Actor. Born in Marshall, Missouri, he was a veteran character performer who appeared in nearly 150 films. He made his screen debut in the silent film era, appearing in primarily serials, westerns and adventure movies. In 1916 he founded his own studio to produce movies made for the African-American audience, which was widely ignored by the mainstream film industry. From the 1920s until he retired from the movie industry in 1950, he was a popular figure in top-notch films such as "The Ten Commandments" (1923), "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), "Moby Dick" (1930), "King Kong" (1933), "Son of Kong" (1933), "Lost Horizon" (1937) and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949). He died in Yucaipa, California, at age 96.
Actor. Born in Marshall, Missouri, he was a veteran character performer who appeared in nearly 150 films. He made his screen debut in the silent film era, appearing in primarily serials, westerns and adventure movies. In 1916 he founded his own studio to produce movies made for the African-American audience, which was widely ignored by the mainstream film industry. From the 1920s until he retired from the movie industry in 1950, he was a popular figure in top-notch films such as "The Ten Commandments" (1923), "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), "Moby Dick" (1930), "King Kong" (1933), "Son of Kong" (1933), "Lost Horizon" (1937) and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949). He died in Yucaipa, California, at age 96.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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