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Henry B. Walthall, Silent Film Star - goldensilents.com

Henry B. Walthall (1878-1936)

The pioneering actor Henry B. Walthall was born in Shelby City, Alabama on March 16th, 1878. He had a screen career which spanned over 27 years. Walthall joined D.W. Griffith's Biograph company in 1909, often playing leads opposite Mary Pickford. He starred in some early films of note for Griffith, including "Judith of Bethulia" (1914) and "The Raven" (1915), based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Henry B. Walthall is generally considered one of the first "stars" of the movies. The part that really made him that star was his unforgettable Confederate "Little Colonel" character in Griffith's classic "The Birth Of A Nation." (1915). However, Henry left the Griffith organization after that film to freelance. Later he did character roles in many silent and sound films, and was quite distinguished in everything in which he appeared, including playing the father of the football hero in "The Jazz Age" (1925), and the wronged husband in both "The Scarlet Letter", 1926 silent version, and the 1934 sound version. Henry was married twice, divorced once, and had one child. He had a sister, Anna Mae Walthall, who was also an actress. Henry died from the flu, during the filming of his last movie, "China Clipper" (1936), on June 17th, 1936 in Monrovia, California. ~ Copyright © 2004 goldensilents.com
From Vintage Bio "Who's Who On The Screen" (1920): "Henry B. Walthall was born in Shelby County, Alabama, was educated in Colorado and began his stage career when he was eighteen years old. About 1910 he started his screen career and will always be remembered for his notable work in D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth Of A Nation.” He also did “Great Love” for Griffith and then “False Faces” for Ince and with other companies played in “And A Still Small Voice,” “The Comeback,” and “A Long Lane’s Turning.” He is now with Mayflower having there completed “A Splendid Hazard.” He is five feet six inches high, weighs a hundred and thirty-five pounds, has dark complexion, dark brown hair and eyes and is fond of reading."

From Vintage Bio "Stars of the Photoplay" (1930): "A veteran of the Spanish American War, Henry B. Walthall became interested in the stage. After he had played in stock and on Broadway for several years, however, he turned his histrionic ability to the movies. He will long be remembered as The Little Colonel in "The Birth Of A Nation," although in the intervening years he has created equally magnificent portrayals. Mr. Walthall weighs 135 pounds, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and has brown hair and eyes. Divorced from his first wife, he married Mary Charleson in 1918."

To see a vintage article on Henry, from "The Blue Book Of The Screen" (1924), please click HERE (273 kb)

Henry B. Walthall's Silent Movies

Jazz Age, The (1929) (as H.B. Walthall) .... Mr. Maxwell
Freedom of the Press (1928) .... John Ballard
Love Me and the World Is Mine (1928) .... Van Denbosch
London After Midnight (1927) .... Sir.James Hamlin
... aka Hypnotist, The (1927) (UK)
Light in the Window, A (1927) .... Johann Graff
Rose of Kildare, The (1927) .... Bob Avery
... aka Forgotten Vows (1927) (UK)
Wings (1927) .... David's father
Enchanted Island, The (1927) .... Tim Sanborn
Fighting Love (1927) .... Filipo Navarro
Everybody's Acting (1926) .... Thorpe

Henry B. Walthall, Silent Movie Actor

Scarlet Letter, The (1926) .... Roger Prynne
Road to Mandalay, The (1926) .... Father James
Unknown Soldier, The (1926) .... John Phillips
Barrier, The (1926) .... Gale Gaylord
Three Faces East (1926) .... George Bennett
Woman on the Jury, The (1925) .... Prosecuting Attorney
Plastic Age, The (1925) .... Henry Carver
Simon the Jester (1925) .... Brandt
Dollar Down (1925) .... Alec Craig
Kentucky Pride (1925) .... Mr. Beaumont
Kit Carson Over the Great Divide (1925) .... Dr. Samuel Webb
... aka With Kit Carson Over the Great Divide (1925)
Girl Who Wouldn't Work, The (1925) .... William Hale
On the Threshold (1925) .... Andrew Masters
Golden Bed, The (1925) .... Colonel Peake
Bowery Bishop, The (1924) .... Norman Strong
Single Wives (1924) .... Franklin Dexter
Boy of Mine (1923) .... William Latimer
Unknown Purple, The (1923) .... Peter Marchmont/Victor Cromport
Gimme (1923) .... John McGimsey
Face on the Bar-Room Floor, The (1923) .... Robert Stevens
... aka Love Image, The (1923) (UK)
Marriage Chance, The (1922) .... Dr. Paul Graydon
Long Chance, The (1922) .... Harley P. Hennage

