Theodore Wharton (1875–1931) was an American film director, producer and writer. He directed 48 films in the 1910s and 1920s, including the 1915 '' The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'' featuring Oliver Hardy.

Biography

Wharton was born April 12, 1875, in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. He was the younger brother of Leopold Wharton, who also became a film director. In 1890, Wharton started in both the business side of the theater as well as acting in

Dallas, Texas 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 ...

. He worked for a number of stock companies, including that of Augustin Daly until 1899, and then became a stage manager. In 1907, he visited Edison Studios and worked there until 1909. Over the next 3 years, he wrote and directed many screenplays for various studios including Essanay Studios. In 1912, the US government commissioned him to produce ''The Late Indian Wars'', the first sevel-reel motion picture in America. It was filmed on location in the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

, with a script by General Charles King and a large cast including other generals and "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The Whartons Studio opened in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

, in 1914. Stars he directed included Francis X. Bushman, Henry B. Walthall and

Beverly Bayne Beverly Bayne (born Pearl Beverly Bayne or Bain; November 11, 1894 – August 18, 1982) was an American actress who appeared in silent films beginning in 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked for Essanay Studios. Early life Born in Minne ...

. In the 1920s Wharton moved to

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish language, Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population ...

, as promoted by mayor Fred Swanton. He died November 28, 1931, in Hollywood.

Selected filmography

* '' Abraham Lincoln's Clemency'' (1910) * '' From the Submerged'' (1912) * ''

The Exploits of Elaine ''The Exploits of Elaine'' is a 1914 American Serial (film), film serial in the damsel in distress genre of ''The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial), The Perils of Pauline'' (1914). ''The Exploits of Elaine'' tells the story of a young woman named ...

'' (1914) * '' The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford'' (1915) * '' The New Exploits of Elaine'' (1915) * '' The Romance of Elaine'' (1915) * '' The Mysteries of Myra'' serial (1916) * '' The Lottery Man'' (1916) * ''The Black Stork'' (1917) * '' Patria'' (1917) * '' The Great White Trail'' (1917) * '' The Eagle's Eye'' (1918) * '' The Moon Riders'' (1920) * '' The Eagle's Talons'' (1923)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wharton, Theodore 1875 births 1931 deaths Film directors from Wisconsin American male screenwriters Writers from Milwaukee Screenwriters from Wisconsin Film producers from Wisconsin 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters