Francis X. Bushman
Francis X. Bushman | |
---|---|
Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
Occupation(s) | Actor, director, writer |
Years active | 1911–1966 |
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
Spouses | Josephine Fladine Duval
(m. 1902; div. 1918)Norma Emily Atkin
(m. 1932; died 1956)Iva Millicent Richardson
(m. 1956) |
Francis Xavier Bushman (January 10, 1883 – August 23, 1966) was an American film actor and director. His career as a
He gained a large female following and was one of the biggest stars of the 1910s and early 1920s.Bushman, like many of his contemporaries, broke into the moving picture business via the stage. He rose to fame at
Biography
Bushman was born in Baltimore, Maryland. As a young man he joined the Maryland Athletic Club and began a body building regimen that would give him his famous film physique. He cited Eugen Sandow as one of his body building influences. In New York City, he worked as a sculptor's model, often posing in the nude in sessions. In 1902, he married seamstress Josephine Fladine Duval. By the launch of his film career, the couple had five children.
After appearing in theater, Bushman was hired by
In 1918, he was the subject of a national scandal as his affair with longtime costar Beverly Bayne became public. Three days after his divorce with Josephine was final, Bushman and Bayne were married; they would eventually have a son. Bushman and his studios had kept his marriage secret for fear of losing popularity. He was married four times.
In late 1919 and 1920, Bushman and Bayne co-starred in the stage play The Master Thief, from a story by Richard Washburn Child, which successfully toured the country.[3]
Bushman eventually retained the services of Harry Reichenbach as his agent. When Bushman noted that he would be well-suited to starring in an upcoming 1925 film, Ben-Hur, Reichenbach had a plan to increase his client's marketability. From a railway station, Reichenbach took Bushman to see studio executives, while dropping pennies to the street from his pocket. Many people followed the two, picking up the coins along the way. The crowd gave the studio executives the impression that Bushman was very popular, and they cast him as Messala. Bushman was concerned that playing a villain would affect his career, so he asked the advice of William S. Hart, who had played the part on stage for years. "Take it," Hart advised. "It's the best part in the play!" Unlike Ramon Novarro, the star of the picture, Bushman knew how to drive a team of horses and a chariot without getting severely injured or killed in the process. When Ben Hur was remade in 1959, Charlton Heston had to learn the technique and quipped: "The only man in Hollywood who can drive a chariot is Francis X. Bushman — and he's too old!"
At the peak of his career, Bushman was advertised as "The Handsomest Man in the World". He was also known as "the King of Photoplay" or "the King of Movies" before those titles were more popularly attached to Clark Gable.
Bushman was paid large salaries during his screen career, and donated the land upon which
In later years, Bushman made guest appearances on American television in the 1950s and 1960s. On February 6, 1958, he and his wife Iva Millicent Richardson appeared on the quiz show
Bushman is mentioned numerous times by the character
Bushman suffered a heart attack and died at his home in
Filmography
See Francis X. Bushman filmography.
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1954 | The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse | Episode "Hollywood, Home Sweet Home" | |
Schlitz Playhouse
|
Max | Episode "The Secret" | |
1957 | Mr. Adams and Eve | Himself | Episode "The Business Manager" |
1957 | Official Detective | John Cosgrove | Episode "Missing" |
1958 | The Court of Last Resort | Priest | Episode "Missing" |
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Dr. Russell | Episode "The Bachelor" | |
77 Sunset Strip | Bramwell Stone | Episode "All Our Yesterdays" | |
1959 | The Danny Thomas Show | George - Traffic Court Judge | Episode "Rusty's Day in Court" |
1959-1960 | General Electric Theatre
|
Philip Vandermoot/Abgarus | Two episodes |
1960 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Prof. Millican | Episode "The Flying Millicans" |
Shotgun Slade | Eckhart | Episode "Crossed Guns" | |
1960-1964 | Perry Mason | Lawrence King/Courtney Jeffers/Philip | Three episodes |
1961 | Peter Gunn | Clinton Hobart | Episode "Last Resort" |
1965 | Dr. Kildare | Mr. Cooper | Episode "Life in the Dance Hall" |
1966 | Batman | Mr. Van Jones | Two episodes |
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Old Man | Episode "The Terrible Toys" |
Legacy
His son
Francis Bushman's granddaughter, Barbara Bushman Quine (1925-2013), married actor Harry Morgan. A grandson, Pat Conway (1931–1981), the son of film director Jack Conway and Bushman's daughter, Virginia, starred on the ABC western television series Tombstone Territory.
For his contributions to the film industry, Bushman was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 with a motion pictures star located at 1651 Vine Street.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b "Francis X. Bushman Of Silent Films Dies; Francis X. Bushman, actor, Dies at 83". The New York Times. August 24, 1966. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-231-85079-7.
- ^ "The Master Thief", Riverside Daily Press. 13 December 1919. Volume XXXIV, Number 269, page 8.
- ^ "You Bet Your Life #57-20 Francis X. Bushman ...", episode 20 of 1957–1958 season of You Bet Your Life, originally broadcast February 6, 1958. Digital copy of full episode on YouTube, a streaming service owned by Alphabet, Inc., Mountain View, California. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ a b Sutton, David. "Guests – Francis X Bushman". The 1966 Batman TV Trivia Site. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
- ^ Ironically, the Batman episodes has Keystone Cops comedy and The Great Train Robbery scenes - neither of which Bushman appeared in during his silent movie acting career.
- ^ "Francis X. Bushman". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Francis X. Bushman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
Further reading
- Maturi, Richard J.; Maturi, Mary Buckingham (1998). Francis X. Bushman: a Biography and Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0485-8.
- Davis, Lon (2008). Silent Lives: 100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-5939-3202-2.