Richard Barthelmess
- Birthday
- May 9, 1895
Bio: Richard Barthelmess endeavored to follow the family tradition established by his actress mother Carolyn Harris, appearing in amateur theatricals while attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1916, the 21-year-old Barthelmess was invited to appear in films by a family friend, actress Alla Nazimova. His first film was the silent serial Gloria's Romance… More Bio: Richard Barthelmess endeavored to follow the family tradition established by his actress mother Carolyn Harris, appearing in amateur theatricals while attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1916, the 21-year-old Barthelmess was invited to appear in films by a family friend, actress Alla Nazimova. His first film was the silent serial Gloria's Romance (1916). He joined D.W. Griffith's company in 1918 at the behest of Dorothy Gish, appearing opposite Dorothy's sister Lillian in the 1919 Griffith classic Broken Blossoms. Though he played a Chinese holy man in this film, Barthelmess was generally found in all-American roles; many historians consider his portrayal of a backwoods teen-aged mail carrier in Tol'able David (1921) (produced by Barthelmess' own Inspiration Film Co.) to be his finest effort. During the 1920s, Barthelmess was one of the biggest stars at First National Studios, pulling down $375,000 per year for such vehicles as The Patent Leather Kid and The Drop Kick (both 1927). He remained with First National when it was absorbed by Warner Bros. in 1928, continuing to star in such early talkies as The Dawn Patrol (1930) and Cabin in the Cotton (1932). Despite possessing a high, reedy voice, Barthelmess made a successful transition to sound; but after so many years on top, his popularity inevitably began to wane in the early 1930s. His last film performances were in character roles, often unsympathetic in nature; he was particularly effective as the disgraced pilot in Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (1939). After serving as a lieutenant commander in World War II, Richard Barthelmess retired to a wealthy, comfortable existence, thanks to wise real-estate investments in the Long Island area. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Most Popular
Filmography
-
The Love Goddesses: A History of Sex in the Cinema (1965)
- Actor
-
The Great Chase (1963)
- Actor
-
The Spoilers (1942)
- Bronco Kid Farrell
-
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
- Bat McPherson
- 100%
-
Spy of Napoleon (1936)
- Gerard de Lancy
- See all 27 films
Richard Barthelmess Videos
Broken Blossoms
2 minutes 38 seconds
Weary River
3 minutes 55 seconds
Midnight Alibi
3 minutes 46 seconds
Central Airport
2 minutes 3 seconds
Son Of The Gods
3 minutes 49 seconds
Born Today
- Sybil Danning (66 years old)
- Cecilia Cheung (33 years old)
- Ray Stevenson (49 years old)
- Bob Dylan (72 years old)
- Dash Mihok (39 years old)
- Bryan Greenberg (35 years old)
- John C. Reilly (48 years old)
- Billy Gilman (25 years old)
- Eric Close (46 years old)
- Jean-Pierre Bacri (62 years old)
- Cayden Boyd (19 years old)
- Gary Burghoff (70 years old)
- Jim Broadbent (64 years old)
- Déborah François (26 years old)
- Nell Campbell (60 years old)
- Alfred Molina (60 years old)
- Doug Jones (53 years old)
- Tommy Chong (75 years old)
- Seijun Suzuki (90 years old)
- Michael Lonsdale (82 years old)
- Will Sasso (38 years old)
- Kristin Scott Thomas (53 years old)
- Patti LaBelle (69 years old)
- Priscilla Presley (68 years old)
- See more (24)
