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Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of
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 ...
s and early
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 ...
s. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including
Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...
and
Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...
. At one point he made $10,000 per week.


Early life

Meighan was born to John and Mary Meighan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father was the president of Pittsburgh Facing Mills, and his family was well-off. Meighan's parents encouraged him to go to college but he refused. At the age of 15, his father sent him to work shoveling coal, in an effort to instill a sense of discipline and a strong work ethic. After his experience with manual labor, he attended Mount St. Mary's College to study
pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...
. After three years of study, Meighan decided he wished to pursue acting. This decision ultimately resulted in a well-regarded career in both theatre and the emerging film industry.


Early theatre career

After dropping out of college in 1896, Meighan became a juvenile player in the Pittsburgh Stock Company headed by
Henrietta Crosman Henrietta Foster Crosman (September 2, 1861 – October 31, 1944) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Crosman was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Wheeling, Virginia, to George Crosman Jr. a Civil War Major, and Mary B. Wick, ...
. He was paid $35 per week. This early experience in theatre provided him with the skills and discipline that would benefit his later work. Meighan quickly found success, both in theatre and film. He first appeared on Broadway in 1900, and four years later appeared in ''The Two Orphans''. His breakthrough role came in 1908 when he appeared with William Collier Sr. in ''The Dictator''; this play was followed by a leading role in '' The College Widow'', which had a successful run on Broadway in the 1907–1908 season. During this run, he met his wife Frances Ring. Despite his film career, Meighan remained devoted to the theatre during his life.


Film career

In 1914, he entered motion pictures, at that time still in their infancy. His first film, shot in London, was titled ''Dandy Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman''. This led to a contract with Famous Players–Lasky. His first US film, in 1915, was ''The Fighting Hope''. During the next two years, Meighan's career took off. In 1918, he made a propaganda film for World War I, titled ''
Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...
and Thomas Meighan in a Liberty Loan Appeal''. He then played opposite
Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...
in '' M'Liss''.


Stardom

Meighan hit stardom in 1919. One of his better-known films of the period was that year's '' The Miracle Man'', which featured Lon Chaney Sr.; it is now believed to be lost except for brief clips. This was followed with
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...
's '' Male and Female'', which starred him with
Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...
and
Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka App ...
. Most of that film's cast returned for the 1920 film '' Why Change Your Wife?'', which co-starred
Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...
. In April 1925, Meighan and Swanson produced a short film directed by
Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...
for the annual "Spring Gambol" for
The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a New York City social club that nurtures those active in the arts, as well as those who are supporters of the arts, by providing activities and a clubhouse for its members. It is America's old ...
. This film (sometimes known as ''Gloria Swanson Dialogue''), made in
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 ...
's sound-on-film
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 ...
process, was made as a joke for the live event, showing Swanson trying to crash the all-male club. His popularity continued through the
Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western world, Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultura ...
, during which he starred in several pictures. In 1924, he played in ''
The Alaskan ''The Alaskan'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent adventure drama film based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood set in northwoods country, as his novels tend to be, in this case Alaska. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictu ...
'' with Estelle Taylor and Anna May Wong. In 1927, Meighan starred in ''
The City Gone Wild ''The City Gone Wild'' is a 1927 American silent crime film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film starred Thomas Meighan, Marietta Millner, and Louise Brooks and was directed by James Cruze. Plot ...
'' with
Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an cultural icon, icon of the flapper culture, in part due to the bob cut, bob hairstyle that she helped ...
. His final silents, both produced by
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
in 1928, were '' The Mating Call'', which was critical of the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
, and '' The Racket'', which was nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for Best Picture. Both were thought lost until rediscovered in private collections in 2006; they were restored by University of Nevada, Las Vegas and shown on Turner Classic Movies.


Sound movies and career's end

Meighan's first sound feature film was '' The Argyle Case'' (1928). At this time, he was nearing 50; fearing his popularity might wane, he decided to go into real estate. It wasn't until 1931 that he returned to the screen with ''Young Sinners''. He made four additional sound movies until illness sidelined him from acting. His last film was '' Peck's Bad Boy'' in 1934.


Personal life

Meighan commanded a salary of $5,000 per week for much of his career. At one point, it reached $10,000 per week.


Marriage

Meighan met Frances Ring (July 4, 1882 – January 15, 1951) when she was a stage actress on Broadway and he was appearing there. She was a younger sister of popular singer
Blanche Ring Blanche Ring (April 24, 1871 – January 13, 1961) was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood motion pictures. She was best known for her rendition of "In the Good ...
and of vaudeville actress Julie Ring. Actor and director A. Edward Sutherland was a nephew of both Blanche Ring and Meighan. Sutherland's mother Julie was a sister of Blanche and Frances Ring. Meighan and Ring became inseparable and soon married. They remained married until his death in 1936. Their marriage was considered happy and strong; one writer remarked "Thomas Meighan and
Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (October 10, 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, ...
were the only Hollywood stars who had never seen a divorce court". The couple had no children.


