Forrest Stanley
Forrest Stanley was born August 21, 1885, in Birmingham,
England (no information could be found to determine when he came
to the United States). He father worked in the iron industry.
He developed an interest in acting as a young boy and would sit
in the gallery with other boys who were enamored with the plays.
He "produced" plays in his back yard and barn and later
graduated to renting a hall where he produced plays on one side
and ran a roller rink on the other. Originally intending a career
in architecture, but the stage was calling him. One of his earliest
performances was "The Kreutzer Sonata" wtih Bertha Kalich.
Shortly after, he signed a contract with theatrical produceer
Oliver Morosco.Stanley spent 11 years he served as a leading man
at the Morosco Theater (Burbank Theater) in Los Angeles in such
plays as "The Cinderella Man" and "The Bird of
Paradise." He later took some of his stage successes to New
York. He was active on the screen from 1915 to 1959 and has 69
films to his credit. He was a busy actor with all but a few of
his acting credits having been in silents. He was a handsome sometimes
leading man, however, he never did reach upper echelon star status.
He was a apparent favorite of Marion Davies since he made four
films with her in 1921-22. Although several of his silent films
are available for viewing today, he is probably best remembered
for the role of Charles Wilder in "The Cat and the Canary"
(1927). After seven sound films, his work was somewhat sporadic
after 1932 - one film in 1936, one in 1941, one in 1957 and a
last, uncredited appearance in "Curse of the Undead"
(1959). He did some TV work during the 1950's including "Alfred
Hitchcock Presents," "Death Valley Days," and "Gunsmoke."
He died August 27, 1969, at age 80. (Thanks to Mandy Pratt
for providing confirmation of Stanley's date and place of birth.)
Selected films of this star available for viewing:
Forbidden Fruit (1921)
Enchantment (1921)
Beauty's Worth (1922)
When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
Tiger
Rose (1923)
Up the Ladder (1925)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
Bare Knees (1928)
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