Henry B. Walthall in an elegant pose....back then it was considered classy to smoke

Kickback, The (1922) .... Aaron Price
... aka Kick Back, The (1922)
One Clear Call (1922) .... Henry Garnett
Ableminded Lady, The (1922) .... Breezy Bright
Flower of the North, The (1921) .... Philip Whittemore
Splendid Hazard, A (1920) .... Karl Breitman
Parted Curtains (1920) (as Henry Walthall) .... Joe Jenkins
Confession, The (1920) .... Father Bartlett
... aka Confession (1927) (USA: reissue title)
Long Arm of Mannister, The (1919) .... George Mannister
Boomerang, The (1919) .... George Gray
Modern Husbands (1919) .... Stephen Duane
False Faces, The (1919) .... Michael Lanyard
Long Lane's Turning, The (1919) .... Harry Sevier
And a Still Small Voice (1918) .... Clay Randolph
Great Love, The (1918) .... Sir Roger Brighton
With Hoops of Steel (1918) .... Emerson Mead
Humdrum Brown (1918) .... Hector 'Humdrum' Brown
His Robe of Honor (1918) .... Julian Randolph
Saint's Adventure, The (1917) .... Reverend Paul Manson
Burning the Candle (1917) .... James Maxwell
Little Shoes, The (1917) .... David Noel
Strange Case of Mary Page, The (1916)
Truant Soul, The (1916) .... Dr. John Lancaster/Dr. Lawson
Pillars of Society (1916) .... Karsten Bernick
Sting of Victory, The (1916) .... David Whiting/Walker Whiting
Birth of a Man, The (1916) (as Henry Walthall)
Misleading Lady, The (1916) .... Jack Craiger
Circular Path, The (1915)
Outer Edge, The (1915)
Temper (1915)
Raven, The (1915) .... Edgar Allan Poe
Ghosts (1915/I) (as Henry Walthall) .... Captain Arling/Oswald
... aka Curse, The (1919) (reissue title)
Beulah (1915) .... Dr. Guy Hartwell

Henry B. Walthall as the Confederate Colonel Ben Cameron in "Birth Of A Nation" (1915)