Hollywood scandals

Meighan was involved in some of the more scandalous moments of silent film history, albeit as a helping hand. He was the sole witness to
Jack Pickford Jack Pickford (born John Charles Smith, August 18, 1896 – January 3, 1933), was a Canadian-American actor, film director and producer. He was the younger brother of actresses Mary and Lottie Pickford. After their father deserted the famil ...
and Olive Thomas's secretive wedding in New Jersey on October 25, 1916. In March 1923, Douglas Gerrard, in need of help bailing his friend
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
out of jail for bigamy, called a fellow Irishman named Dan O'Brien who happened to be with Meighan at the time. Meighan barely knew Valentino but put up a large chunk of the bail money, and with the help of June Mathis and
George Melford George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...
, Valentino was freed.


Florida

In the mid-1920s, Meighan became obsessed with Florida after talks with his realtor brother James E. Meighan. He bought property in Ocala, Florida in 1925. In 1927, he built a home in New Port Richey, Florida, where he was to spend his winters. He intended to shoot his film ''We're All Gamblers'' there; however, filming was moved to Miami. The Meighans hoped to draw other celebrities to the area. On July 1, 1926, The Meighan Theatre opened with a screening of Meighan's movie ''The New Klondike''. Meighan was not present but sent a congratulatory telegram. In 1930, sound was added to the theatre. Meighan appeared this time, pushing the button to start the sound. The theatre closed in 1934, a victim of the Depression. It reopened in 1938 under the name The New Port Richey Theatre. The theatre is still open as a community playhouse, under the name Richey Suncoast Theatre.


Death

In 1934, Meighan was diagnosed with cancer. The following year, he underwent surgery at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan. He succumbed to cancer at 9:10pm on July 8, 1936, passing away at his home in Great Neck, New York. Many of his family were present. Meighan was originally buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens. After resting there for almost a year, his remains were moved to a family plot at Saint Mary Cemetery in Meighan's hometown of Pittsburgh.


Legacy

Meighan was a large donor to various Catholic charities and the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. Many of his later films survive and have been released on DVD.


