Harold A. Lockwood (April 12, 1887 – October 19, 1918) was an American silent film actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most popular matinee idols of the early film period during the 1910s.

Early life and career

Born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, Lockwood was raised and educated in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

. Upon graduating, he began working in

exporting International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...

. Lockwood quickly discovered that he did not enjoy exporting and quit to become an actor. He initially began his acting career in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

. In 1908, Lockwood joined the Selig Company. In 1910, Lockwood signed on with a stock company for

David Horsley David Horsley (March 11, 1873 – February 23, 1933) was an English-American pioneer of the film industry. He founded the Centaur Film Company and its West Coast branch, the Nestor Film Company, which established the first film studio in Holl ...

and appeared in

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

shorts. He later worked for the

New York Motion Picture Company The New York Motion Picture Company was a film production and distribution company from 1909 until 1914. It changed names to New York Picture Corporation in 1912. It released films through several different brand names, including 101 Bison, Kay ...

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago, Illinois. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films ...

and

Famous Players Film Company The Famous Players Film Company was a film company founded in New York City in 1912 by Adolph Zukor in partnership with the Frohman brothers, powerful theatre owners and producers there. History Discussions to form the company were held at Th ...

. While at Famous Players, Lockwood was cast opposite actress May Allison in

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

's 1915 romantic film '' David Harum''. The two would appear in over twenty-three films together during the

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 ...

era, and became one of the first celebrated on-screen romantic duos. However, the two were never romantically involved off-screen.

Personal life

On January 8, 1906, Lockwood married Alma Jones. The couple had a son, Harold Lockwood Jr., who later appeared in silent and sound films. Among his earliest credits is the 1928

film '' Lilac Time'', starring

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 ...

and

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, ...

Death

On October 19, 1918, Lockwood died at the age of 31 of

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...

at the Hotel Woodward 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 ...

. He had contracted the illness during production of ''Shadows of Suspicion'' (1919), which had some scenes completed using a double shot from behind. Lockwood's funeral was held on October 22 at

Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel The Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel is a funeral home located on Madison Avenue at 81st Street in Manhattan. Founded in 1898 as Frank E. Campbell Burial and Cremation Company, the company is now owned by Service Corporation International. Fran ...

, after which he was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Selected filmography

* ''The Best Man Wins'' (1911) * ''Harbor Island'' (1912) * '' Hearts Adrift'' (1914) * '' Tess of the Storm Country'' (1914) * ''

The Scales of Justice ''The Scales of Justice'' was a series of 13 British cinema featurettes produced from 1962 to 1967 for Anglo-Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios in London. The first nine episodes were made in black and white, and the last four in colour. The ...

'' (1914) * ''

The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch ''The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch'' is a 1914 American drama film directed by Allan Dwan, written by Allan Dwan based on the play of the same name by Mrs. Burton Harrison, and starring Henrietta Crosman, Walter Craven, Lorraine Huling, Minna Gale, an ...

'' (1914) * '' Such a Little Queen'' (1914) * ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

'' (1914) * '' The Man from Mexico'' (1914) * ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' (1914) * '' David Harum'' (1915) * '' The Great Question'' (1915) * '' The Buzzard's Shadow'' (1915) * '' Are You a Mason?'' (1915) * '' Jim the Penman'' (1915) * '' Pidgin Island'' (1916) * '' Big Tremaine'' (1916) * '' Mister 44'' (1916) * ''

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 Gamble'' (1916) * '' The Man in the Sombrero'' (1916) * ''

The Other Side of the Door The Other Side of the Door may refer to: * The Other Side of the Door (1916 film), an American silent romantic drama film * The Other Side of the Door (2016 film), a supernatural horror film * The Other Side of the Door, a song by Taylor Swift fr ...

'' (1916) * '' The Broken Cross'' (1916) * '' Lillo of the Sulu Seas'' (1916) * '' The Secret Wire'' (1916) * '' The Masked Rider'' (1916) * '' Paradise Garden'' (1917) * '' The Hidden Children'' (1917) * '' The Haunted Pajamas'' (1917) * '' The Promise'' (1917) * '' The Square Deceiver'' (1917) * '' The Hidden Spring'' (1917) * '' The Avenging Trail'' (1917) * ''

Broadway Bill ''Broadway Bill'' is a 1934 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. Screenplay by Robert Riskin and based on the short story "Strictly Confidential" by Mark Hellinger, the film is about a ...

'' (1918) * '' The Landloper'' (1918) * '' The Great Romance'' (1919) * '' Shadows of Suspicion'' (1919)

Photo gallery

File:Kathlyn Williams and Harold Lockwood in Harbor Island 1908.jpg, Kathlyn Williams and Harold Lockwood in ''Harbor Island'' (1912) The Masked Rider.jpg, ''The Masked Rider'' (1916) The River of Romance.jpg, ''The River of Romance'' (1916) The Great Romance.jpg, ''The Great Romance'' (1919) Haroldlockwood01.jpg, With Addie Townsend (1918)

References

External links

*
Harold Lockwood on Silents Are Golden
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lockwood, Harold 1887 births 1918 deaths 20th-century American male actors Film producers from New York (state) American male film actors American male silent film actors Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in New York (state) Male actors from Newark, New Jersey Male actors from Brooklyn American silent film directors American vaudeville performers Film directors from New York City