Gordon Griffith
Encyclopedia
Gordon S. Griffith was an American
assistant director
, film producer
, and one of the first child actor
s in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over 60 films, and surviving the transition from silent film
s to talkies—films with sound. During his acting career, he worked with Charlie Chaplin
, and was the first actor to portray both Tom Sawyer
and Tarzan
on film.
of Keystone Studios
cast Griffith in many of his slapstick
features, where he eventually earned supporting roles in Charlie Chaplin films, including Tillie's Punctured Romance
.
His big break came with the role of young Tarzan
, in the 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes
. He was required to do his own stunts, such as climbing trees, swinging from vines, and interacting closely with a chimpanzee
. Griffith also has several nude scenes
in the first half of the film. Griffith appears before the actor portraying the adult Tarzan—Elmo Lincoln
—making him the first actor to portray Tarzan in film. After seeing the movie, a critic described Griffith as "a youthful actor of uncommon gifts."
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Griffith received the role of Tom Sawyer in Huckleberry Finn. Later he was again cast in the first Tarzan serial as Tarzan's son, Korak, a role that has been described as "anticipating John Sheffield
's 'Boy' roles [in later Tarzan films]." Both of his parents died in the 1920s—his mother in 1921 and his father in 1926. At the time of the 1930 census, he and his brother were living with his sister and her family in Pasadena, California
.
. Griffith continued to work in the film industry until his death. Between 1931 and 1940 he worked as Second Unit Director or Assistant Director in over 20 films, including those at Monogram Pictures
.
Between 1937 and 1956 he produced five films. He was an associate producer under Robert Sherwood
, and a director and then an associate producer for Gregory Ratoff
Productions. In 1941, Griffith became production manager at Columbia Pictures
, and later served as an associate producer for RKO, eventually becoming executive producer
for films such as 1956's Alexander the Great
.
In 1958, Griffith died of a heart attack
in Hollywood. He was survived by his sister.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and one of the first child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
s in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over 60 films, and surviving the transition from silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s to talkies—films with sound. During his acting career, he worked with Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, and was the first actor to portray both Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
and Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
on film.
Film actor
Griffith was born on July 4, 1907 in Chicago, Illinois to actors Harry Sutherland Griffith and Katherine Kiemar Griffith. He had two siblings, an older sister Gertrude, and a younger brother Graham—also an actor. Griffith was already an experienced actor when, at age seven, he got his first acting role as a regular character in the Little Billy series of films. Mack SennettMack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
of Keystone Studios
Keystone Studios
Keystone Studios was an early movie studio founded in Edendale, California in 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from Adam Kessel and Charles O. Bauman, owners of the New York Motion Picture Company...
cast Griffith in many of his slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
features, where he eventually earned supporting roles in Charlie Chaplin films, including Tillie's Punctured Romance
Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914 film)
Tillie's Punctured Romance is the first feature-length comedy film from Keystone Film Company and the Christie Film Company, produced in 1914. A silent film directed by Mack Sennett, the film stars Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, and the Keystone Cops...
.
His big break came with the role of young Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, in the 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes (film)
Tarzan of the Apes is a 1918 American action/adventure silent film directed by Scott Sidney starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, George B. French and Gordon Griffith. The movie was the first Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes...
. He was required to do his own stunts, such as climbing trees, swinging from vines, and interacting closely with a chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
. Griffith also has several nude scenes
Nudity in film
Nudity in film is any presentation in motion pictures of people while naked or wearing less clothing than contemporary norms consider modest. Many actors and actresses have appeared nude, or exposing parts of their bodies or dressed in ways considered provocative by contemporary standards at some...
in the first half of the film. Griffith appears before the actor portraying the adult Tarzan—Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln was an American film actor.Born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt, the barrel-chested actor is best known in his silent movie role as the first Tarzan in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes as an adult --...
—making him the first actor to portray Tarzan in film. After seeing the movie, a critic described Griffith as "a youthful actor of uncommon gifts."
Johnny Sheffield
Johnny Sheffield was an American child actor.-Early life:He was born as John Matthew Sheffield Cassan in Pasadena, California, the second child of actor Reginald Sheffield and Louise Van Loon...
's 'Boy' roles [in later Tarzan films]." Both of his parents died in the 1920s—his mother in 1921 and his father in 1926. At the time of the 1930 census, he and his brother were living with his sister and her family in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Other film work
Although his career survived the transition from silent films to sound, Griffith received smaller and smaller roles—occasionally not even being credited for his performances. As his acting career cooled, Griffith moved into other areas of the film industry. At the age of twenty-three he got his first job as an assistant director. His final acting credit came six years later in 1936's Outlaws of the RangeOutlaws of the Range
Outlaws of the Range is a 1936 American film directed by Albert Herman.The film is also known as The Call of Justice in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Bill Cody as Steve Harper*Marie Burton as Betty Wilson*William McCall as Dad Wilson...
. Griffith continued to work in the film industry until his death. Between 1931 and 1940 he worked as Second Unit Director or Assistant Director in over 20 films, including those at Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
.
Between 1937 and 1956 he produced five films. He was an associate producer under Robert Sherwood
Robert Sherwood
Robert Sherwood may refer to:*Robert Emmet Sherwood , American playwright, editor, and screenwriter*Robert Edmund Sherwood , American clown and author*Bobby Sherwood , American bandleader...
, and a director and then an associate producer for Gregory Ratoff
Gregory Ratoff
Gregory Ratoff was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. His most famous role as an actor was as producer Max Fabian who feuds with star Margo Channing in All About Eve ....
Productions. In 1941, Griffith became production manager at Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, and later served as an associate producer for RKO, eventually becoming executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for films such as 1956's Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great (1956 film)
Alexander the Great is a 1956 America sword and sandal epic film written, directed and produced by Robert Rossen with Gordon S. Griffith as executive producer...
.
In 1958, Griffith died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Hollywood. He was survived by his sister.
Selected filmography
- Little Billy's Triumph (1914)
- Little Billy's Strategy (1914)
- Little Billy's City Cousin (1914)
- Chicken ChaserChicken ChaserChicken Chaser is a 1914 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle....
(1914) - Those Country KidsThose Country KidsThose Country Kids is a 1914 short comedy film starring Fatty Arbuckle and Mabel Normand, and directed by Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:In alphabetical order:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Gordon Griffith* Billy Jacobs* Mabel Normand* Al St. John...
(1914) - Tillie's Punctured RomanceTillie's Punctured Romance (1914 film)Tillie's Punctured Romance is the first feature-length comedy film from Keystone Film Company and the Christie Film Company, produced in 1914. A silent film directed by Mack Sennett, the film stars Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, and the Keystone Cops...
(1914) - Kid Auto Races at VeniceKid Auto Races at VeniceKid Auto Races At Venice is a 1914 American-made motion picture starring Charlie Chaplin in which his "Little Tramp" character makes his first appearance.-Synopsis:...
(1914) - Little Sunset (1915)
- Billy's Cupidity (1915)
- If My Country Should CallIf My Country Should CallIf My Country Should Call is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Sr.-Cast:* Dorothy Phillips - Margaret Ardrath* Helen Leslie - Patricia Landon* Frank Whitson - Robert Ogden* Lon Chaney, Sr. - Dr. George Ardrath...
(1916) - Tarzan of the ApesTarzan of the Apes (film)Tarzan of the Apes is a 1918 American action/adventure silent film directed by Scott Sidney starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, George B. French and Gordon Griffith. The movie was the first Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes...
(1918) - The Romance of TarzanThe Romance of TarzanThe Romance of Tarzan is a silent, black and white action adventure film directed by Wilfred Lucas starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, Thomas Jefferson and Cleo Madison. The movie was the second Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes...
(1918) - Cupid Forecloses (1919)
- The Son of TarzanThe Son of Tarzan (film)The Son of Tarzan is a 15 chapter film serial which focuses on the coming of age of Jack Clayton, also known as Korak, the son of Tarzan and Jane. The serial was produced by David P. Howells, written by Roy Somerville , and directed by Arthur J. Flaven and Harry Revier...
(1920) - Huckleberry Finn (1920)
- The Adventures of TarzanThe Adventures of TarzanThe Adventures of Tarzan is a 15 chapter movie serial which features the third and final appearance of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. The serial was produced by Louis Weiss, written by Robert F. Hill and Lillian Valentine , and directed by Robert F...
(1921) - PenrodPenrodPenrod is a collection of comic sketches by Booth Tarkington that was first published in 1914. The book follows the misadventures of Penrod Schofield, an eleven-year-old boy growing up in the pre-World War I Midwestern United States, in a similar vein to Tom Sawyer...
(1922) - The Village BlacksmithThe Village Blacksmith (film)The Village Blacksmith is a 1922 drama film directed by John Ford. One of the eight reels survives at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and therefore the film is considered to be lost. It was adapted from the poem of the same name by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.-Cast:* Will Walling - John...
(1922) - Little Annie RooneyLittle Annie RooneyLittle Annie Rooney was a comic strip about a young orphaned girl who traveled about with her dog, Zero. King Features Syndicate launched the strip on January 10, 1927, not long after it was apparent that the Chicago Tribune Syndicate had scored a huge hit with Little Orphan Annie.Although the King...
(1925) - The Cat's Pajamas (1926)
- Bars of Hate (1935)
- Gun Play (1935)
- Speed LimitedSpeed LimitedSpeed Limited is a 1935 American crime film directed by Albert Herman and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Ralph Graves as Jerry Paley* Evelyn Brent as Natalie* Claudia Dell as Marjorie* Andy Rice as Smitty* Walter Worden as Government man...
(1935) - Blazing JusticeBlazing Justice- Cast :*Bill Cody as Ray Healy*Gertrude Messinger as Virginia Peterson*Gordon Griffith as Max*Milburn Morante as Pop, Bearded Barfly*Budd Buster as Bob Peterson, Virginia's Father*Frank Yaconelli as Rusty, Guitar Player...
(1936) - Outlaws of the RangeOutlaws of the RangeOutlaws of the Range is a 1936 American film directed by Albert Herman.The film is also known as The Call of Justice in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Bill Cody as Steve Harper*Marie Burton as Betty Wilson*William McCall as Dad Wilson...
(1936)