Conway Tearle - A Merry Hamlet

 Conway Tearle is one of the many actors of Hollywood's golden age who had a massive career, yet whose name is well forgotten today even by many cinephiles. Yet during the silent era and the early talkie era, he had quite a career. It is believed that he appeared in 96 films and was once considered the highest paid movie actor. His movie career began with The Nightingale (1914) starring Ethel Barrymore (also in her film debut) and ended with Romeo and Juliet (1936) starring Leslie Howard, Norma Shearer and John Barrymore. In between this he appeared in such movies as Stella Maris (1918) (starring Mary Pickford), Atonement (1919), Lilies of the Field (1924), The Great Divide (1925), Dancing Mothers (1926) (featuring Clara Bow's screen debut), Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929),  Vanity Fair (1932), Stingaree (1934), Klondike Annie (1936) (starring Mae West) and The Preview Murder Mystery (1936). 

Like many film actors of the era, Tearle also starred in many plays. Here is a list of just some Broadway productions he was in. 

Abigail (Feb 21, 1905 - Apr 1905)

A Marriage of Reason (Apr 01, 1907 - Apr 1907)

The Smoldering Flame (Sep 23, 1913 - Sep 1913)

The Fugitive (Mar 19, 1917 - May 1917)

The Mad Dog (Nov 08, 1921 - Nov 1921)

Dinner at Eight (Oct 22, 1932 - May 1933)

Living Dangerously (Jan 12, 1935 - Jan 19, 1935)

Antony and Cleopatra (Nov 10, 1937 - Nov 13, 1937)

Here is an article from a 1918 issue of Photoplay magazine about Conway Tearle. If you have any trouble reading these pages, click on them and you your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.

Now enjoy a feature length movie featuring Conway Tearle, Sing Sing Nights (1934). 

Resources Used

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/conway-tearle-61984

https://www.nytimes.com/1938/10/02/archives/conway-tearle-60-dies-on-the-coast-stage-and-screen-actor-is-the.html