James Kirkwood, Sr.

For other people named James Kirkwood, see James Kirkwood (disambiguation).
James Kirkwood, Sr.
Born (1875-02-22)February 22, 1875
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Died August 24, 1963(1963-08-24) (aged 88)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor film director
Years active 1909 - 1956
Spouse(s) Lila Lee (1923 - 1931 (divorce))

James Kirkwood, Sr. (February 22, 1875, Grand Rapids, Michigan – August 24, 1963, Woodland Hills, California) was an American actor and director.

Biography

Kirkwood debuted on screen in 1909 and was soon playing leads for D.W. Griffith. He started directing in 1912, and became a favorite of Mary Pickford. In 1923 he married actress Lila Lee; with her, he had a son, James Kirkwood, Jr., who became a writer. He was George Melford's original choice for the starring role of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan in The Sheik, which was later famously passed to Rudolph Valentino.[1][2] His directing career fizzled in 1920, but he continued acting well into the 1950s.

His film career would span more than two hundred films over nearly a half century. Many years later his son, James Jr., would become a successful writer, winning both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line.[3][4]

Death

Following his death, he was interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

Russell Bassett, James Kirkwood, and Mary Pickford in Behind the Scenes (1914)

Partial filmography

References

  1. ↑ "Greenroom Jottings (Page One)". Motion Picture Magazine (New York: Brewster Publications). October 1921. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Greenroom Jottings (Page Two)". Motion Picture Magazine (New York: Brewster Publications). October 1921. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ New York Times, “James Kirkwood, Actor, Dead at 80,” August 25, 1963, p. 82; Los Angeles Times, "Actor James Kirkwood Dies at 80”, August 25, 1963, p. K10
  4. ↑ Whitfeld, Eileen, Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood, pp. 137–138

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