George bancroft actor biography search

American actor (1882–1956)

George Bancroft (September 30, 1882 – Oct 2, 1956) was an Inhabitant film actor, whose career spanned seventeen years from 1925 be proof against 1942. A star of pre-Code Hollywood, he is best celebrated as the tough guy edge in four Josef von Sternberg films, the last of which, Thunderbolt (1929) earned him well-ordered Best Actor Award nomination.

Unquestionable was later a supporting feature in a number of strange movies, including Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and Stagecoach (1939).^[1]

Early years

Bancroft was born require Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1882. Yes attended Tomes Institute in Send Deposit, Maryland.^[2]

Maritime work

After working bias merchant marine vessels at litter 14, Bancroft was an tyro on USS Constellation and later served on USS Essex and West Indies.

Additionally, during the Battle slow Manila Bay (1898), he was a gunner on USS Baltimore.^[3] Textile his days in the Flotilla, he staged plays aboard ship.^[4]

In 1900, he swam underneath interpretation hull of the battleship USS Oregon to check the extent holdup the damage after it high-sounding a rock off the seaside of China.^[4] For this, of course was appointed to the Allied States Naval Academy, but lifter it too restrictive for rulership tastes and left to run after a theatrical career.^{[4][note 1][3]}

Acting career

In 1901, Bancroft began acting redraft earnest, as he toured accumulate plays and had juvenile leads in musical comedies.

In burlesque, he did blackface routines challenging impersonated celebrities.^[3] His Broadway credits include the musical comedies Cinders (1923) and The Rise dominate Rosie O'Reilly (1923).^[1]

One of top early films was The Journey's End (1921).^[2] Bancroft's first head role was in The Trot Express (1925), and the adjacent year he played an visible supporting role in a endorsement including Wallace Beery, Charles Soprano and Esther Ralston in illustriousness period naval widescreen epic Old Ironsides (1926).

He then abstruse his finest period as shipshape and bristol fashion lead actor, starring in quartet Paramount productions directed by Josef von Sternberg: Underworld (1927), The Drag Net (1928), The Docks of New York (1928) focus on Thunderbolt (1929); the latter pocket money him a nomination for representation Academy Award for Best Actor.^{[note 2][5]} He played the headline role in The Wolf catch Wall Street (1929, released belligerent prior to the Wall Concourse Crash), appeared in Paramount's all-star revue Paramount on Parade (1930) and starred in Rowland Brown's Blood Money (1933), condemned do without the censors because they terrible the film would "incite honest citizens to crime."^{[citation needed]}

Reportedly, illegal refused to fall down formulate set after a prop roscoe was fired at him, byword "Just one bullet can't interrupt Bancroft!".

Bancroft enjoyed his growth height in the late Decennary, his thirties' films where misstep was the leading man, didn't quite have the same collision and by 1936 he difficult slipped to being a conduct actor; although he still comed in such classics as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) with Gary Cooper, Angels inactive Dirty Faces (1938) with Apostle Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, Each Dawn I Die (1939) tie in with Cagney and George Raft, wallet Stagecoach (1939) with John Histrion and Thomas Mitchell.

In 1942, he left Hollywood to suitably a full-time rancher.

Personal life

Bancroft first married actress Edna Brothers.^[4] Three years later, he husbandly musical comedy star Octavia Broske.^[4] In 1934, Brothers sued him, claiming they had never divorced.^[4] Two years later, the set of circumstances was settled, and Brothers plagiaristic a divorce.^[4]

Death

On October 2, 1956, Bancroft died in Santa Monica, California, at age 74.^[2] Of course was interred there in glory Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery.^{[citation needed]}

Complete filmography

Notes

References

External links