J. Warren Kerrigan
Encyclopedia
George Jack Warren Kerrigan (July 25, 1879 – June 9, 1947) was an American silent film
actor
and film director
.
, Kerrigan worked as a warehouse clerk in his teens until a chance arrived to appear in a vaudeville production. He continued to act in traveling stock productions, though he took a brief time away from the stage to attend the University of Illinois
.
By the time he was 30 years old, he had begun to make appearances in films for Essanay Studios
. A contract with the American Film Corporation opened the door to leading roles, often as a modern man of the age. He starred in over 300 films up to 1924.
Picked up and reprinted in newspapers across the country, this statement stunned his fans and his popularity plummeted, never to fully recover.
cast him as the rugged lead in The Covered Wagon
(1923), Kerrigan found himself back on top, although fleetingly. In the spring of 1924, after John Barrymore
bowed out, Kerrigan was assigned the starring role in Captain Blood. While the film was a moderate success, critics were unmoved and Kerrigan found himself working less and less and in smaller roles.
for nearly forty years.
On June 9, 1947, Kerrigan died from pneumonia
at the age of 67. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in Los Angeles
.
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...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Early life and career
Born in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kerrigan worked as a warehouse clerk in his teens until a chance arrived to appear in a vaudeville production. He continued to act in traveling stock productions, though he took a brief time away from the stage to attend the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
By the time he was 30 years old, he had begun to make appearances in films for Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
. A contract with the American Film Corporation opened the door to leading roles, often as a modern man of the age. He starred in over 300 films up to 1924.
Controversy
In May 1917, Kerrigan was nearing the end of a four-month long personal appearance publicity tour that had taken him across the United States and into Canada. At one of the final stops, a reporter for The Denver Times asked Kerrigan if he would be joining the war. Kerrigan replied:"I am not going to war. I will go, of course, if my country needs me, but I think that first they should take the great mass of men who aren't good for anything else, or are only good for the lower grades of work. Actors, musicians, great writers, artists of every kind--isn't it a pity when people are sacrificed who are capable of such things--of adding to the beauty of the world."
Picked up and reprinted in newspapers across the country, this statement stunned his fans and his popularity plummeted, never to fully recover.
Revival
However, when director James CruzeJames Cruze
James Cruze was a silent film actor and film director.-Life:Cruze was born as Jens Vera Cruz Bosen. The Vera Cruz middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but did not practice the religion after his teenage years...
cast him as the rugged lead in The Covered Wagon
The Covered Wagon
The Covered Wagon is an American silent Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a novel by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers traveling through the old West from Kansas to Oregon. J...
(1923), Kerrigan found himself back on top, although fleetingly. In the spring of 1924, after 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...
bowed out, Kerrigan was assigned the starring role in Captain Blood. While the film was a moderate success, critics were unmoved and Kerrigan found himself working less and less and in smaller roles.
Personal life and death
Kerrigan was homosexual. He never married, and lived with his lover James VincentJames Vincent
James Vincent was an American actor and film director of the silent era. He appeared in 23 films between 1910 and 1951...
for nearly forty years.
On June 9, 1947, Kerrigan died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at the age of 67. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Calamity Anne's Inheritance Calamity Anne's Inheritance Calamity Anne's Inheritance is a 1913 American silent short romantic western directed by Allan Dwan starring Louise Lester, J. Warren Kerrigan, and Charlotte Burton.-Cast:* Louise Lester as Calamity Anne* J. Warren Kerrigan as The Agent... |
The Agent |
| Calamity Anne's Vanity Calamity Anne's Vanity Calamity Anne's Vanity is a 1913 American silent short Western directed by Allan Dwan starring Charlotte Burton and Louise Lester as Calamity Anne.-Cast:*J. Warren Kerrigan*Robert Lane*Rose Lathan*Jack Richardson*Jessalyn Van Trump... |
||
