', made on location at

Polperro Polperro (, meaning ''Pyra's cove'') is a large village, civil parish, and fishing harbour within the Polperro Heritage Coastline in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its population is around 1,554. Polperro, through which runs the Riv ...

in Cornwall and also directed by Nash. Over the following twelve months Scott appeared in another eleven films for the Neptune Film Company, both short and feature films, the majority of which were directed by Percy Nash. Gregory Scott PictureShow 5July1919

In August 1915 Nash resigned from Neptune after a difference of opinion and joined the Trans-Atlantic Film Company (the British agent of Universal Films of America). Scott played lead roles in two films directed by Nash for Trans-Atlantic, ''Royal Love'', released in Britain in October 1915, and ''The Devil's Bondman'', released in Britain in November 1915 (and in the United States in June 1916 as ''The Scorpion's Sting''). In 1916 Scott was engaged by the Broadwest Film Company. He was initially cast in '' The Answer'', directed by Walter West and released in May 1916. In the following twelve months Scott appeared in five more films produced by Broadwest. Scott enlisted in the British Army (probably in about mid-1917) and served in France in the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse ...

during

. He later described his military service as "a long series of parades, route marches, fatigues, and other scenes familiar to the man in khaki". Scott appeared in the Broadwest film '' Not Negotiable'', directed by Walter West and released just a month after Armistice. He was still under contract with Broadwest Films, but after ''Not Negotiable'' it appears that in the immediate post-war period the company did not have roles for him. In his words: "As they were not ready for me, however, they released me from my contract to play in the

Violet Hopson Violet Hopson (16 December 1887 – 21 July 1973) was an actress and producer who achieved fame on the British stage and in British silent films. She was born Elma Kate Victoria Karkeek in Port Augusta, South Australia on 16 December 1887. Viol ...

film, '' The Gentleman Rider''". Scott returned to Broadwest Films for '' A Great Coup'', released in November 1919, and appeared in leading roles in another nine films for the company over the following two years. In 1920 Scott played 'Philip Trent' in '' Trent's Last Case'', a

production based on E. Clerihew Bentley's novel of the same name. Scott's final film for Broadwest was ''The Penniless Millionaire'', released in September 1921. During his years with Broadwest Films Scott acquired a reputation for villainous screen roles. In a December 1920 interview Scott confided that the reason he often played the part of a villain was because "I'm entirely in the hands of the producer"; he added: "I long to try some other role". The director Walter West commented in 1924: "I also plead guilty to having trained several leading artistes in film villainy, among them being Cameron Carr, Gregory Scott,

Arthur Walcott Arthur Walcott (1857–1934) was a British actor of the silent era. Selected filmography *'' The Mystery of a Hansom Cab'' (1915) * '' The White Star'' (1915) * '' A Gamble for Love'' (1917) * ''Drink'' (1917) * '' The Woman Wins'' (1918) * ' ...

, Bob Vallis,

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), '' Sink the Bismarck! ...

and Mercy Hatton". Scott was cast in five films produced during 1922, made by four different production companies, each released in the latter part of the year. Two were short films in the series 'The Romance of British History' for the British & Colonial Kinematograph Company (''Sea Dogs of Good Queen Bess'' and ''The Story of Mary Robsart''). Another was also a short film (''Wheels of Fate''), the third release in 'The Sporting Twelve' series of one-reel sporting dramas. In an article in the August 1924 ''Pictures and Picturegoer'' magazine about the "stars of yesteryear", it was reported about Gregory Scott: "When last heard from, he was chicken farming somewhere in Sussex and apparently Movieland will see him no more". Scott's final appearances on the screen was in five short silent films produced by British Screen Classics and released in October 1926, each of them comedies featuring George Bellamy and all directed by

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...

Filmography

* '' Beauty and the Barge'' (February 1914), London Film Company * '' Lawyer Quince'' (February 1914), London Film Company * ''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...

