Henry B. Walthall
Age: 58 | From: Shelby County, Alabama, USA
Person Details
Birthday: 1878-03-16 02:28:16
Death: 1936-06-17 02:28:16
Aliases: Henry B. Walthal , H. B. Walthall , H.B. Walthall , Henry Walthall , William Walthall , Henry Brazeale Walthall
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Shelby County, Alabama, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 169
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915). In New York in 1901, Walthall won a role in Under Southern Skies by Charlotte Blair Parker. He performed in the play for three years, in New York and on tour. With the company of Henry Miller he gained recognition on Broadway in plays including Pippa Passes, The Only Way and William Vaughn Moody's The Great Divide (1906–08). His fellow cast member James Kirkwood introduced Walthall to D. W. Griffith, and at the conclusion of that engagement, Walthall joined the Biograph Company. His career in movies began in 1909 at Biograph Studios in New York with a leading role in the film A Convict's Sacrifice. This film also featured James Kirkwood, and was directed by D. W. Griffith, a director that played a huge part in Walthall's rise to stardom. As the industry grew in size and popularity, Griffith emerged as a director and Walthall found himself a mainstay of the Griffith company, frequently working alongside such Griffith regulars as Owen Moore, Kate Bruce, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Mae Marsh, Bobby Harron and Jack and Mary Pickford. He followed Griffith's departure from New York's Biograph to California's Reliance-Majestic Studios in 1913. After a few months with Reliance, he joined Pathé for a short period. He decided to go into the producing business and formed The Union Feature Film Company, the first to be devoted entirely to full-length films. The venture was not successful, however, and he again became associated with Griffith's company. Given the relatively short length of films in the early years, Walthall frequently found himself cast in dozens of films each year. He gained national attention in 1915 for his role as Colonel Ben Cameron in Griffith's highly influential and controversial epic, The Birth of a Nation. Walthall's portrayal of a Confederate veteran rounding up the Ku Klux Klan won him large-scale fame, and Walthall was soon able to emerge as a leading actor in the years leading up to the 1920s, parting ways with Griffith. Walthall continued working in films through the 1920s, appearing in The Plastic Age with Gilbert Roland and Clara Bow. He portrayed Roger Chillingworth in Victor Seastrom's 1926 adaptation of The Scarlet Letter opposite Lillian Gish. Walthall continued his career into the 1930s. After his performance in director John Ford's 1934 film Judge Priest starring Will Rogers he enjoyed a golden period of his career. He portrayed Dr. Manette in A Tale of Two Cities (1935), starring Ronald Colman. In 1936 he appeared as Marcel in The Devil-Doll. He was gravely ill during his final film, China Clipper. Frank Capra wanted Walthall to portray the High Lama in his 1937 film, Lost Horizon. "Frail and failing, he died before we could test him," Capra wrote. Walthall has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.
Most Famous Work
The Birth of a Nation
(1915) Col. Ben Cameron
Disclosure
(2020) Holofernes (archive footage)
Wings
(1927) Mr. Armstrong
A Tale of Two Cities
(1935) Dr. Manette
The Devil-Doll
(1936) Marcel
A Corner in Wheat
(1909) Wheat King's Assistant
Abraham Lincoln
(1930) Colonel Marshall
The Cabin in the Cotton
(1932) Eph ClintonActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Holofernes (archive footage) | |
| 2002 | Sir James Hamlin (archive footage) | |
| 1998 | Col. Ben Cameron (archive footage) | |
| 1975 | Self (archive footage) | |
| 1942 | Self (archive footage) | |
| 1936 | Dad Brunn | |
| Marcel | ||
| Cal Yates | ||
| Capt. Buchanan | ||
| David Burton | ||
| Dr. Garden | ||
| 1935 | Dr. Manette | |
| Pop McWade | ||
| Abner Meadows | ||
| 1934 | Duke Johann von Hatzfeld | |
| Dr. Amon | ||
| Jonas Deering | ||
| Roger Chillingworth | ||
| Reverend Ashby Brand | ||
| Bernard Latham Wayne, alias Prof. Mysto | ||
| Colonel Henry Randolph Ransome | ||
| Francisco Madero | ||
| enry B. Walthall | ||
