Milton George Gustavus Sills (January 12, 1882 – September 15, 1930) was an American stage and film actor of the early twentieth century.

Biography

Sills was born in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, into a wealthy family. He was the son of William Henry Sills, a successful mineral dealer, and Josephine Antoinette Troost Sills an heiress from a prosperous banking family. Upon completing high school, Sills was offered a one-year scholarship to the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, where he studied psychology and philosophy. After graduating, he was offered a position at the university as a researcher and within several years worked his way up to become a professor at the school. In 1905, stage actor Donald Robertson visited the school to lecture on author and playwright

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

and suggested to Sills that he try his hand at acting. On a whim, Sills agreed and left his teaching career to embark on a stint in acting. Sills joined Robertson's stock theater company and began touring the country. In 1908, while Sills was performing in New York City, he attracted the notice of Broadway producers such as David Belasco and

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Frohman produced over 700 shows, and among his biggest hits was '' Peter Pan'', both ...

. That same year he made his Broadway debut in ''This Woman and This Man''. From 1908 to 1914, Sills appeared in about a dozen Broadway shows. In 1912, Sills joined the summer stock cast at the Elitch Theatre. Owner and producer of the theatre, Mary Elitch Long, reported: "Milton Sills, one of the most charming young men I ever knew, came as my leading man, and Louise Woods as leading lady, for a limited engagement." In 1914-1915 he starred as Geoffrey Morton in '' The Law of the Land'' at the

48th Street Theatre The 48th Street Theatre was a Broadway theatre at 157 West 48th Street in Manhattan. It was built by longtime Broadway producer William A. Brady and designed by architect William Albert Swasey. The venue was also called the Equity 48th Stree ...

. In 1910, Sills married English stage actress Gladys Edith Wynne, a niece of actress Edith Wynne Matthison. The union produced one child, Dorothy Sills; Gladys filed for divorce in 1925. In 1926, Sills married silent film actress Doris Kenyon with whom he had a son, Kenyon Clarence Sills, born in 1927.

Motion pictures

In 1914, Sills made his film debut in the big-budget drama ''The Pit'' for the World Film Company and was signed to a contract with film producer William A. Brady. Sills made three more films for the company, including '' The Deep Purple'' opposite Clara Kimball Young. By the early 1920s, Sills had achieved matinee idol status and was working for various film studios, including

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at le ...

, Famous Players–Lasky, and

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's silent film, silent era. Known for its trailblazing newsreel and wide array of short film, s ...

. In 1923 he was

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 ...

's leading man in the very successful '' Flaming Youth'', but his biggest box office success was '' The Sea Hawk'' (1924), the top-grossing film of that year. In 1925, Sills and his wife, Doris Kenyon, starred in ''

The Unguarded Hour ''The Unguarded Hour'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Loretta Young, Franchot Tone and Roland Young. In England, a prominent young prosecutor in a murder trial is unaware that his wife is involved. It is based ...

'' for First National Pictures. In 1926 he wrote the screenplay for '' Men of Steel'', also starring in it along with Kenyon. Sills had begun to make the transition to sound pictures as early as 1928 with the part-talking '' The Barker''. His final appearance was in the title role of '' The Sea Wolf'' (1930), a performance called "incisive" by ''The New York Times''.

Death and legacy

Sills died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in 1930 while playing tennis with his wife at his Brentwood home at the age of 48. He was interred at

Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is a historic rural cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. At , it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago and its first private cemetery. The Entrance Gate and Administration ...

and Mausoleum in Chicago. In December 1930, ''

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...

'' published a poem found among his personal effects. He was a founding member in 1913 of Actors' Equity. On May 11, 1927, he was among the original 36 individuals in the film industry to found the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

(AMPAS), a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Sills also wrote a book, published posthumously in 1932: ''Values: A Philosophy of Human Needs – Six Dialogues on Subjects from Reality to Immortality'', co-edited by Ernest Holmes. In his time, his fame as an attractive movie star was such that his name was used in a 1928 Danish vaudeville revue song, with the idea that "modern girls find fault with almost everybody; unless a man is a Milton Sills, he doesn't stand a chance". For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Milton Sills received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 6263 Hollywood Boulevard. Sills was the favorite actor of poet Weldon Kees as a child, and Sills' ''Men of Steel'' influenced Kees' poem "1926".

Filmography

*'' The Pit'' (1914) as Corthell *'' The Deep Purple'' (1915) as William Lake *'' The Arrival of Perpetua'' (1915) as Thaddeus Curzon *'' Under Southern Skies'' (1915) as Burleigh Mavor *'' The Rack'' (1915) as Tom Gordon *'' Patria'' (1917) as Capt. Donald Parr *'' The Honor System'' (1917) as Joseph Stanton *'' Souls Adrift'' (1917) as Micah Steele *'' Married in Name Only'' (1917) as Robert Worthing *'' The Fringe of Society'' (1917) as Martin Drake *'' Diamonds and Pearls'' (1917) as RobertVan Ellstrom *'' The Other Woman'' (1918) as Mr. Harrington *'' The Struggle Everlasting'' (1918) as Mind, aka Bruce *'' The Reason Why'' (1918) as Lord Tancred *'' The Mysterious Client'' (1918) as Harry Nelson *'' The Yellow Ticket'' (1918) as Julian Rolfe *'' The Claw'' (1918) as Major Anthony Kinsella *'' The Savage Woman'' (1918) as Jean Lerier *'' The Hell Cat'' (1918) as Sheriff Jack Webb *''

Shadows A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. In contrast, shade occupies the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross-section of a shadow is a two-dimensiona ...