'' (March 1914), London Film Company * ''Branscombe's Pal'' (March 1914), London Film Company * ''Duty'' (March 1914), London Film Company * ''Luncheon for Three'' (May 1914), London Film Company * '' The Harbour Lights'' (October 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''Her Only Son'' (October 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''Twin Trunks'' (October 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''

'' (November 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''His Just Deserts'' (November 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''The Incomparable Bellairs'' (December 1914), London Film Productions * '' In the Ranks'' (December 1914), Neptune Film Company * ''Over the Garden Wall'' (December 1914), Neptune Film CompanyThe Neptune Film Company
, ''The Bioscope'', 1 October 1914, page 19. * '' The Little Minister'' (February 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''The Romany Rye'' (March 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''The Trumpet Call'' (April 1915), Neptune Film Company * '' Flying from Justice'' (June 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''The Coal King'' (August 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''Married for Money'' (August 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''Royal Love'' (October 1915), Trans-Atlantic Film Company * ''The Devil's Bondman'' (US release: ''The Scorpion's Sting'') (November 1915), Trans-Atlantic Film Company * ''

A Rogue's Wife ''A Rogue's Wife'' is a 1915 British silent crime film directed by Percy Nash and starring Gregory Scott, Daisy Cordell and Joan Ritz.Palmer p.902 Cast * Gregory Scott * Daisy Cordell * Joan Ritz Joan Ritz (c. 1882 – 6 November 1956 ...

'' (November 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''Christmas Eve'' (November 1915), Neptune Film Company * ''Frills'' (March 1916), Holmfirth * '' The Answer'' (May 1916),

* '' The Green Orchard'' (June 1916), Broadwest Films * ''The Black Knight'' (November 1916), Broadwest Films * '' The House Opposite'' (March 1917), Broadwest Films * '' The Ware Case'' (March 1917), Broadwest Films * '' A Munition Girl's Romance'' (June 1917), Broadwest Films * '' Not Negotiable'' (December 1918), Broadwest Films * '' The Gentleman Rider'' (''Hearts and Saddles'') (October 1919), Violet Hopson Productions * '' A Great Coup'' (November 1919), Broadwest Films * ''A Dead Certainty'' (March 1920), Broadwest Films * '' The Romance of a Movie Star'' (August 1920), Broadwest Films * '' The Case of Lady Camber'' (August 1920), Broadwest Films * '' Trent's Last Case'' (October 1920), Broadwest Films * '' Kissing Cup's Race'' (January 1921), Broadwest Films * '' The Loudwater Mystery'' (February 1921), Broadwest Films * '' In Full Cry'' (March 1921), Broadwest Films * '' A Sportsman's Wife'' (June 1921), Broadwest Films * ''

The Penniless Millionaire ''The Penniless Millionaire'' is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by Einar Bruun Einar is a Scandinavian given name deriving from the Old Norse name Einarr, which according to Guðbrandur Vigfússon is directly connected with the con ...

'' (September 1921), Broadwest Films * '' A Rogue in Love'' (September 1922), Diamond Super * ''Sea Dogs of Good Queen Bess'' (October 1922), British & Colonial Kinematograph Company * ''The Story of Mary Robsart'' (October 1922), British & Colonial Kinematograph Company * '' The Green Caravan'' (November 1922), Granger-Master * ''Wheels of Fate'' (November 1922), Master Films * ''Goose and Stuffing'' (October 1926), British Screen Classics * ''The Happy Rascals'' (October 1926), British Screen Classics * ''Mined and Counter-Mined'' (October 1926), British Screen Classics * ''Regaining the Wind'' (October 1926), British Screen Classics * ''The Little Shop in Fore Street'' (October 1926), British Screen Classics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Gregory 1879 births Year of death unknown English male film actors English male silent film actors People from Sandy, Bedfordshire 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Bedfordshire Actors from Central Bedfordshire District