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Robert Harron
Robert Harron

Robert "Bobby" Harron (April 12, 1893 - September 5, 1920) was a highly successful and publicly popular American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Although he acted in scores of films, he is possibly best remembered for his roles in the D.W. Griffith directed films Intolerance and The Birth of a Nation. David Llewelyn Wark "D W" Griffith (January 22 1875 &ndash July 23 1948 was a premier pioneering Academy Award -winning American Film director. Intolerance Love's Struggle Through the Ages, a Silent film directed by D The Birth of a Nation (also known as The Clansman) a Silent film directed by D He was also the older brother of film actor John Harron. John Harron (March 31 1903 &ndash November 24 1939 was an American actor

Biography

Born Robert Emmett Harron in New York City, New York, U.S., he was second oldest child of nine siblings in a poor, working-class Irish-Catholic family. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Irish Catholics is a term used to describe people of Roman Catholic background who are Irish or of Irish descent. He attended the Christian Brothers school in Greenwich Village and beginning at the age of thirteen found work as a messenger boy for American Biograph Studios to help support his family. Greenwich Village (ˌgrɛnɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern Manhattan Within a year of working for Biograph, Robert Harron and Christian Brothers friend and classmate James Smith were noticed by newly hired director D. W. Griffith who put both young boys under contract and the pair began appearing in bit parts for the studio. His first film was the now lost 1907 Biograph short Bobby's Kodak. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928 Harron quickly became a favorite of Griffith and Griffith began to give the 14-year-old increasingly larger film roles.

The teenaged Robert Harron was often cast by Griffith in the role of the "sensitive" and "naïve" boy, who was overwhelmingly sympathetic and appealing to American film-goers in the very early years of American motion pictures and not far removed from Harron's real-life persona; Harron was often described as a quiet and soft-spoken youth. It was these traits that helped garner much public interest in the young actor, especially amongst young female fans. In 1912 alone, Robert Harron appeared in nearly forty films at Biograph. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting

Harron is probably best recalled for his roles in the three epic Griffith films: 1914's Judith of Bethulia, opposite Blanche Sweet, Mae Marsh, Henry B. Walthall and Dorothy and Lillian Gish, 1915's controversial all-star cast The Birth of a Nation, and 1916's colossal multi-scenario Intolerance opposite such popular stars of the era Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Wallace Reid, Harold Lockwood, Carol Dempster and Mildred Harris. Judith of Bethulia was a 1914 film and starred Blanche Sweet and Henry B Blanche Sweet ( June 18, 1896 – September 6, 1986) was a Silent film Actress who began her career in the earliest days Henry B Walthall ( March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American Film actor. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Lillian Diana Gish ( October 14 1893 – February 27 1993) was an American stage screen and television actress whose Mae Marsh (born Mary Wayne Marsh, November 9, 1894 in Madrid New Mexico, died February 13, 1968 in Hermosa Beach Wallace Reid ( April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an actor in Silent film referred to by Motion Picture Magazine Harold A Lockwood ( April 12, 1887 in Newark New Jersey – October 19, 1918 in New York City, New York Carol Dempster ( December 9, 1901 - February 1, 1991) was a notable American film Actress of the Silent film Mildred Harris ( November 29, 1901 &ndash July 20, 1944) was an American Actress of the Silent film era One of Harron's most popular roles of the era came in 1919 when he starred opposite Lillian Gish in the Griffith directed romantic film True Heart Susie.

Robert Harron's film career continued to flourish throughout the 1910s and he was occasionally paired with leading actresses Mae Marsh and Lillian Gish with romantic plots, often in roles that cemented his "sensitive boy" image. The 1910s decade ran from January 1 1910 through December 31 1919 Harron had, in fact, a burgeoning off-screen romantic relationship with Dorothy Gish. Dorothy Elizabeth Gish ( March 11, 1898 - June 4, 1968) was an American actress By 1920 however, it was reported that film director D. W. Griffith's interest in the young actor had waned and when Griffith hired film actor Richard Barthelmess to star in his 1920 film Way Down East, Harron was inconsolable. Richard "Dick" Semler Barthelmess ( May 9, 1895 &ndash August 17, 1963) was an Oscar-nominated Silent film Way Down East ( 1920) is a American Drama Silent film directed by D On September 5, 1920, while in New York City to attend the film premiere of Way Down East, Harron fatally shot himself in the left lung in his hotel room with a revolver that he had placed in a jacket.

Supposedly the weapon was purchased during the afternoon from a street begger as Harron did not believe in just handing out money unless something was bought. That was done because he wanted people to feel as if they actually earned the funds given. The shooting story is related as that while changing jackets for the evening's event, the gun fell out of the pocket and when it struck the floor the bullet was released.

Although the death was officially ruled accidental, many historians believe that Harron committed suicide. However, many of those closest to the actor vehemently refuted that Harron, a devout Catholic, would ever have considered suicide. While on his deathbed, Harron reportedly confided to his boyhood priest that his gunshot wound was the result of an accident.

Nevertheless, in preparation for a 1993 film festival scheduled in honor Harron's birth centennial at MOMA, Joseph P. Fanning (the organizer and main lecturer) researched and obtained copies of the death certificate/medical records. These documents showed, that despite the public record, the angle of the wound and the width of the powder burns associated could not be the result of a mere accident. Thus, despite the lack of any witnesses, the evidence clearly indicated that Harron's death was a result of suicide. The main hypothesis for the action was determined to be the result of disappointment due to the fact that Griffith, a substitute father, had passed Mr. Harron over for stardom in Way Down East.

Robert Harron was 27 years old at the time of his death and had never married. His film career spanned nearly fifteen years and Harron had appeared in over two hundred films.

Harron was interred at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens, New York City. Calvary Cemetery is located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd in Woodside in the New York City borough of Queens, New York. Woodside is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The City of New York

Filmography

External links

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