Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American

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 setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

director and actor.

Biography

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 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, he was the grandson of

Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips (November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884) was an American abolitionist, labor reformer, temperance activist, advocate for Native Americans, orator, and attorney. According to George Lewis Ruffin, a black attorney, Phillip ...

; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war correspondent, and his wife Phoebe Garnaut, adopted by Phillips. He enrolled at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

in 1886. Smalley began his 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 ...

and acted in more than 200 films between 1910 and his death in 1939. He began directing in 1911 and made more than 300 films by 1921. Smalley was married to actress, writer, director, and producer

Lois Weber Florence Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film director, screenwriter, producer and actress. She is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the e ...

from April 29, 1904, to 1922.Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Illinois Department of Public Health records. "Marriage Records, 1871–present." Division of Vital Records, Springfield, Illinois. They met in 1904 when Weber was acting in a theater where Smalley was stage manager. In 1908 Smalley and Weber began working for the U.S. division of

Gaumont Film Company Gaumont SA () is a French film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...

, where Smalley was an actor, and later a director. He is sometimes listed as a co-director with Lois Weber, and the extent of his contribution to her work is unresolved. After their divorce in 1922, he married Phyllis Lorraine Ephlin, and they remained together until his death.

Selected filmography

* '' Leaves in the Storm'' (1912) * ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (1913) * '' Will Power'' (1913) * ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' (1913) * ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (1914) * '' Jewel'' (1915) * '' Where Are My Children?'' (1916) *'' The Dumb Girl of Portici'' (1916) * '' The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (1917) * '' The Double Standard'' (1917) * '' For Husbands Only'' (1918) * '' Forbidden'' (1919) * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1919) * '' Too Wise Wives'' (1921) * '' Trimmed in Scarlet'' (1923) * '' Cameo Kirby'' (1923) * '' Flaming Youth'' (1923) * '' The Self-Made Wife'' (1923) * ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1923) * '' Single Wives'' (1924) * '' Daughters of Today'' (1924) * ''

The Fate of a Flirt ''The Fate of a Flirt'' is a 1925 silent romantic comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, which stars Dorothy Revier, Forrest Stanley, and Thomas Ricketts. It was released by Columbia Pictures on November 15, 1925. Plot As described in a ...

'' (1925) * '' Charley's Aunt'' (1925) * '' Stella Maris'' (1925) * '' Wandering Footsteps'' (1925) * '' Wasted Lives'' (1925) * '' Soul Mates'' (1925) * '' Queen o'Diamonds'' (1926) * '' The Taxi Mystery'' (1926) * '' The Midnight Sun'' (1926) * '' The Broken Gate'' (1927) * '' Sensation Seekers'' (1927) * '' The Irresistible Lover'' (1927) * '' Stage Kisses'' (1927) * '' Man Crazy'' (1927) * '' The Dice Woman'' (1928) * '' Sinners in Love'' (1928) * '' Romance of the Underworld'' (1928) * '' Honeymoon Flats'' (1928) * ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

'' (1929) * '' The Racketeer'' (1929) * '' The Aviator'' (1929) * '' The Midnight Special'' (1930) * '' High Stakes'' (1931) * '' The Lawless Woman'' (1931) * ''

New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford ''New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime / romantic comedy film directed by Sam Wood and starring William Haines as a con artist and Jimmy Durante as his pickpocket buddy. The film is based on a serie ...

'' (1931) * '' Escapade'' (1932) * '' The Face on the Barroom Floor'' (1932) * '' Cocktail Hour'' (1933) *'' Secret Sinners'' (1933) * '' The Quitter'' (1934) * '' It's in the Air'' (1935) * '' A Day at the Races'' (1937) * '' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) * '' Bulldog Drummond's Revenge'' (1937) * '' The Lady Objects'' (1938)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smalley, Phillips 1865 births 1939 deaths American vaudeville performers American male film actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Brooklyn Film directors from New York City