Canadian-American actor, director, and screenwriter (1871–1940)
Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter.
Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,[1] [2] most likely in the township of Townsend where at the time his father served as a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He was the youngest of three sons to be raised by Daniel Lucas and the former E. Adeline Reynolds,[3] in Townsend and later Montreal, Quebec .[4] Lucas attended the High School of Montreal and McGill University [5] before immigrating to America in the late 1880s. His early career there was that of a baritone singer performing at church functions and at small venues.[6]
Career Wilfred Lucas in 1924. Lucas eventually made a name for himself performing in light and grand opera in America and abroad.[5] He made his Broadway debut on April 4, 1904, at the Savoy Theater playing in both the curtain raiser "The Blue Grass Handicap" and The Superstition of Sue in which he played Sue's brother, Percy Flage. Following his 1906 role in the highly successful play The Chorus Lady ,[7] Lucas 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."[8]
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".[9]
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 .
Wilfred 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.
Personal life On October 10, 1898, Lucas, by then a member of a stock company headed by actor James Durkin, wed fellow cast member Louise Perine at Elmira, New York .[10] The couple went on to have two sons, Wilfred "Irving" Lucas, Kirke LaShelle Lucas, and one daughter, Alice Van Norman Lucas, before their divorce sometime before 1910. Five years after he married Louise, Lucas became an American citizen at a ceremony held in San Bernardino, California .[2]
While working at Biograph Studios, Wilfred Lucas met and ultimately married actress/screenwriter Bess Meredyth (1890–1969) with whom he had a son. John Meredyth Lucas (1919–2002) became a successful writer and director including a number of episodes of Mannix and Star Trek . John Lucas wrote about his sometimes strained relationship with his father after his parents divorced in his book Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television (2004)[11]
Death Wilfred Lucas died on December 13, 1940, at Los Angeles and was interred at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory [12]
In 2023, Lucas' cremains were removed from non-public vaultage in the basement of the crematory to a publicly accessible niche in the chapel columbarium. [13]
Selected filmography Wilfred Lucas The Greaser's Gauntlet (1908, Short) - JoseThe Girl and the Outlaw (1908, Short)Ingomar, the Barbarian (1908, Short)The Vaquero's Vow (1908, Short)The Honor of Thieves (1909, Short)Fisher Folks (1911)The Girl and Her Trust (1912, Short) - Jack, Railroad Express AgentJust Like a Woman (1912, Short)The Sands of Dee (1912, Short)Gold Is Not All (1913)The Speed Kings (1913, Short)The Spanish Jade (1915) - Osmund ManversThe Lily and the Rose (1915) - Jack Van NormanThe Wood Nymph (1916) - Fred ArnoldAcquitted (1916) - John CarterMacbeth (1916) - MacduffA Wild Girl of the Sierras (1916) - Jim HamiltonHell-to-Pay Austin (1916) - Hell-to-Pay AustinIntolerance (1916) - Extra (uncredited)The Rummy (1916) - The RummyThe Microscope Mystery (1916) - Doc ArnoldJim Bludso (1917) - Jim BludsoA Love Sublime (1917) - PhilipHands Up! (1917) - John HoustonSouls Triumphant (1917) - Robert PowersHer Excellency, the Governor (1917) - James BarclayThe Food Gamblers (1917) - Henry HavensSins of Ambition (1917) - Andrew MaxwellThe Co-Respondent (1917) - Richard ManningThe Judgment House (1917) - Rudyard ByngWhat Every Woman Wants (1919) - Horace LennonThe Hushed Hour (1919) - Robert Appleton Jr.The Westerners (1919) - Jim BuckleyThe Girl from Nowhere (1919) - Diamond TerryA Woman of Pleasure (1919) - Sir John ThornbullSoldiers of Fortune (1919) - President AlvarezThe Return of Mary (1919)The Man from Kangaroo (1920) - Red Jack BragganThe Jackeroo of Coolabong (1920) - John MacDonaldThe Breaking Point (1921) - Mortimer DavidsonThrough the Back Door (1921) - Elton ReevesOne a Minute (1921) - Prosecutor (uncredited)The Fighting Breed (1921) - John MacDonaldThe Shadow of Lightning Ridge (1921) - Edward MariottThe Beautiful