'' (1919) as Judson Barnes *'' Satan Junior'' (1919) as Paul Worden *'' The Stronger Vow'' (1919) as Juan Estudillo *''

The Hushed Hour ''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 ...

'' (1919) as Luke Appleton *'' The Woman Thou Gavest Me'' (1919) as Conrad *''

The Fear Woman ''The Fear Woman'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and starring Pauline Frederick. Some of the filming took place in Berkeley, California. Plot As described in a film magazine, because h ...

'' (1919) as Robert Craig *'' Eyes of Youth'' (1919) as Louis Anthony *'' What Every Woman Learns'' (1919) as Walter Melrose *'' The Street Called Straight'' (1920) as Peter Devenant *'' The Inferior Sex'' (1920) as Knox Randall *'' Dangerous to Men'' (1920) as Sandy Verrall *'' The Week-End'' (1920) asArthur Tavenor *'' Behold My Wife!'' (1920) as Frank Armour *'' Sweet Lavender'' (1920) as Horace Weather Burn *'' The Furnace'' (1920) as Keene Mordaunt *'' The Faith Healer'' (1921) as Michaelis *'' The Little Fool'' (1921) as Dick *'' Salvage'' (1921) as Fred Martin *'' The Great Moment'' (1921) as Bayard Delaval *'' At the End of the World'' (1921) *'' Miss Lulu Bett'' (1921) as Neil Cornish *'' A Trip to Paramountown'' (1922, Short) *'' One Clear Call'' (1922) as Dr. Alan Hamilton *'' The Woman Who Walked Alone'' (1922) as Clement Gaunt *'' Borderland'' (1922) as James Wayne *'' Burning Sands'' (1922) as Daniel Lane *'' Skin Deep'' (1922) as Bud Doyle *'' The Forgotten Law'' (1922) as Richard Jarnette *'' Environment'' (1922) as Steve MacLaren *'' The Marriage Chance'' (1922) as William Bradley *'' The Last Hour'' (1923) as Steve Cline *'' What a Wife Learned'' (1923) as Rudolph Martin *'' The Isle of Lost Ships'' (1923) as Frank Howard *''

Legally Dead ''Legally Dead'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by William Parke and written by Harvey Gates. The film stars Milton Sills, Margaret Campbell, Claire Adams, Eddie Sturgis, Faye O'Neill, and Charles A. Stevenson. The film was released o ...

'' (1923) as Will Campbell / George Brown *'' The Spoilers'' (1923) as Roy Glennister *'' Adam's Rib'' (1923) as Michael Ramsay *''

Why Women Remarry ''Why Women Remarry'' is a 1923 American silent crime drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is ...

'' (1923) as Dan Hannon *'' Flaming Youth'' (1923) as Cary Scott *'' Souls for Sale'' (1923) as Himself (uncredited) *'' A Lady of Quality'' (1924) as Gerald Mertoun, Duke of Osmonde *'' The Heart Bandit'' (1924) as John Rand *'' Flowing Gold'' (1924) as Calvin Gray *'' The Sea Hawk'' (1924) as Sir Oliver Tressilian *'' Single Wives'' (1924) as Perry Jordan *'' Madonna of the Streets'' (1924) as Reverend John Morton *'' As Man Desires'' (1925) as Major John Craig *'' I Want My Man'' (1925) as Gulian Eyre *'' The Making of O'Malley'' (1925) as O'Malley *'' The Knockout'' (1925) as Sandy Donlin *''

A Lover's Oath ''A Lover's Oath'' is a lost film, lost 1925 American silent film, silent fantasy film directed by Ferdinand P. Earle, jun. and featuring Ramon Novarro. The film is based upon the ''Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam'', as translated by Edward Fitzgerald ( ...

'' (1925) -- editor *''

'' (1925) as Andrea *'' Puppets'' (1926) as Nicki *'' Men of Steel'' (1926) as Jan Bokak *''

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

'' (1926) as Tony *''

The Silent Lover ''The Silent Lover'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Milton Sills, Natalie Kingston and Viola Dana. Cast * Milton Sills as Count Pierre Tornal * Natalie Kingston as Vera Sherman * Wi ...

'' (1926) as Count Pierre Tornal *'' The Sea Tiger'' (1927) as Justin Ramos *'' Framed'' (1927) as Etienne Hilaire *'' Hard-Boiled Haggerty'' (1927) as Hard-Boiled Haggerty *'' The Valley of the Giants'' (1927) as Bryce Cardigan *'' Burning Daylight'' (1928) as Elam 'Burning Daylight' Harnish *'' The Hawk's Nest'' (1928) as The Hawk / John Finchley *'' The Crash'' (1928) as Jim Flannagan *'' The Barker'' (1928) as Nifty Miller *'' His Captive Woman'' (1929) as Officer Thomas McCarthy *'' Love and the Devil'' (1929) as Lord Dryan *'' Man Trouble'' (1930) as Mac *'' The Sea Wolf'' (1930) as 'Wolf' Larsen (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Photographs and literature"The Actor's Part"
article written by Sills in 1927 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sills, Milton 1882 births 1930 deaths Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founders American male film actors American male silent film actors American male stage actors Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Male actors from Chicago University of Chicago alumni University of Chicago faculty 20th-century American male actors People from Brentwood, Los Angeles