Selected filmography

*'' Danny Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman'' (1914, Short) - Dandy Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman *''
Kindling Kindling may refer to: * Kindling, material for firelighting * ''Kindling'' (album), a 1973 album by Gene Parsons * ''Kindling'' (1915 film), a film by Cecil B. DeMille * Kindling (2023 film), a British drama film * ''Kindling'' (Mick Farren no ...
'' (1915) - 'Honest' Heine Schultz *'' The Fighting Hope'' (1915) - Burton Temple *'' Out of the Darkness'' (1915) - Harvey Brooks *'' Blackbirds'' (1915) - Jack Doggins / Hon. Nevil Trask *'' The Secret Sin'' (1915) - Jack Herron *'' Armstrong's Wife'' (1915) - David Armstrong *'' The Immigrant'' (1915) - David Harding *''
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 ...
'' (1915) *''
Pudd'nhead Wilson ''Pudd'nhead Wilson'' is a novel by American writer Mark Twain published on 28 November 1894. Its central intrigue revolves around two boys—one, born into slavery, with 1/32 Black American, black ancestry; the other, White American, white, bor ...
'' (1916) - Chambers *'' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1916) - Jack Hale *'' The Sowers'' (1916) - Prince Paul Alexis *'' The Clown'' (1916) - Dick Ordway *'' The Dupe'' (1916) - Jimmy Regan *'' Common Ground'' (1916) - Judge David Evans *'' The Storm'' (1916) - Robert Fielding *''
The Heir to the Hoorah ''The Heir to the Hoorah'' is a surviving 1916 silent film produced by Jesse Lasky and released through Paramount Pictures. It was directed by William C. deMille. A print survives in the Library of Congress. Cast *Thomas Meighan - Joe Lacy *Ani ...
'' (1916, directed by William C. deMille) (print and on-line), quoting deMille in (Rouben Mamoulian Collection (Library of Congress) First edition ) (Also catalogued at ; and (eBook)); and see - Joe Lacy *'' The Slave Market'' (1917) - John Barton *'' Sapho'' (1917) - Jean Gaussin *'' Sleeping Fires'' (1917) - David Gray *'' The Silent Partner'' (1917) - Edward Royle *'' Her Better Self'' (1917) - Dr. Robert Keith *'' The Mysterious Miss Terry'' (1917) - Gordon True *'' Arms and the Girl'' (1917) - Wilfred Ferrers *'' The Land of Promise'' (1917) - Frank Taylor *'' Madame Jealousy'' (1918) - Valour *'' Eve's Daughter'' (1918) - John Norton *'' M'Liss'' (1918) - Charles Gray *'' Missing'' (1918) - Sir William Farrel *'' Heart of the Wilds'' (1918) - Sergeant Tom Gellatly *'' In Pursuit of Polly'' (1918) - Colby Mason *'' Out of a Clear Sky'' (1918) - Robert Lawrence *'' The Forbidden City'' (1918) - John Worden *'' The Heart of Wetona'' (1919) - John Hardin *'' The Probation Wife'' (1919) - Harrison Wade *'' The Miracle Man'' (1919) - Tom Burke *'' The Thunderbolt'' (1919) - Bruce Corbin *'' Male and Female'' (1919) - William Crichton - The Butler *''Peg o' My Heart'' (1919) - Sir Gerald Adair *'' Why Change Your Wife?'' (1920) - Robert Gordon *'' The Prince Chap'' (1920) - William Peyton *'' Civilian Clothes'' (1920) - Capt. Sam McGinnis *'' Conrad in Quest of His Youth'' (1920) - Conrad Warrener *'' Frontier of the Stars'' (1921) - Buck Leslie *'' The Easy Road'' (1921) - Leonard Fayne *'' The City of Silent Men'' (1921) - Jim Montgomery *'' White and Unmarried'' (1921) - Billy Kane *'' The Conquest of Canaan'' (1921) - Joe Louden *'' Cappy Ricks'' (1921) - Matt Peasley *'' A Prince There Was'' (1921) - Charles Edward Martin *'' The Bachelor Daddy'' (1922) - Richard Chester *'' Our Leading Citizen'' (1922) - Daniel Bentley, lawyer *'' If You Believe It, It's So'' (1922) - Chick Harris *''
Manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
'' (1922) - Daniel J. O'Bannon *'' The Man Who Saw Tomorrow'' (1922) - Burke Hammond *'' Back Home and Broke'' (1922) - Tom Redding *'' The Ne'er-Do-Well'' (1923) - Kirk Anthony *'' Homeward Bound'' (1923) - Jim Bedford *''
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
'' (1923) - Thomas Meighan *'' Woman-Proof'' (1923) - Tom Rockwood *'' Pied Piper Malone'' (1924, print held Gosfilmofond) - Jack Malone *'' The Confidence Man'' (1924) - Dan Corvan *''
The Alaskan ''The Alaskan'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent adventure drama film based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood set in northwoods country, as his novels tend to be, in this case Alaska. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictu ...
'' (1924) - Alan Holt *'' Tongues of Flame'' (1924) - Henry Harrington *'' Coming Through'' (1925) - Tom Blackford *''
Old Home Week Old Home Week or Old Home Day is a practice that originated in the New England region of the United States similar to a harvest holiday or festival. In its beginning in the 19th–20th century it involved a municipal effort to invite former resid ...
'' (1925) - Tom Clark *'' The Man Who Found Himself'' (1925) - Tom Macauley *'' Irish Luck'' (1925) - Tom Donahue / Lord Fitzhugh *'' The New Klondike'' (1926) - Tom Kelly *'' Fascinating Youth'' (1926) - Thomas Meighan *'' Tin Gods'' (1926) - Roger Drake *'' The Canadian'' (1926) - Frank Taylor *'' Blind Alleys'' (1927) - Captain Dan Kirby *'' We're All Gamblers'' (1927) - Lucky Sam McCarver *''
The City Gone Wild ''The City Gone Wild'' is a 1927 American silent crime film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film starred Thomas Meighan, Marietta Millner, and Louise Brooks and was directed by James Cruze. Plot ...
'' (1927) - John Phelan *'' The Racket'' (1928) - Captain James McQuigg *'' The Mating Call'' (1928) - Leslie Hatten *'' The Argyle Case'' (1929) - Alexander Kayton *'' Young Sinners'' (1931) - Tom McGuire *''
Skyline A skyline is the wikt:outline, outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city's overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural area, rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the ...
'' (1931) - Gordon A. McClellan *'' Cheaters at Play'' (1932) - Michael Lanyard *''
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
'' (1932) - Bill Carley *'' Peck's Bad Boy'' (1934) - Henry Peck


References


External links

* *
The Meighan TheatrePhotographs and literaturePhoto of Meighan with his wife Frances Ring, 1920Thomas Meighan on Broadway Internet Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meighan, Thomas 1879 births 1936 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Pittsburgh Deaths from cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American male actors The Lambs presidents