Liar (1921) - Gaston AllegrettiAcross the Deadline (1922) - Aaron KidderThe Barnstormer (1922) - Leading ManFlesh and Blood (1922) - The PolicemanPaid Back (1922) - Ship CaptainThe Kentucky Derby (1922) - Capt. WolffBarriers of Folly (1922) - Wallace CliftonHeroes of the Street (1922)Jazzmania (1923) - Julius FurmanCan a Woman Love Twice? (1923) - Franklyn ChaseThe Girl of the Golden West (1923) - AshbyThe Greatest Menace (1923) - Charles W. WrightTrilby (1923) - The LairdWhy Women Remarry (1923) - Mr. ComptonInnocence (1923) - CollingwoodThe Mask of Lopez (1924) - Richard O'NeilNorth of Nevada (1924) - C. HanafordDorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (1924) - Earl of RutlandDaughters of Pleasure (1924) - Mark HadleyThe Valley of Hate (1924) - Old Jim DarleyThe Fighting Sap (1924) - Charles RichmondGirls Men Forget (1924) - Michael ShaynePassion's Pathway (1924) - Richard StantonCornered (1924) - UpdikeA Fight for Honor (1924) - Tom GradyRacing for Life (1924) - HudfordThe Fatal Mistake (1924)Women First (1924)The Price She Paid (1924) - James PresburyLightning Romance (1924) - Richard WadeOn Probation (1924) - Detective ReillyThe Beautiful Sinner (1924, writer)Easy Money (1925)As No Man Has Loved (1925) - Maj. BissellRiders of the Purple Sage (1925) - OldringA Broadway Butterfly (1925) - Stage ManagerThe Snob Buster (1925) - John PendergastHow Baxter Butted In (1925) - R.S. FalkYouth's Gamble (1925) - Harry BlaineThe Bad Lands (1925) - Col. OwenThe Wife Who Wasn't Wanted (1925) - Judge BledsoeWas It Bigamy? (1925) - AttorneyCyclone Cavalier (1925) - Hugh ClaytonHer Sacrifice (1926) - Edwin RamseyThe Sorrows of Satan (1926) - Minister (uncredited)The Nest (1927) - Howard HardyBurnt Fingers (1927) - Lord CumberlyHello Sister (1930) - Dr. SaltusCock o' the Walk (1930) - Señor VallejoThose Who Dance (1930) - Big Ben BensonThe Arizona Kid (1930) - ManagerMadam Satan (1930) - Roman Senator (uncredited)Just Imagine (1930) - X-10Millie (1931) - Millie's Elderly Escort (uncredited)Dishonored (1931) - Gen. Dymov (uncredited)Men Call It Love (1931) - Sam Ellery (uncredited)Cracked Nuts (1931) - Minister (uncredited)Young Donovan's Kid (1931) - DuryeaPolitics (1931) - Edgar - a Husband (uncredited)The Homicide Squad (1931)Caught (1931) - Cavalryman (uncredited)Pardon Us (1931) - WardenThe Galloping Ghost (1931, Serial) - Sportscaster [Chs. 1, 12]Graft (1931) - Candidate Louis (uncredited)The Age for Love (1931) - Minor Role (uncredited)The Phantom (1931) - Dist. Atty. John HamptonConvicted (1931) - Capt. HammondRich Man's Folly (1931)His Woman (1931) - (uncredited)Cross-Examination (1932) - Judge William J. HollisterCareless Lady (1932) - Ship's Purser (uncredited)The Midnight Patrol (1932)The Silver Lining (1932) - Yacht Captain (uncredited)The Tenderfoot (1932) - Patterson (uncredited)Week-End Marriage (1932) - Mr. Jackson (uncredited)The Dark Horse (1932) - Debate Chairman (uncredited)What Price Hollywood? (1932) - Bill - Replacement Director (uncredited)Stranger in Town (1932) - J.P. Walker (uncredited)Devil and the Deep (1932) - Court Martial Judge (uncredited)Two Against the World (1932) - Jury Foreman (uncredited)Big City Blues (1932) - Policeman (uncredited)The Devil Horse (1932, Serial) - Whitney [Ch. 1] (uncredited)You Said a Mouthful (1932) - Official (uncredited)Call Her Savage (1932) - Child Welfare Official (uncredited)No More Orchids (1932) - Banker (uncredited)The Unwritten Law (1932) - Captain KaneThe Sign of the Cross (1932) - (uncredited)Silver Dollar (1932) - Political Crony (uncredited)Lucky Larrigan (1932) - John LarriganThe Secrets of Wu Sin (1932) - Pharmacist (uncredited)Lawyer Man (1932) - Second Jury Foreman (uncredited)Sister to Judas (1932) - Mike O'FlanaganPhantom Thunderbolt (1933) - Eaton - Railroad PresidentThe Intruder (1933) - Mr. WayneThe Three Musketeers (1933, Serial) - El Shaitan (uncredited)The Big Cage (1933) - Bob MillsThe Devil's Brother (1933) - AlessandroI Cover the Waterfront (1933) - RandallThe Sphinx (1933) - Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)Strange People (1933) - John DavisThe Mayor of Hell (1933) - Bill (uncredited)Midnight Mary (1933) - Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)Her Bodyguard (1933) - Doorman (uncredited)Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933) - Barry - Andrews' Lawyer (uncredited)Notorious But Nice (1933) - JudgeTurn Back the Clock (1933) - 1921 Spokesman (uncredited)Day of Reckoning (1933) - GuardFrom Headquarters (1933) - Intake Officer (uncredited)Blood Money (1933) - Prison Guard (uncredited)Advice to the Lovelorn (1933) - Reporter (uncredited)The House on 56th Street (1933) - Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)Gallant Lady (1933) - Phelps - the Butler (uncredited)The Moth (1934) - John GaleThe House of Rothschild (1934) - Page (uncredited)The Lost Jungle (1934, Serial) - Circus Ring Announcer [Ch. 1]Upper World (1934) - Boat Captain (uncredited)Operator 13 (1934) - Judge (uncredited)Madame Du Barry (1934) - Servant on Lawn Keeping Score (uncredited)Murder in the Private Car (1934) - Conductor Thrown from Train (uncredited)The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) - Detective (uncredited)The Dragon Murder Case (1934) - Police Sergeant (uncredited)Peck's Bad Boy (1934) - (uncredited)One Night of Love (1934) - Metropolitan Operagoer (uncredited)The Return of Chandu (1934, Serial) - Capt. Wilson [Chs. 4-12]Cleopatra (1934) - Roman Greeting Antony (uncredited)Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934) - Policeman at Dock (uncredited)The St. Louis Kid (1934) - Policeman (scenes deleted)Love Time (1934) - Dignitary (uncredited)The Firebird (1934) - Actor (uncredited)Shrimps for a Day (1934, Short) - Mr. Wade, the sponsorThe Secret Bride (1934) - Bailiff (uncredited)Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) - Doorman (uncredited)Naughty Marietta (1935) - Announcer (uncredited)Les Misérables (1935) - Onlooker (uncredited)Vagabond Lady (1935) - Dock Official (uncredited)Alibi Ike (1935) - Umpire (uncredited)Stranded (1935) - Pat, a Welfare Worker (uncredited)The Arizonian (1935) - Townsman with Mayor (uncredited)Love Me Forever (1935) - Minor Role (uncredited)The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935, Serial) - Frank Hammond [Ch. 5] (uncredited)Navy Wife (1935) - Pedestrian (uncredited)The Public Menace (1935) - Gazette Editor (scenes deleted)Stormy (1935) - Mack's Horse Trainer (uncredited)Rip Roaring Riley (1935) - Police ChiefI Found Stella Parish (1935) - Customs Official (uncredited)Another Face (1935) - Mr. Jerome - Screenwriter (uncredited)Frisco Kid (1935) - First Policeman (uncredited)Kind Lady (1935) - First Scotland Yard Man (uncredited)Show Them No Mercy! (1935) - Druggist (uncredited)Angkor (1935) - Himself, game hunterThe Lady Consents (1936) - Dr. Rand (uncredited)Modern Times (1936) - the Juvenile OfficerThe Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) - Testifying Colonel (uncredited)The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) - Reporter (uncredited)The Preview Murder Mystery (1936) - Director (uncredited)Love on a Bet (1936) - Man at Hutchinson's Meeting (uncredited)The Country Doctor (1936) - Proprietor (uncredited)The King Steps Out (1936) - Driver, Von Kempen Carriage (uncredited)Human Cargo (1936) - Police ChiefHearts Divided (1936) - Footman Announcing Guests (uncredited)The White Angel (1936) - Raglan Staff Officer (uncredited)High Tension (1936) - Businessman (uncredited)The Devil-Doll (1936) - Off-Screen Voice (voice, uncredited)Mary of Scotland (1936) - LexingtonDimples (1936) - Creditor (uncredited)The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) - Captain (uncredited)California Mail (1936) - SheriffBeloved Enemy (1936) - First Doctor (uncredited)Counterfeit Lady (1936) - Jailer (uncredited)Chatterbox (1936) - Himself (uncredited)We Who Are About to Die (1937) - Prison Yard Captain (uncredited)Black Legion (1937) - Bailiff (uncredited)Criminal Lawyer (1937) - Brandon's AssistantDon't Tell the Wife (1937) - Albert - Prison Guard (uncredited)Sea Devils (1937) - Coast Guard Officer (uncredited)Dick Tracy (1937, Serial) - Mr. Vance (uncredited)Circus Girl (1937) - Doctor (uncredited)Land Beyond the Law (1937) - Rancher Jim Blake (uncredited)Racketeers in Exile (1937) - Finance Man (uncredited)Motor Madness (1937) - Police Captain (uncredited)Mile-a-Minute-Love (1937) - John T. DrexelMarked Woman (1937) - 1st Jury Foreman (uncredited)I Promise to Pay (1937) - Police Sergeant (uncredited)Blazing Sixes (1937) - Sheriff TomYou Can't Beat