| Marchant the Blind Man | ||
| Schultz | ||
| 1933 | Father Ryan | |
| Jim Courtney | ||
| Mr. Maynard | ||
| Judge Beacon | ||
| Rev. Mr. James | ||
| Clergyman in Alternate Version (uncredited) | ||
| Bob Leadly | ||
| J. D. Bradley | ||
| Stage Actor (uncredited) | ||
| 1932 | Professor Leeds | |
| Doctor Borden | ||
| Eby | ||
| John Collins | ||
| Eph Clinton | ||
| Mark Armstrong | ||
| John Gaunt | ||
| Robert Regent | ||
| Atwell | ||
| Winthrop | ||
| Nathaniel "Nat" Barry | ||
| 1931 | Mr. Evans | |
| 1930 | Amos Hatburn | |
| Captain Adams | ||
| Colonel Marshall | ||
| Blackton | ||
| 1929 | Burke | |
| Fuller | ||
| Boyd Milburn | ||
| Dr. Bradbroke | ||
| General Jeff Rumford | ||
| Buffalo Bill Ryan | ||
| Father Juniper | ||
| Piano player | ||
| Capt. Rhodes - Yacht Commander | ||
| 1928 | John Ballard | |
| Henry / Tommy Mooney | ||
| 1927 | Sir James Hamlin | |
| Johann Graff | ||
| Van Denbosch | ||
| Mr. Armstrong | ||
| N/A | ||
| Roger Prynne aka Roger Chillingworth | ||
| 1926 | Thorpe | |
| Father James | ||
| John Phillips | ||
| Gale Gaylord | ||
| George Bennett | ||
| 1925 | Henry Carver | |
| Mr. Beaumont | ||
| Dr. Samuel Webb | ||
| William Hale | ||
| Col. Peake | ||
| 1924 | Prosecuting Attorney | |
| 1923 | William Latimer | |
| Peter Marchmont / Victor Cromport | ||
| John McGimsey | ||
| Robert Stevens | ||
| 1922 | Harley P. Hennage | |
| Aaron Price | ||
| Henry Garnett | ||
| Breezy Bright | ||
| 1921 | Philip Whitemore | |
| 1920 | Karl Breitman | |
| Joe Jenkins | ||
| Father Bartlett | ||
| 1919 | George Mannister | |
| Stephen Duane | ||
| Michael Lanyard | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1918 | Sir Roger Brighton | |
| Hector 'Humdrum' Brown | ||
| 1916 | Karsten Bernick | |
| Phil Langdon, Attorney | ||
| Jack Craiger | ||
| 1915 | Edgar Allan Poe | |
| Captain Alving / Oswald | ||
| Col. Ben Cameron | ||
| 1914 | Joe, in love with May | |
| The Nephew | ||
| Lord Chumley | ||
| John Howard Payne | ||
| Douglas Williams | ||
| The Old Man | ||
| The Gopher | ||
| Stephen Pryde | ||
| Holofernes | ||
| Soangataha / Strongheart | ||
| N/A | ||
| Duncan Irving | ||
| Porky Dugan | ||
| The President of the Republic | ||
| 1913 | The Indian Chief's Son | |
| Badger Gang Member | ||
| First Partner | ||
| The Station Agent | ||
| The Stranger | ||
| Beth's Brother | ||
| The Actor | ||
| The Switchman | ||
| The Husband | ||
| The Poor Man | ||
| The Prospector | ||
| The Wanderer | ||
| The Father | ||
| The First Rival | ||
| The Valley Man | ||
| The Poet | ||
| First Bandit | ||
| The Road Agent | ||
| The Young Woman's Fiance | ||
| The Idealist | ||
| The Husband | ||
| 1912 | The Woodsman | |
| The Householder's Weakling Brother | ||
| Indian Charlie | ||
| Actor In Oliver Twist | ||
| The False Brother | ||
| The Husband | ||
| The Husband | ||
| Jim Watson | ||
| A Psalm Singer | ||
| In Club | ||
| Dandy Jack | ||
| The Father | ||
| 1911 | N/A | |
| N/A | ||
| The Lover | ||
| 1910 | N/A | |
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| The Trapper | ||
| Henri Prevost | ||
| Vincent, as an Adult | ||
| N/A | ||
| The Lord | ||
| Bill | ||
| One of the Second Debtors | ||
| Charles Randolph - The Confederate Soldier | ||
| The Lord | ||
| Younger John Rogers | ||
| Confederate Corporal | ||
| The Farmer | ||
| Alessandro | ||
| Pedro | ||
| N/A | ||
| The Lord | ||
| Walter Holden | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| Perdita's Son | ||
| Estrada | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| The Father | ||
| George Pickett Jr. | ||
| Billy Harvey | ||
| Mr. Wilson | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1909 | The Mexican Lover | |
| Party Guest | ||
| Victor Ratazzi | ||
| Arthur Rogers (uncredited) | ||
| Wheat King's Assistant | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| Robert, the Confederate son | ||
| Mexican Man | ||
| Miner | ||
| N/A | ||
| The Minstrel | ||
| In Boarding House | ||
| Sunbather | ||
| N/A | ||
| Indian | ||
| A Thief | ||
| Alachus' Friend | ||
| 1908 | Woodsman | |
| Ben | ||
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
Directing
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Assistant Director | |
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |