Etienne Girardot
Encyclopedia
Etienne Girardot was a diminutive stage and film actor of Anglo-French parentage born in London
, England.
The son of an artist, he studied at an art school, but left at age seventeen to go on stage. Having played in the provinces, he made his debut on the London stage at the Haymarket Theatre
. He went to America in 1893, where he continued his career.
He was a success, with numerous Broadway shows to his credit, including the original 1893 production of Charley's Aunt
, in which he played Lord Fancourt Babberley for three years.
He also worked in film, both silents and talkies, debuting in 1911 in Intrepid Davy. Among his film roles were the harmless lunatic who fancies himself a millionaire in the 1934 screwball comedy Twentieth Century
, with John Barrymore
and Carole Lombard
, and the harassed coroner in three murder mysteries starring William Powell
as detective Philo Vance
.
Girardot died in Hollywood, California on 10 November 1939 and was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
The son of an artist, he studied at an art school, but left at age seventeen to go on stage. Having played in the provinces, he made his debut on the London stage at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
. He went to America in 1893, where he continued his career.
He was a success, with numerous Broadway shows to his credit, including the original 1893 production of Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt
Charley's Aunt is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. It broke all historic records for plays of any kind, with an original London run of 1,466 performances....
, in which he played Lord Fancourt Babberley for three years.
He also worked in film, both silents and talkies, debuting in 1911 in Intrepid Davy. Among his film roles were the harmless lunatic who fancies himself a millionaire in the 1934 screwball comedy Twentieth Century
Twentieth Century (film)
Twentieth Century is a 1934 American screwball comedy film. Much of the film is set on the 20th Century Limited train as it travels from Chicago to New York. The film was directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and features Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Edgar Kennedy...
, with John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
and Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
, and the harassed coroner in three murder mysteries starring William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as detective Philo Vance
Philo Vance
Philo Vance featured in 12 crime novels written by S. S. Van Dine , published in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. He was portrayed as a stylish, even foppish dandy, a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent...
.
Girardot died in Hollywood, California on 10 November 1939 and was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
.
Partial filmography
- The Witness for the DefenseThe Witness for the Defense (1919 film)The Witness for the Defense is a silent drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Warner Oland, and Wyndham Standing.-Production background:The film is based on a novel by A. E. W. Mason...
(1919) - The Kennel Murder CaseThe Kennel Murder Case (film)The Kennel Murder Case is a 1933 American film directed by Michael Curtiz starring William Powell as Philo Vance, reprising the role for Warner Brothers after appearing as Vance in three films for Paramount.-Plot:...
(1933) - Blood MoneyBlood Money (1933 film)Blood Money is a 1933 crime film about a crooked bail bondsman played by George Bancroft, with Judith Anderson as his longtime lover and Frances Dee as the thrill-seeking socialite who catches his eye. This marked the film debut of Anderson...
(1933) - MandalayMandalay (film)Mandalay is a 1934 American drama film directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay by Austin Parker and Charles Kenyon was based on a story by Paul Hervey Fox. The film stars Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez, Warner Oland, and Lyle Talbot...
(1934) - Fashions of 1934Fashions of 1934-Cast:*William Powell as Sherwood Nash*Bette Davis as Lynn Mason*Frank McHugh as Snap*Reginald Owen as Oscar Baroque*Verree Teasdale as Grand Duchess Alix*Hugh Herbert as Joe Ward*Henry O'Neill as Duryea...
(1934) - Twentieth CenturyTwentieth Century (film)Twentieth Century is a 1934 American screwball comedy film. Much of the film is set on the 20th Century Limited train as it travels from Chicago to New York. The film was directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and features Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Edgar Kennedy...
(1934) - The Dragon Murder CaseThe Dragon Murder CaseThe Dragon Murder Case is a novel in a series by S. S. Van Dine about fictional detective Philo Vance. It was also adapted to a film version in 1934....
(1934) - Clive of IndiaClive of India (film)Clive of India is a 1935 drama film based on Robert, Lord Clive's historical biography. It was written by R.J. Minney and W.P. Lipscomb and directed by Richard Boleslawski.-Cast:* Ronald Colman as Baron Robert Clive* shahrukh khan as devdas...