Love (1937) - Announcer Introducing Jimmy (uncredited)Empty Holsters (1937) - John WareTalent Scout (1937) - Director of Screen Test (uncredited)Varsity Show (1937) - Police Commissioner (uncredited)Prairie Thunder (1937) - Nate TempleHot Water (1937) - Customer in Drugstore (uncredited)Idol of the Crowds (1937) - Doctor (uncredited)Life Begins with Love (1937) - School Board Director (uncredited)Conquest (1937) - Major Domo (uncredited)The Westland Case (1937) - Gun Dealer (uncredited)The Perfect Specimen (1937) - Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)Navy Blue and Gold (1937) - Ship's Captain (uncredited)Checkers (1937) - Race Judge (uncredited)Missing Witnesses (1937) - Judge in Wagner Case (uncredited)She Loved a Fireman (1937) - Fire Tug Captain (uncredited)Sergeant Murphy (1938) - Mule Boat Captain (uncredited)Daredevil Drivers (1938) - Race Judge (uncredited)The Baroness and the Butler (1938) - Member of ParliamentNight Spot (1938) - Police Lieutenant (uncredited)Over the Wall (1938) - Cell Block Keeper (uncredited)This Marriage Business (1938) - Mr. Brown (uncredited)Accidents Will Happen (1938) - Bailiff (uncredited)Rascals (1938) - Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)Safety in Numbers (1938) - CouncilmanSpeed to Burn (1938) - Paddock Steward (uncredited)Four Daughters (1938) - Doctor (uncredited)Freshman Year (1938) - Prof. UllrichDown on the Farm (1938) - Wheeler (uncredited)A Man to Remember (1938) - Man at Hospital Dedication (uncredited)Brother Rat (1938) - Ballfield Doctor (uncredited)Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) - Police Sergeant (uncredited)Arizona Legion (1939) - Mr. Fisher - Defense Attorney (uncredited)Almost a Gentleman (1939) - Dog Show Director (uncredited)Dodge City (1939) - Bartender (uncredited)Women in the Wind (1939) - Burbank Official (uncredited)Zenobia (1939) - Minor Role (uncredited)Racketeers of the Range (1939) - Steve - Cattle Rancher (uncredited)6,000 Enemies (1939) - Deputy (uncredited)Each Dawn I Die (1939) - Bailiff (uncredited)The Day the Bookies Wept (1939) - Bill, Man Outside Racetrack (uncredited)Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Pompous Man (uncredited)The Marshal of Mesa City (1939) - Marshal Andy Thompson (uncredited)Raffles (1939) - Bobby (uncredited)Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939) - Police Detective Randall (uncredited)Four Wives (1939) - Stationmaster (uncredited)A Chump at Oxford (1939) - Dean WilliamsLegion of the Lawless (1940) - East Ivestown Leader (uncredited)The Fighting 69th (1940) - Doctor Checking Eyes (uncredited)Women Without Names (1940) - Roomer (uncredited)Virginia City (1940) - Southerner (uncredited)Tear Gas Squad (1940) - Policeman (uncredited)Edison, the Man (1940) - Broker (uncredited)Waterloo Bridge (1940) - Elderly Huntsman at Estate Dance (uncredited)Brother Orchid (1940) - Brother MacDonaldThe Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) - Chaplain #2 (uncredited)They Drive by Night (1940) - Bailiff (uncredited)Ragtime Cowboy Joe (1940) - Sam OsborneTriple Justice (1940) - Constable Herb at Tule MesaA Dispatch from Reuters (1940) - Board Member (uncredited)Santa Fe Trail (1940) - Weiner (uncredited)Back Street (1941) - Congratulator at Race (uncredited)The Sea Wolf (1941) - Helmsman (uncredited) (final film role)
References ^ Norman Wilfred Lucas January 31, 1871 - Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 ^ a b US Passport Application July 17, 1917 (Wilfred Lucas) ^ 1871 Canadian Census Records ^ 1881 Canadian Census Records ^ a b Wilfred Lucas - Motion Picture Studio Directories, 1919 and 1921 (Ancestry.com) ^ Musical Affairs - Sunday Herald, ( Syracuse, New York) October 03, 1897 pg. 10 ^ Wilfred Lucas – Internet Broadway Database ^ When the Movies were Young - By Linda A. Griffith, Linda Arvidso 1925 pg. 82 ^ Photoplay vol. 9 December 1915 pg. 104 ^ Stage Gossip - San Antonio Light - November 13, 1898 pg. 7 ^ "Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood: Memoir of a Career in Film and Television" (2004) John Meredyth Lucas pg.30-32 ^ 'Wilfred Lucas', in Hartford Courant dated December 15, 1940 (Obituary) ^ "OPENING THE VAULT: The Story of Chapel of the Pines". You Tube .
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilfred Lucas .