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Wilfred Lucas

Wilfred Lucas

Birthday: 1871-01-30 | Place of Birth: Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wilfred Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian-born American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Wilfred Lucas made his Broadway debut in 1904, playing in both the The Blue Grass Handicap and The Superstition of Sue. Following his 1906 role in the highly successful play The Chorus Lady, he was recruited to the fledgling Biograph Studios by D. W. Griffith. At the time, the film business was still looked down upon by many members of the theatrical community. In her 1925 book titled When the Movies Were Young, Griffith's wife, actress Linda Arvidson, told the story of the early days at Biograph Studios. In it, she referred to Lucas as the "first real grand actor, democratic enough to work in Biograph movies." In 1908 Lucas made his motion picture debut in Griffith's The Greaser's Gauntlet, appearing in more than 50 of these short (usually 17 minutes) films over the next two years. In 1910 while still acting, he wrote the script for Griffith's film Sunshine Sue, which was followed by many more scripts by 1924. Lucas also began directing in 1912 with Griffith on An Outcast Among Outcasts, and directed another 44 films over the next 20 years. In early 1916 he starred as John Carter in Acquitted, about which Photoplay wrote, "No single performance in the records of active photography has surpassed his visualization of the humble book-keeper in Acquitted." Later in 1916 he appeared in D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance. Part of the group of Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, Lucas became friends and sometimes starred with Mary Pickford, Sam De Grasse, and Marie Dressler. Canadian-born director Mack Sennett hired him to both direct and act in a large number of films at his Keystone Studios. Lucas made the successful transition from silent film to sound. While working in Hollywood, in 1926 he returned to the stage, performing in several Broadway plays. He later appeared as a foil for Laurel and Hardy in their feature films Pardon Us and A Chump at Oxford. During his long career, Wilfred Lucas appeared in more than 375 films. Although for a time he was cast in leading roles, he became very successful as secondary and minor characters, making a good living in the film industry for more than three decades.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1940
A Chump at Oxford

as    Dean Williams

1937
Criminal Lawyer

as    Brandon's Assistant

1936
California Mail

as    Sheriff

1935
Angkor

as    Wilfred Lucas, game hunter

1934
The Return of Chandu

as    Capt. Wilson [Chs. 4-12]

1934
The Moth

as    John Gale

1933
Phantom Thunderbolt

as    Eaton - Railroad President

1933
I Cover the Waterfront

as    Randall

1931
Men Call It Love

as    Sam Ellery

1931
House of Mystery

as    Sheriff Franklin

1930
Those Who Dance

as    Big Ben Benson

1930
Cock o' the Walk

as    Señor Vallejo

1925
Riders of the Purple Sage

as    Oldring

1924
Daughters of Pleasure

as    Mark Hadley

1922
Flesh and Blood

as    The Policeman

1917
Sins of Ambition

as    Andrew Maxwell

1911
His Trust

as    George

1911
His Trust Fulfilled

as    George

1911
Swords and Hearts

as    Hugh Frazier

1911
The Primal Call

as    The Fisherman