Nathan Curry (January 2, 1897 – December 14, 1964) was an American actor. He was a supporting actor in several films featuring African American casts. Curry had prominent parts in

silent films 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 ...

but was not given

screen credit Two types of credits are traditionally used in films, television programs, and video games, all of which provide attribution to the staff involved in their productions. While opening credits will usually display only the major positions in a pro ...

. He was one of the featured players of Black Hollywood. Before

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, he lived in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. He began acting in movies in 1919 awith a small part in ''The Leopard Woman''. He was cast in the film '' South Sea Love'' in 1927. Curry was in charge of 27 actors during the filming of '' The Notorious Lady'' (1927) at the First National Productions' studio. For the 1929 film, ''

Four Feathers ''Four Feathers'' (1915) is a 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 ...

'', Curry helped cast and was in charge of the 600 Black actors that took part in the film's battle scenes. In Al Christie's

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

, '' Music Hath Harms'', Curry had a prominent role as Champagne, the

bandmaster A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a concert band, military band, brass band or a marching band. British Armed Forces In the British Army, bandmasters of the Royal Corps of Army Music now hold the rank of staff ...

. In Ernest B. Shoedsack's film, ''

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

'', Curry managed 150 actors, including adults and children. In 1948, he was an employee of the Los Angeles

Housing Authority A housing authority or ministry of housing is generally a governmental body that governs aspects of housing or (called in general " shelter" or "living spaces"), often providing subsidies and low rent or free public housing to qualified people. ...

. He was part of the African American community of actors in Hollywood along with Maceo Bruce Sheffield and others.

Filmography

*'' The Leopard Woman'' (1920) *''

Tarzan and the Golden Lion ''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The story was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-St ...

'' (1927) *'' Topsy and Eva'' (1927) *'' West of Zanzibar'' (1928) *''

Thunderbolt A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hel ...

'' (1929) *'' Music Hath Harms'' (1929) as Prof. Aleck Champagne *''

'' (1929) *'' Tarzan and His Mate'' (1934) as Saidi *'' Harlem on the Prairie'' (1937) as Bart *''

Congo Maisie ''Congo Maisie'' is a 1940 comedy-drama film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Ann Sothern for the second time in the ten film Maisie series as showgirl Maisie Ravier. Plot Maisie hides aboard a West African steamer after she discovers th ...

'' (1940) as Laemba *'' Lucky Ghost'' (1942) as Farmer *''

Mr. Washington Goes to Town ''Mr. Washington Goes to Town'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and Jed Buell, and starring F. E. Miller, Mantan Moreland and Maceo Bruce Sheffield. The film was marketed primarily to black audiences and written and fil ...

'' (1942) as Policeman *''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' *''The Missing Link'' *''One in the Air'' *''Diamond Handcuff'' *''Hallelujah'' *''

Hearts in Dixie ''Hearts in Dixie'', a 1929 American film starring Stepin Fetchit, was one of the first (sound film, All-Talking) sound films, big-studio productions to boast a predominantly African-American cast. This musical film celebrates African-American ...

'' (1929) *''Golden Dawn'' *''Isles of Escape''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curry, Nathan American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors 1897 births 1964 deaths 20th-century African-American male actors