James Gordon Edwards (June 24, 1867 – December 31, 1925) was a Canadian-born film director, producer, and writer who began his career as a

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

actor and

stage director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

Biography

James Gordon Edwards was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

in 1867 to parents of Scotch-French ancestry. He made his directorial debut with the 1914 film '' St. Elmo''. Edwards went on directing all of the

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...

's mega-budget spectacles, including all of actress

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

's productions between 1916 and 1919. Later, he became the production supervisor at Fox, and continued to direct until he died in 1925. One of his biggest projects was ''

The Queen of Sheba The Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic and as Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. This a ...

'' (1921), a lost silent film which contained a huge chariot race, four years before ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

'' (1925). Essentially all of his films (other than a few low quality prints) for Fox Studios were lost in the

1937 Fox vault fire A major fire occurred in a 20th Century-Fox film-storage facility in Little Ferry, New Jersey, United States on July 9, 1937. Flammable nitrate film had previously contributed to several fires in film-industry laboratories, studios and vaults ...

, which claimed 75% of all Fox films made before 1930. He was the stepgrandfather of director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts ...

. He was married to actress Angela McCaull, daughter of opera impresario John A. McCaull. Edwards died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

at age 58 in New York City. His widow later commissioned a mausoleum in his honor at

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, New York, Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city ...

, where both of their ashes reside.

Filmography

Production supervisor

* '' A Daughter of the Gods'' (1916) - lost

Director

*'' St. Elmo'' (1914) - lost *'' Life's Shop Window'' (1914) - lost *''

A Woman's Resurrection ''A Woman's Resurrection'' is a lost 1915 silent drama based on Leo Tolstoy's 1899 novel ''Resurrection''. William Fox produced the feature. Cast See also *1937 Fox vault fire *''Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept o ...

'' (1915) - lost *''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, Анна Каренина, p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Tolstoy called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial in ...

'' (1915) - lost *''

Should a Mother Tell The English modal auxiliary verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality, properties such as possibility and obligation. They can most easily be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness (they do ...

'' (1915) - lost *''

The Song of Hate ''The Song of Hate'' is a lost 1915 silent film drama directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Betty Nansen. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Rex Ingram wrote the script. Cast * Betty Nansen - Floria Tosca * Arthur ...

'' (1915) - lost *''

The Blindness of Devotion ''The Blindness of Devotion'' is a lost 1915 silent film drama directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Robert B. Mantell and Genevieve Hamper. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Cast *Robert B. Mantell - Count de Carn ...

'' (1915) - lost *''

The Unfaithful Wife ''The Unfaithful Wife'' () is a 1969 French–Italian erotic thriller film written and directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Stéphane Audran and Michel Bouquet. The story follows a businessman who discovers his wife has been unfaithful. Plo ...

'' (1915) - lost *'' The Galley Slave'' (1915) - lost *'' Under Two Flags'' (1916) - lost *'' Her Double Life'' (1916) - lost *''

A Wife's Sacrifice ''A Wife's Sacrifice'' is a lost 1916 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Cast See also *List of Fox Film films *1937 Fox vault fire A major fire occurred in a ...

'' (1916) - lost *'' The Vixen'' (1916) - lost *'' The Green-Eyed Monster'' (1916) - lost *''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (1916) - lost *'' The Spider and the Fly'' (1916) - lost *'' The Tiger Woman'' (1917) - lost *'' Tangled Lives'' (1917) - lost *''

Her Greatest Love ''Her Greatest Love'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring Theda Bara, and based on the 1880 novel ''Moths'' by Ouida. This film is now considered to be lost. Cast * Theda Bara as Hazel * Marie Curtis a ...

'' (1917) - lost *''

The Rose of Blood ''The Rose of Blood'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. Based on the story "The Red Rose" by Ryszard Ordynski, the film was written by Bernard McConville. ''The Rose of Blood'' is now co ...

'' (1917) - lost *''

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) - lost *'' Heart and Soul'' (1917) - lost *''

The Darling of Paris ''The Darling of Paris'' is a 1917 American silent romantic drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara and Glen White. It was a very loose film adaptation of the 1831 novel ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' by Victor Hug ...