| Calamity Anne's Beauty Calamity Anne's Beauty Calamity Anne's Beauty is a 1913 American silent short Western comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Louise Lester as Calamity Anne.-Other cast:* Charlotte Burton* J. Warren Kerrigan* Phyllis Gordon* Jack Richardson* Jessalyn Van Trump... |
||
| Woman's Honor Woman's Honor Women's Honor is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Alan Dwan starring Charlotte Burton, Louise Lester, J. Warren Kerrigan, and Jack Richardson.... |
||
| Her Big Story Her Big Story Her Big Story is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan starring J. Warren Kerrigan, Charlotte Burton, George Periolat, and Jack Richardson.... |
||
| Quicksands Quicksands Quicksands is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan. The film stars J. Warren Kerrigan, Charlotte Burton, Vivian Rich, George Periolat, Jack Richardson, Louise Lester, and Charles Morrison... |
||
| Truth in the Wilderness Truth in the Wilderness Truth in the Wilderness is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Lorimer Johnston starring Charlotte Burton and George Periolat, J. Warren Kerrigan and Jack Richardson. Also starring Lillian Leighton and Vivian Rich.... |
||
| For the Flag For the Flag For the Flag is a 1913 American silent short drama film written and directed by Lorimer Johnson. The film features Charlotte Burton, George Periolat, J. Warren Kerrigan, Jack Richardson, and Vivian Rich.... |
||
| For the Crown For the Crown For the Crown is a 1913 American silent short film written and directed by Lorimer Johnston. The drama stars Charlotte Burton, Helen Armstrong, J. Warren Kerrigan, Louise Lester, George Periolat, Jack Richardson, and Vivian Rich.... |
||
| Calamity Anne, Heroine Calamity Anne, Heroine Calamity Anne, Heroine is a 1913 American silent short Western directed by Allan Dwan starring Louise Lester as Calamity Anne. It is the fourth film in the Calamity Anne series.-Other cast:* Charlotte Burton* J. Warren Kerrigan* Jack Richardson... |
||
| The Restless Spirit The Restless Spirit The Restless Spirit is a 1913 silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Lon Chaney, Sr. in an uncredited role. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* J. Warren Kerrigan - Husband* Pauline Bush - Wife* Jessalyn Van Trump - Woman... |
||
| The Girl and the Greaser The Girl and the Greaser The Girl and the Greaser is a 1913 American silent short film directed by Allan Dwan starring Charlotte Burton, J. Warren Kerrigan, Louise Lester, George Periolat, Jack Richardson and Vivian Rich.... |
||
| The Tale of the Ticker The Tale of the Ticker The Tale of the Ticker is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan. The film stars J. Warren Kerrigan, Vivian Rich, George Periolat, and Charlotte Burton. Other cast members include James Harrison, Jack Richardson, and Charles Morrison.... |
||
| Back to Life Back to Life (1913 film) Back to Life is a 1913 silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Lon Chaney, Sr. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Pauline Bush - The Wife* J. Warren Kerrigan - Destiny's Victim* William Worthington - The Gambler... |
Destiny's Victim | |
| Rory o' the Bogs Rory o' the Bogs Rory o' the Bogs is a 1913 short. Harold Lloyd has an uncredited role.-Cast:* J. Warren Kerrigan - Rory o' the Bogs* William Walters* Edith Bostwick* Jessalyn Van Trump* George Periolat* William Abbott* Harold Lloyd - Posse Member... |
Rory o' the Bogs | |
| 1914 | Samson Samson (1914 film) Samson is a 1914 short drama film. Harold Lloyd has an uncredited role.-Cast:* J. Warren Kerrigan - Samson* George Periolat - Manoah, Samson's father* Lule Warrenton - Wife of Manoah* Kathleen Kerrigan - Delilah* Edith Bostwick - Zorah, Samson's wife... |
|
| 1915 | The Stool Pigeon | Walter Jason |
| For Cash For Cash For Cash is a 1915 silent drama film directed by Lon Chaney, Sr. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* J. Warren Kerrigan - Arthen Owen* Vera Sisson - Vera Ronceval* J. Edwin Brown - Amos Ronceval * William Quinn - Lee Varick... |
Arthen Owen | |
| The Oyster Dredger The Oyster Dredger The Oyster Dredger is a 1915 silent drama film written by, directed by and featuring Lon Chaney, Sr. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* J. Warren Kerrigan - Jack* Vera Sisson - Vera* Lon Chaney, Sr.* William Quinn - The Lawyer... |
Jack - the Oyster Dredger | |
| 1923 | The Covered Wagon The Covered Wagon The Covered Wagon is an American silent Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a novel by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers traveling through the old West from Kansas to Oregon. J... |
Will Banion |
| Hollywood Hollywood (1923 film) Hollywood was a silent comedy film directed by James Cruze, co-written by Frank Condon and Thomas J. Geraghty, and released by Paramount Pictures.The film has become famous as having featured cameos of more than thirty famous Hollywood stars... |
Himself (cameo) |