Birth of a Nation, The (1915) .... Col. Ben Cameron
... aka Birth of the Nation; Or The Clansman, The (1915) (second copyright title)
... aka Clansman, The (1915) (USA: Los Angeles première title)
... aka In the Clutches of the Ku Klux Klan (1916) (USA: shorter version)
Ashes of the Past (1914)
Mountain Rat, The (1914) .... Douglas Williams
Old Man, The (1914)
Soul of Honor, The (1914)
Odalisque, The (1914) .... Joe, in love with May
Avenging Conscience; Thou Shalt Not Kill, The (1914) .... The nephew
... aka Telltale Heart, The (1914) (USA: first title)
... aka Thou Shalt Not Kill (1914)
Lord Chumley (1914) .... Lord Chumley
Home, Sweet Home (1914) .... John Howard Payne
Floor Above, The (1914) .... Stephen Pryde
Mysterious Shot, The (1914)
Battle at Elderbush Gulch, The (1914) .... Indian Chief's son
... aka Battle of Elderbush Gulch, The (1914)
Strongheart (1914) .... Soangataha/Strongheart
Judith of Bethulia (1914) .... Holofernes
... aka Her Condoned Sin (1914) (USA)
Gangsters of New York, The (1914) .... Porky Dugan
... aka Gangsters, The (1914)
Classmates (1914) .... Duncan Irving
Her Wedding Bell (1913) .... Pedro
Diversion (1913) .... Mr. Wilson
Influence of the Unknown (1913) .... First Revenue Officer
Woman in the Ultimate, A (1913) .... Member of the Badger Gang
Two Men of the Desert (1913) .... First Partner
Vengeance of Galora, The (1913)
Mirror, The (1913) .... The Station Agent
During the Round-Up (1913) .... The Stranger
Gambler's Honor, A (1913) .... Beth's Brother
Mistake, The (1913) .... Jack, the Friend, a Prospector
Her Mother's Oath (1913) .... The Actor
Mothering Heart, The (1913) .... Club Patron
Switch Tower, The (1913) .... The Switchman
Death's Marathon (1913) .... The Husband
Red Hicks Defies the World (1913) .... In Crowd
Stolen Loaf, The (1913) .... The poor man
Tenderfoot's Money, The (1913) .... The Prospector
Wanderer, The (1913/II) .... The Wanderer
If We Only Knew (1913) .... The Father
Lady and the Mouse, The (1913) .... At Garden Party
Horse on Bill, A (1913) .... In Audience
Little Tease, The (1913) .... The Valley Man
Perfidy of Mary, The (1913) .... Storybook Lover
Sheriff's Baby, The (1913) .... First Bandit
Unwelcome Guest, The (1913)
Broken Ways (1913) .... The Road Agent
Love in an Apartment Hotel (1913) .... The Young Woman's Fiance
Oil and Water (1913) .... The Idealist
Three Friends (1913) .... The Husband
Jealousy (1912)
Quarrel, The (1912/II)
God Within, The (1912) .... The Woodsman
Burglar's Dilemma, The (1912) .... Householder's Weakling Brother
My Hero (1912) .... Indian Charlie
Brutality (1912) .... In Play
Informer, The (1912) .... The False Brother
My Baby (1912) .... The Husband
Painted Lady, The (1912) .... At Ice Cream Festival
One She Loved, The (1912) .... The Husband
In the Aisles of the Wild (1912) .... Jim Watson
Feud in the Kentucky Hills, A (1912) .... Psalm Singer
So Near, Yet So Far (1912)
Friends (1912) .... Dandy Jack
Two Daughters of Eve (1912) .... The Father
Unseen Enemy, An (1912) (uncredited)
Change of Spirit, A (1912) .... First Gentleman Thief
Inner Circle, The (1912)
Forbidden Way, The (1912)
Home Folks (1912)
District Attorney's Conscience, The (1912)
Mixed Identities (1912)
Miser's Daughter, The (1912)
Return of John Gray, The (1912)
Burglar's Reformation, The (1912)
Love Is Blind (1912)
Opportune Burglar, An (1912)
Mother (1912)
Birthday Present, The (1912)
Fur Smugglers (1912)
Tragic Experiment, A (1912) (unconfirmed)
Hide and Seek (1912)
Iola's Promise (1912)
Ruling Passion, The (1912)
Better Man, The (1912/I)
Yeggman, The (1912)
Duel, The (1912/II)
Gambler's Daughter, The (1912) (unconfirmed)
Wanted a Wife (1912) (unconfirmed)
