Denis Gage Deane-Tanner
Encyclopedia
Denis Gage Deane-Tanner was the fourth and last child of British Army Major Kearns Deane-Tanner, and Hollywood mogul William Desmond Taylor
's younger brother.
Tanner was a lieutenant
in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) of the British Army
during the Second Boer War
. He traveled to New York in 1903, and like his elder brother, went into the antique business. Tanner wed Ada Brennan in 1907; the couple would have three children but one would die while still a baby. Ada's health was not good, and she had to be treated for tuberculosis
. In 1912, while she was in a Sanatorium
for that purpose, Tanner, just like his brother four years before him, suddenly deserted his family and leaving no word behind. From that day, Tanner has never been heard of.
It is believed that he eventually got in touch with his brother and worked for him unofficially and without many people knowing about it. The rumor, that the blacksmith in 1914's Taylor's Captain Alvarez
was Denis Tanner, was mentioned in the papers, attributed to an anonymous New Yorker who stated he recognized him.
was actually Denis Tanner, the director's younger brother. William had once stolen Denis' fiancée and Denis was bent on revenge.
William Desmond Taylor
William Desmond Taylor was an Irish-born American actor, successful film director of silent movies and a popular figure in the growing Hollywood film colony of the 1910s and early 1920s...
's younger brother.
Tanner was a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He traveled to New York in 1903, and like his elder brother, went into the antique business. Tanner wed Ada Brennan in 1907; the couple would have three children but one would die while still a baby. Ada's health was not good, and she had to be treated for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. In 1912, while she was in a Sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for that purpose, Tanner, just like his brother four years before him, suddenly deserted his family and leaving no word behind. From that day, Tanner has never been heard of.
It is believed that he eventually got in touch with his brother and worked for him unofficially and without many people knowing about it. The rumor, that the blacksmith in 1914's Taylor's Captain Alvarez
Captain Alvarez
Captain Alvarez is a 1914 Vitagraph's five-reel film, based on a stage play. Written by Marguerite Bertsch, and directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon.-Plot:...
was Denis Tanner, was mentioned in the papers, attributed to an anonymous New Yorker who stated he recognized him.
Connection to the Murder of William Desmond Taylor
It has been theorized that someone from Taylor's past who had long nursed a grudge may have murdered him. One version holds that Edward SandsEdward F. Sands
Edward F. Sands, born Edward Fitzgerald Snyder, a.k.a. Edward Fitzwilliam Strathmore, a.k.a. Jazz, was a suspect in the murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor on February 1, 1922....
was actually Denis Tanner, the director's younger brother. William had once stolen Denis' fiancée and Denis was bent on revenge.
Sources
- I Know Who Killed Desmond Taylor (1997) by Ed King
- Los Angeles Herald Express (February 2, 1937)