Raymond Cannon (born Ulises Tildmann Cannon; September 1, 1892 – June 7, 1977) was an American

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, and

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

known for his work with

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

and

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

Background

Ulises Tillman Cannon was born September 1, 1892, in Long Hollow, Tennessee, to Newton Cannon and Sarah Lincoln Bolinger. In 1910 he was working at a soda fountain in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

, but after leaving

divinity school A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, he moved west, performing 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 working as a

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

and

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. In April 1918, Cannon became a journalist for Elmer M. Robbins' weekly magazine ''Camera! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry''. E.M. Robbins died in 1920 and Cannon bought the magazine in 1921, co-publishing it with Lola B Robbins until he sold his interest in 1922. On February 19, 1929, Cannon married

Fanchon Royer Fanchon Royer (1902–1986) was an American film producer, active during the 1930s. She was one of the few woman producers in Hollywood during the era, associated with low-budget independent studios such as Mayfair Pictures. After graduating fr ...

, an actress-turned-journalist who began as society editor, then

assistant editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, and ...

, and then

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

at ''Camera!'' until leaving it in 1922. She and Cannon divorced in 1931.

Career

When Cannon reached Los Angeles in the early 1910s, he was using the name Raymond and his first acting job was in

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

in 1912 performing at the Bentley Grand Theater. He then found work in films with the Thomas Ince Company. His first film role was in the

Selig Polyscope 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 s ...

serial ''

The Adventures of Kathlyn ''The Adventures of Kathlyn'' (1913) is an American motion picture serial released on December 29, 1913, by the Selig Polyscope Company. An adventure serial filmed in Chicago, Illinois, its thirteen episodes were directed by Francis J. Grand ...

'' in 1913. Cannon worked for

and appeared in several

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American stage and screen actress. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great success on the stage, and was inducted int ...

films. When Griffith moved his productions to

Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ), is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2 ...

, Cannon remained in Los Angeles as a freelancer working with

Douglas MacLean Charles Douglas MacLean (January 10, 1890 – July 9, 1967) was an American stage and silent film actor who later worked as a producer and screenwriter in the sound era. Early life and stage career Born in Philadelphia, MacLean was educated at ...

. In 1924, Cannon left acting and began screenwriting. In 1925, Cannon had been hired by

and co-wrote the 1925 film '' Go West'', after which Keaton loaned him to

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

and Cannon did not return. After numerous projects as film director and screenwriter, his last film effort was ''

Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

'' for Cavalcade Pictures in 1945, after which he turned his attentions to

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, ...

stage. One of his productions ''Her Majesty the Prince'', starred

Carla Laemmle Rebekah Isabelle LaemmleBiodata (with correct birthname)
, laemmle.us; accessed June ...

. Entering semi-retirement at the urging of his doctor, Cannon turned his attention to his hobby of

sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is occupational fishing activities done for profit; or subsistence fishing, ...

off the Baja coast. He subsequently wrote the books ''How to Fish the Pacific Coast'' (1952) and ''The Sea of Cortez'' (1965), as well as authoring a fishing column in ''Western Outdoor News'' for 24 years. Laemmle became his long-term typist, illustrator, researcher, and editor. He and Laemmle remained companions until his death in 1977 from complications resulting from treatment for

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

Filmography

Actor

* ''

'' (1913) * ''

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

'' (1919) as The chauffeur * ''

True Heart Susie ''True Heart Susie'' is a 1919 American melodrama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the British Film Institute. The film has seen several VHS releases as well as a ...

'' (1919) as Sporty Malone * '' Nugget Nell'' (1919) as The City Chap * ''

Nobody Home "Nobody Home" is a song from the Pink Floyd album ''The Wall''. This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, '' Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd''. Background "Nobody Home" was written late into the development of ' ...

'' (1919) as Crandall Park * '' Turning the Tables'' (1919) as Monty Feverill * ''

Mary Ellen Comes to Town ''Mary Ellen Comes to Town'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Elmer Clifton and written by Wells Hastings and Helen G. Smith. Starring Dorothy Gish, Kate Bruce, Ralph Graves, Adolph Lestina, Charles K. Gerrard, and Raymond Can ...

'' (1920) as 'Beauty' Bender * ''

Chickens The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

'' (1921) as Willie Figg * ''

Penny of Top Hill Trail ''Penny of Top Hill Trail'' is a 1921 American silent Western comedy film based on the 1919 novel by Belle Kanaris Maniates. It was directed by Arthur Berthelet and stars Bessie Love. The film was produced by Andrew J. Callaghan Productions an ...