Man Under the Bed, The (1912/I)
Solomon's Son (1912)
Appointed Hour, The (1912)
Gangfighter, The (1912) (unconfirmed)
Birth-Mark, The (1911)
Locked in the Vaults (1911)
Turnstile, The (1911)
Turn of the Wheel, The (1911)
Poison Cup, The (1911)
Daughter of Italy, A (1911)
Injustice of Man, The (1911)
Moonshiners, The (1911)
Track Walker, The (1911)
Greater Love, The (1911)
Divorce (1911)
Narrow Escape, A (1911)
Anonymous Letter, The (1911)
For His Sake (1911)
Godfather, The (1911)
His Dream (1911)
Clouds and Sunshine (1911)
His Son (1911)
Hour of Fate, The (1911)
Where Sea and Shore Doth Meet (1910)
Armorer's Daughter, The (1910)
Gray of the Dawn, The (1910)
... aka In the Gray of the Dawn (1910) (USA)
Banker's Daughters, The (1910) .... Criminal
Iconoclast, The (1910) .... The Worker
Rose O'Salem Town (1910) .... The Trapper
Oath and the Man, The (1910) .... Henri Prevost
In Life's Cycle (1910) .... Vincent, as an Adult
Summer Idyll, A (1910) .... Albert
Willful Peggy (1910) .... The Lord
Sorrows of the Unfaithful, The (1910) .... Bill
Usurer, The (1910) .... One of the Second Debtors
House with Closed Shutters, The (1910) .... The Confederate soldier
Call to Arms, The (1910) .... The Lord
Face at the Window, The (1910) .... Ralph Bradford
In the Border States (1910) .... Confederate Corporal
Child of the Ghetto, A (1910) .... The Farmer
Impalement, The (1910) .... At First Party/At Second Party
Ramona (1910) .... Alessandro
Love Among the Roses (1910) .... The Lord
Gold Seekers, The (1910) .... The Prospector
Way of the World, The (1910) .... The Young Priest
Tenderfoot's Triumph, The (1910) .... A Horse Thief
Thou Shalt Not (1910) .... Edgar Thurston
Kid, The (1910) .... Walter Holden
Two Brothers, The (1910) .... Pedro
His Last Dollar (1910)
Gold Is Not All (1910) .... At Party
Converts, The (1910) .... The Man
In Old California (1910) .... Perdita's Son
Thread of Destiny, The (1910) .... Estrada
Newlyweds, The (1910) .... A Friend/At Station Reception
His Last Burglary (1910) .... William Standish
One Night and Then (1910) .... Henry Ravol
Cloister's Touch, The (1910) .... The Father
Honor of His Family, The (1910) .... George Pickett Jr.
Call, The (1910) .... Billy Harvey
On the Reef (1910) .... Mr. Wilson
Choosing a Husband (1909) .... Harry
Day After, The (1909) .... Party Guest
In Little Italy (1909) .... Victor
Trap for Santa Claus, A (1909) .... Arthur Rogers
... aka Trap for Santa, A (1909) (USA)
In a Hempen Bag (1909) .... Couple on Road
Test, The (1909) .... At the Hotel
Corner in Wheat, A (1909) .... Wheat King's Assistant
Expiation, The (1909)
Fools of Fate (1909)
Pippa Passes (1909)
... aka Song of Conscience, The (1909)
Wanted, a Child (1909)
Leather Stocking (1909)
Fair Exchange, A (1909) .... Peasant
In Old Kentucky (1909) .... Robert, the Confederate Son
Broken Locket, The (1909) .... Mexican Man
Children's Friend, The (1909)
Getting Even (1909) .... Miner
Hessian Renegades, The (1909)
... aka 1776 (1909)
... aka 1776, or The Hessian Renegades (1909) (USA)
Little Darling, The (1909) .... In Boarding House
Sealed Room, The (1909) .... The Minstrel
Mills of the Gods, The (1909) .... At Party
Pranks (1909) .... Sunbather
With Her Card (1909) .... At Larkin's
Better Way, The (1909) .... Oliver Sylvester
They Would Elope (1909) .... In Group
Mended Lute, The (1909) .... Indian
Strange Meeting, A (1909) .... A Thief
Slave, The (1909) .... A Messenger
Convict's Sacrifice, A (1909) .... The Convict's Friend
Rescued from an Eagle's Nest (1908) (as H. B. Walthall) .... Woodsman

To learn more about Henry B. Walthall visit his profile on The Internet Movie Database

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