(1935) - The Whole Town's TalkingThe Whole Town's TalkingThe Whole Town's Talking is a 1935 comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It was directed by John Ford from a screenplay by Jo Swerling and Robert Riskin based on a story by W.R...
(1935) - Curly Top (1935)
- I Live My LifeI Live My LifeI Live My Life is a 1935 film, starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne, and Frank Morgan, and is based on the story Claustrophobia, by A. Carter Goodloe.-Plot summary:...
(1935) - MetropolitanMetropolitan (1935 film)Metropolitan is a 1935 back-stage drama film interlaced with songs and musical segments from opera.Directed by Ryszard Bolesławski , it featured the famous baritone Lawrence Tibbett , with Virginia Bruce as his leading lady...
(1935) - The Garden Murder CaseThe Garden Murder CaseThe Garden Murder Case is the ninth in a series of mystery novels by S. S. Van Dine about fictional detective Philo Vance.-Plot outline:...
(1936) - Hearts DividedHearts DividedHearts Divided is a 1936 musical film about the real-life marriage between American Elizabeth 'Betsy' Patterson and Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. It starred Marion Davies and Dick Powell as the couple...
(1936) - The Devil is a SissyThe Devil is a SissyThe Devil is a Sissy is a 1936 American MGM comedy drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and Rowland Brown. The film stars Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney.The film premiered on September 18, 1936.-Cast:...
(1936) - Go West, Young ManGo West, Young ManGo West, Young Man is a 1936 Paramount Pictures comedy film directed by Henry Hathaway starring Mae West. The supporting cast includes Warren William, Alice Brady, Elizabeth Patterson, and Lyle Talbot...
(1936) - College HolidayCollege HolidayCollege Holiday is a 1936 Paramount comedy with a plot elements related to eugenics. The film stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Martha Raye. It was directed by Frank Tuttle....
(1936) - The Road BackThe Road Back (film)The Road Back is a 1937 drama film made by Universal Pictures, directed by James Whale. The screenplay is by Charles Kenyon and R.C. Sherriff from the eponymous novel by Erich Maria Remarque.The novel on which the film is based was banned during Nazi rule...
(1937) - Wake Up and LiveWake Up and LiveWake Up and Live is a 1937 Fox musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. The movie stars Walter Winchell, Ben Bernie and Alice Faye and was based upon the self-help bestseller by Dorothea Brande...
(1937) - Danger – Love at Work (1937)
- Breakfast for TwoBreakfast for TwoBreakfast for Two is a 1937 US romantic comedy film made by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by Alfred Santell.The film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall and Glenda Farrell.The film was made in Black and White.-Plot:...
(1937) - The Great GarrickThe Great GarrickThe Great Garrick is a motion picture directed by James Whale and starring Brian Aherne and Olivia de Havilland. It also features Lionel Atwill, Edward Everett Horton, and Melville Cooper. Lana Turner has a bit part...
(1937) - There Goes My HeartThere Goes My HeartThere Goes My Heart is a 1938 romantic comedy film starring Virginia Bruce as a wealthy heiress who goes to work under an alias at a department store owned by her grandfather. Fredric March plays the reporter who tracks her down. The film is based on a story by Ed Sullivan, better known for his...
(1938) - Fast and LooseFast and Loose (1939 film)Fast and Loose is a 1939 American thriller film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell and Reginald Owen. It was a sequel to the 1938 film Fast Company...
(1939) - The Story of Vernon and Irene CastleThe Story of Vernon and Irene CastleThe Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is an American biographical musical comedy, released in 1939 and directed by H.C. Potter. The film stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, and Walter Brennan....
(1939) - The Hunchback of Notre DameThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1939 American monochrome film starring Charles Laughton as Quasimodo and Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda. It was directed by William Dieterle and produced by Pandro S. Berman...
(1939) - Isle of DestinyIsle of DestinyIsle of Destiny is a 1940 American film directed by Elmer Clifton. The film is the only feature filmed in the Cosmocolor process. The film was produced by Franklyn Warner originally for Grand National Pictures. However, by the time of the film's production, Grand National and gone bankrupt, and so...
(1940)