'' (1921) as Jo Gary * ''

The Unfoldment ''The Unfoldment'' is a lost 1922 silent film feature directed by George Kern and starring Florence Lawrence. It was produced by an independent company. Only a fragment of this film survives in the Library of Congress collection. Cast *Flore ...

'' (1922) as Jack Nevin * '' Watch Your Step'' (1922) as Lon Kimball * '' His Back Against the Wall'' (1922) as Jimmy Boyle * ''

Mary of the Movies ''Mary of the Movies'' is a 1923 American silent semi-autobiographical comedy film based on the career of Marion Mack. It was written by Mack and her husband Louis Lewyn, and stars Mack and Creighton Hale. Hale and director John McDermott p ...

'' (1923) as Oswald Tate * '' The Printer's Devil'' (1923) as Alec Sperry

Director

* ''

Red Wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...

'' (1928) * ''

Joy Street ''Joy Street'' is a 1929 American Synchronized sound film directed by Raymond Cannon and starring Lois Moran, Nick Stuart and Rex Bell.Kohner p.347 Ihe film was produced by the Fox Film Corporation. The sound was recorded using the Movietone re ...

'' (1929) * '' Why Leave Home?'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * ''

Ladies Must Play Ladies Must Play is a 1930 pre-Code comedy film starring Dorothy Sebastian and Neil Hamilton directed by Raymond Cannon. Plot Tony, a popular but bankrupt New York socialite, sends his stenographer to Newport to find and marry a millionaire, ...

'' (1930) * '' The Victim'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * '' Swanee River'' (1931) * '' Night Life in Reno'' (1931) * ''

Hotel Variety A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Outer Gate ''The Outer Gate'' is a 1937 American film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon. The screenplay concerns a man who organizes a revenge plot after being sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Plot summary Bob Terry works for Joh ...

'' (1937) * '' Swing It, Sailor!'' (1938) * ''

'' (1945)

Screenwriter

* ''

The Yankee Consul '' The Yankee Consul'', also known as the ''Lieutenant Commander'', is a comic opera in two acts with music by Alfred G. Robyn and a libretto by Henry Blossom Henry Martyn Blossom Jr. (May 10, 1866 – March 23, 1919) was an American writer, play ...

'' (1924) * '' Never Say Die'' (1924) * ''

Introduce Me ''Introduce Me'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by George J. Crone and produced by and starring Douglas MacLean. It was released through Associated Exhibitors.

'' (1925) (story) * '' Go West'' (1925) (scenario) * '' The Carnival Girl'' (1926) (titles & story) * ''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It ...

'' (1926) (adaptation and scenario) * '' Taxi! Taxi!'' (1927) (adaptation) * ''

Fast and Furious ''Fast & Furious'', also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'', is an American action media franchise centered on a series of films revolving around street racing, heists, and spies. The franchise also includes short films, a television se ...

'' (1927) (adaptation) * ''

The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary ''The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary'' is a lost 1927 American silent comedy film starring veteran actress May Robson and released by Cecil B. DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation (PDC). Robson first appeared in the Broadway play version o ...

'' (1927) *'' The Broncho Buster'' (1927) * ''

Something Always Happens Something Always Happens may refer to: * Something Always Happens (1934 film) ''Something Always Happens'' is a 1934 British romantic comedy film directed by Michael Powell and starring Ian Hunter and Nancy O'Neil. It was made as a Quota qui ...

'' (1928) * ''

'' (1929) * '' Taking Ways'' (1930) * '' Imagine My Embarrassment'' (1930) * ''

Old Age Pension A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a "defined benefit plan", wher ...

'' (1935) * '' My Girl Sally'' (1935) * '' His Last Fling'' (1935) * '' Bring 'Em Back a Lie'' (1935) * ''

Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery ''Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery'' is a 12-episode 1935 Universal movie serial based on the Tailspin Tommy comic strip by Hal Forrest and starring Clark Williams, Jean Rogers and Noah Beery, Jr. The picture was the 96th of the 137 seri ...

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1945)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Raymond (actor) 1892 births 1977 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California American male silent film actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Film directors from Tennessee American male screenwriters Male actors from Tennessee 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters