Harold A. Lockwood (April 12, 1887 – October 19, 1918) was an American silent film actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most popular matinee idols of the early film period during the 1910s.[1]

Harold Lockwood
Lockwood in 1916
Born(1887-04-12)April 12, 1887
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 19, 1918(1918-10-19) (aged 31)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1911–1918
Spouse
Alma Jones
(m. 1906)
Children1

Early life and career edit

Born in Brooklyn, Lockwood was raised and educated in Newark, New Jersey. Upon graduating, he began working in exporting. Lockwood quickly discovered that he did not enjoy exporting and quit to become an actor. He initially began his acting career in vaudeville.

In 1908, Lockwood joined the Selig Company.[2][full citation needed] In 1910, Lockwood signed on with a stock company for David Horsley and appeared in Western shorts. He later worked for the New York Motion Picture Company, Selig Polyscope Company and Famous Players Film Company.[3]

While at Famous Players, Lockwood was cast opposite actress May Allison in Allan Dwan's 1915 romantic film David Harum. The two would appear in over twenty-three films together during the World War I era, and became one of the first celebrated on-screen romantic duos. However, the two were never romantically involved off-screen.[4]

Personal life edit

On January 8, 1906, Lockwood married Alma Jones.[5] The couple had a son, Harold Lockwood Jr.,[6][7] who later appeared in silent and sound films.[8] Among his earliest credits is the 1928 World War I film Lilac Time, starring Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper.

Death edit

On October 19, 1918, Lockwood died at the age of 31 of Spanish influenza at the Hotel Woodward in New York City.[9][10] He had contracted the illness during production of Shadows of Suspicion (1919), which had some scenes completed using a double shot from behind. Lockwood's funeral was held on October 22 at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel,[3] after which he was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.[11]

Selected filmography edit

 
Harold Lockwood and May Allison in a scene still for the 1916 silent drama Big Tremaine

Photo gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ Basten, Fred E. (September 1, 2011). Max Factor: The Man Who Changed the Faces of the World (in Dutch). Skyhorse. ISBN 978-1-62872-164-5.
  2. ^ A pictorial history of the silent screen
  3. ^ a b "Harold Lockwood Is Dead, a Victim Of Influenza". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. November 2, 1918. p. V. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  4. ^ Cozad, W. Lee (2002). Those Magnificent Mountain Movies: (The Golden Years) 1911-1939. Rim of the World Historical Society Publication. p. 47. ISBN 0-9723372-1-0.
  5. ^ McGroarty, John Steven, ed. (1923). History of Los Angeles County. Vol. 2. The American Historical Society, Inc. p. 225.
  6. ^ DeCordova, Richard (2001). Picture Personalities: The Emergence of the Star System in America. University of Illinois Press. p. 106. ISBN 0-252-07016-X.
  7. ^ United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5L-535J : accessed 5 February 2023), Mr Harold A Lockwood, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, 11 May 1996; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing , born-digital text.
  8. ^ McKegg, William H. (January 1929). "Carrying On". Picture-Play Magazine. New York City: Street & Smith Corporation. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  9. ^ Fleming, E. J. (2007). Wallace Reid: The Life and Death of a Hollywood Idol. McFarland. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-7864-2815-1.
  10. ^ Bodeen, DeWitt (1976). From Hollywood: The Careers of 15 Great American Stars. A. S. Barnes. p. 75. ISBN 0-498-01346-4.
  11. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. p. 320. ISBN 0-786-40983-5.
  12. ^ "Thomas Ricketts, Pioneer of Movies". The New York Times. January 21, 1939. Retrieved February 12, 2016.

External links edit