'' (1917) - lost *''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'' (1917) - lost *'' Camille'' (1917) - lost *''

When a Woman Sins ''When a Woman Sins'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. Plot As described in a film magazine, nurse Lilian Marchard (Bara) is engaged by Mortimer West (Swickard), an old rogue who is da ...

'' (1918) - lost *''

Under the Yoke ''Under the Yoke'' (), subtitled ''A Novel About the Life of the Bulgarians on the Eve of Liberation'' () or ''A Romance of Bulgarian Liberty'' is a historical novel by Bulgarian author Ivan Vazov written from 1887 to 1888 and published in part ...

'' (1918) - lost *'' The Soul of Buddha'' (1918) - lost *'' The She Devil'' (1918) - lost *''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' (1918) - lost *''

The Forbidden Path ''The Forbidden Path'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. The film is now considered lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, while posing for Felix Benavente (Mason) for a painting ...

'' (1918) - lost *''

A Woman There Was ''A Woman There Was'' is a 1919 American silent South Seas drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. The film is based on the short story "Creation's Tears", by George James Hopkins (under the name "Neje Hopkins"). Bar ...

'' (1919) - lost *''

Wolves of the Night ''Wolves of the Night'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring William Farnum, Louise Lovely, and Lamar Johnstone. Cast * William Farnum as Bruce Andrews * Louise Lovely as Isabel Hollins * Lamar ...

'' (1919) - lost *'' Wings of the Morning'' (1919) - lost *''

When Men Desire ''When Men Desire'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara. It is presumed to be a lost film. Plot As described in a film magazine review, after the United States declares war on Germany in ...

'' (1919) - lost *'' The Siren's Song'' (1919) - lost *'' The Lone Star Ranger'' (1919) - lost *'' The Light'' (1919) - lost *'' The Last of the Duanes'' (1919) - lost *'' The Orphan'' (1920) - lost *'' Heart Strings'' (1920) - lost *''

If I Were King ''If I Were King'' is a 1938 American biographical and historical film starring Ronald Colman as medieval poet François Villon, and featuring Basil Rathbone and Frances Dee. It is based on the 1901 play and novel, both of the same name, by ...

'' (1920) *''

Drag Harlan ''Drag Harlan'' is a 1920 American silent Western film produced and released by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by J. Gordon Edwards. The film is based on an original story for the screen and stars William Farnum along with Jackie Saun ...

'' (1920) *'' The Adventurer'' (1920) - lost *'' The Joyous Trouble-Makers'' (1920) - lost *''

The Scuttlers ''The Scuttlers'' is a lost 1920 American silent drama film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by J. Gordon Edwards. William Farnum and Jackie Saunders star in this adventure. Plot Cast * William Farnum as J ...

'' (1920) - lost *''

'' (1921) - lost *'' His Greatest Sacrifice'' (1921) *''

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

'' (1922) - lost *''

The Silent Command ''The Silent Command'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards (director), J. Gordon Edwards featuring Bela Lugosi as a foreign saboteur in his American film debut. The film, written by Anthony Paul Kell ...

'' (1923) *'' The Net'' - lost *''

It Is the Law ''It Is the Law'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent mystery film directed by J. Gordon Edwards (director), J. Gordon Edwards and starring Arthur Hohl, Herbert Heyes, and Mona Palma. It is a film adaptation of the 1922 Broadway theatre, Br ...

'' (1924) - lost

Writer

* ''

'' (1921) - lost * ''

'' (1916) - lost * ''

'' (1915) - lost

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, J. Gordon 1867 births 1925 deaths Burials at Kensico Cemetery Canadian emigrants to the United States

J. Gordon J, or j, is the tenth letter of the English alphabet. J may also refer to: * Palatal approximant in the International Phonetic Alphabet * J, Cyrillic letter Je Astronomy * J, a provisional designation prefix for some objects discovered bet ...

Film directors from Montreal Writers from Montreal Deaths from pneumonia in New York City