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Raymond Hitchcock (October 22, 1865November 24, 1929) was an American silent film actor, stage actor, and stage producer, who appeared in or produced 30 plays on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
from 1898 to 1928, and who appeared in the silent films of the 1920s.


Biography

He first appeared as a star in the character of Abijah Booze in ''The Yankee Consul'', and sang ''It Was Not Like This in the Olden Time''. In his stage career, Hitchcock went back and forth between dramatic roles and ones in comic opera. In 1905 he appeared on Broadway with
John Bunny John Bunny (September 21, 1863 – April 26, 1915) was an American actor. Bunny began his career as a stage actor, but transitioned to a film career after joining Vitagraph Studios around 1910. At Vitagraph, Bunny made over 150 short films – m ...
in ''Easy Dawson'', the two apparently playing firemen. Hitchcock also made several phonograph recordings, many of which survive. In 1907, Hitchcock was charged with the
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
of two adolescent girls together with New York magnate William A. Chanler. As Hitchcock's trial progressed, it was revealed that the charges of sexual abuse were fabricated as part of a
blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...
scheme. Hitchcock was acquitted by a jury on June 11, 1908, after spending almost nine months in prison. In 1925, Hitchcock appeared in a test film made by
Lee DeForest #REDIRECT Lee de Forest #REDIRECT Lee de Forest {{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from other capitalisation ...
{{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from other capitalisation ...
in DeForest's
Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. In 1919 and 1920, de Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofi ...
sound-on-film Sound-on-film is a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying a picture is recorded on photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture. Sound-on-film processes can either record an Analog s ...
process, in which Hitchcock performed a sketch from his ''
Hitchy-Koo ''Hitchy-Koo'' is a 1912 American popular song and a series of musical revues, inspired by the song, staged on Broadway each year from 1917 through 1920 and on tour in 1922. Described by '' Variety'' magazine as a "hit song of 1912", the song wa ...
''
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
s, which he produced on Broadway in 1917, 1918, 1919, and 1920.
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...
wrote the music for the 1919 version. Hitchcock also figured prominently in John Ford's ''
Upstream Upstream may refer to: * Upstream (hydrology), the direction towards the source of a stream (against the direction of flow) * Upstream (bioprocess), part of therapeutic cell manufacturing processes from early cell isolation and cultivation until ...
'' (1927). Hitchcock died on November 24, 1929, aged 64, in
Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...
.


Personal life

Hitchcock was married to Freda Bowen from 1891 to 1903, and then was married to actress Flora Zabelle (1880–1968) from 1905 to his death in 1929. Hitchcock and Zabelle had no children. In one of her few movie roles, Zabelle appeared in the
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 ...
''The Red Widow'' (1916) opposite male lead
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...
. Barrymore's role had been played by Hitchcock in the 1911 Broadway production of ''The Red Widow''.


Partial filmography

* ''
The Ringtailed Rhinoceros ''The Ringtailed Rhinoceros'' (also cited ''The Ring-Tailed Rhinoceros'') is a Lost film, lost 1915 American silent film, silent comedy-drama film that depicted the ruinous effects of alcohol on a good-natured man and on the lives of the people ...
'' (1915) * ''
My Valet ''My Valet'' is a 1915 short comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mack Sennett and starring Raymond Hitchcock, Sennett, and Mabel Normand. The film was released by the Keystone Film Company and Triangle Distributing with a running ti ...
'' (1915) * ''
A Village Scandal ''A Village Scandal'' is a 1915 American short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Cast * Raymond Hitchcock * Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle as Fatty * Flora Zabelle * Al St. John * Harry McCoy * Minta Durfee See also * Fatty ...
'' (1915) * ''
The Red Widow ''The Red Widow'' is a lost 1916 American silent romantic comedy film directed by James Durkin, produced by Famous Players–Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on a 1911 Broadway musical play ''The Red Widow'' by ...
'' (1916) * ''
Redheads Preferred ''Redheads Preferred'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Allen Dale and starring Raymond Hitchcock, Marjorie Daw and Theodore von Eltz.Slide p.242 It was produced by the independent studio Tiffany Pictures. The film's sets were ...
'' (1926) * ''
Upstream Upstream may refer to: * Upstream (hydrology), the direction towards the source of a stream (against the direction of flow) * Upstream (bioprocess), part of therapeutic cell manufacturing processes from early cell isolation and cultivation until ...
'' (1927) * '' The Monkey Talks'' (1927) * ''
The Tired Business Man ''The Tired Business Man'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Allen Dale and starring Raymond Hitchcock, Dot Farley and Margaret Quimby.Munden p.816 It was produced and released by the independent studio Tiffany Pictures. The fi ...
'' (1927)


References


External links

* *
Raymond Hitchcock at AllmovieAudio works 1910-1916 by Raymond Hitchcock at Internet Archive
of Raymond Hitchcock to Flora Zabelle 1905 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitchcock, Raymond 1865 births 1929 deaths Male actors from New York (state) American male stage actors American male silent film actors People from Auburn, New York American theatre managers and producers 20th-century American male actors