Thomas Meighan
Encyclopedia
Thomas Meighan was an American
actor
of silent film
s and early talkies. He played several leading man
roles opposite popular actresses of the day including Mary Pickford
and Gloria Swanson
. At one point he commanded $10,000 a week.
Meighan's parents encouraged him to go to college but he refused. At the age of 15 his father sent him to work shoveling coal which quickly changed his mind. He attended St. Mary's College studying pharmacology
. After 3 years of study Meighan decided he wished to pursue acting.
. He was paid $35 a week.
Meighan soon found success. He first appeared on Broadway in 1900. In 1904 Meighan appeared in "The Two Orphans". His breakthrough role came in 1908 appeared with William Collier Sr. in "The Dictator". which led to a leading role in "The College Widow" which had a successful run on Broadway
for the 1907-1908 season. It was during this run he met his wife Frances Ring.
Despite his film career Meighan remained devoted to the theatre during his life.
. His first US film was in 1915, "The Fighting Hope". During the next 2 years Meighan's career would take off. In 1918 he made a propaganda film for World War I
titled, "Norma Talmadge
and Thomas Meighan in a Liberty Loan Appeal". He then played opposite Mary Pickford
in M'Liss
.
which featured Lon Chaney Sr... This film is now believed to be lost except for brief clips. This was followed with Cecil B. DeMille
's Male and Female
which starred him opposite Gloria Swanson
and Lila Lee
. Most of the cast returned for the 1920 film, Why Change Your Wife?
which also co-starred Bebe Daniels
.
His popularity continued through the Roaring Twenties
with him starring in several pictures. In 1924 he played in, The Alaskan
opposite Estelle Taylor
and Anna May Wong
. In 1927 Meighan starred in The City Gone Wild opposite Louise Brooks
. His final silents, both produced by Howard Hughes
in 1928, were The Mating Call
which was critical of the KKK and The Racket
which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Both were thought lost until rediscovered in private collections in 2006 and restored by University of Nevada, Las Vegas
and shown on Turner Classic Movies
.
in 1934.
. The pair became inseparable and soon married. They remained married until his death in 1936. Their happy marriage was considered a strong one prompting one writer to remark, "Thomas Meighan and Rin Tin Tin
were the only Hollywood stars who had never seen a divorce court". The couple had no children.
he was the sole witness to Jack Pickford
and Olive Thomas
' secretive wedding.
In March 1923, Douglas Gerrad, in need of help bailing his friend Rudolph Valentino
out of jail for bigamy
, called up a fellow Irishman named Dan O'Brien who happened to be with Meighan at the time. Meighan barely knew Valentino but put up a large chunk of the bail money, and with the help of June Mathis
and George Melford
, Valentino was eventually freed.
after talks with his realtor brother James E. Meighan. He bought property in Ocala, Florida
in 1925. In 1927, he built a home in New Port Richey, Florida
where he would spend his winters. He intended to shoot his film We're All Gamblers there, however, filming was moved to Miami.
The Meighans' hoped to draw other celebrities to the area. On July 1, 1926, The Meighan Theatre opened with a screening of Meighan's movie The New Klondike. Meighan himself was not present but sent a congratulatory telegram.
In 1930 sound was added to the theatre. Meighan himself appeared this time, pushing the button to start the sound. The theatre closed in 1934, a victim of the Depression. It reopened in 1938 under the name The Newport Richey Theatre. The theatre is still open as a community playhouse under the name Richey Suncoast Theatre.
. He finally succumbed to cancer at 9:10pm on July 8, 1936, passing away at his home in Great Neck, New York
. Many of his family were present.
Meighan was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in his hometown of Pittsburgh.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
of 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 and early talkies. He played several leading man
Leading man
Leading man or leading gentleman is an informal term for the actor who plays a love interest to the leading actress in a film or play. A leading man is usually an all rounder; capable of singing, dancing, and acting at a professional level, but never outshining his female co-star...
roles opposite popular actresses of the day including Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was an American actress, singer and producer. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the...
. At one point he commanded $10,000 a week.
Early life
Meighan was born to John and Mary Meighan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father was the president of Pittsburgh Facing Mills and his family was well off.Meighan's parents encouraged him to go to college but he refused. At the age of 15 his father sent him to work shoveling coal which quickly changed his mind. He attended St. Mary's College studying pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
. After 3 years of study Meighan decided he wished to pursue acting.
Early theatre career
After dropping out of college in 1896 Meighan became a juvenile player in the Pittsburgh Stock Company headed by Henrietta CrosmanHenrietta Crosman
Henrietta Crosman was an American stage and film actress. She was born in Wheeling West Virginia to George Crosman, a Civil War Major and Mary B. Wick, who was a niece of Stephen Foster.-Theatrical career:...
. He was paid $35 a week.
Meighan soon found success. He first appeared on Broadway in 1900. In 1904 Meighan appeared in "The Two Orphans". His breakthrough role came in 1908 appeared with William Collier Sr. in "The Dictator". which led to a leading role in "The College Widow" which had a successful run on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for the 1907-1908 season. It was during this run he met his wife Frances Ring.
Despite his film career Meighan remained devoted to the theatre during his life.
Film career
In 1914 he abandoned theatre for the new movie industry; which was still in its infancy at the time. His first film was shot in London, titled "Dandy Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman". This film led to a contract with Famous Players-LaskyFamous Players-Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company created on July 19, 1916 from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company -- originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays -- and Jesse L...
. His first US film was in 1915, "The Fighting Hope". During the next 2 years Meighan's career would take off. In 1918 he made a propaganda film for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
titled, "Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular idols of the American screen.Her most famous film was Smilin’ Through , but she also...
and Thomas Meighan in a Liberty Loan Appeal". He then played opposite Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
in M'Liss
M'Liss (1918 film)
M'Liss is a 1918 silent film directed by Marshall Neilan, written by Frances Marion and based on a Bret Harte's story. The film was made previously in 1915 and was remade again in 1922 as The Girl Who Ran Wild, starring Gladys Walton. Another same-titled remake was released in 1936, starring Anne...
.
Stardom
In 1919 Meighan hit stardom. One of his best known films at the time was the 1919 The Miracle ManThe Miracle Man (1919 film)
The Miracle Man is a 1919 dramatic film based on a 1914 play by George M. Cohan, which in turn is based on the novel of the same title by Frank L. Packard. It was directed by George Loane Tucker and stars Thomas Meighan, Betty Compson, and Lon Chaney...
which featured Lon Chaney Sr... This film is now believed to be lost except for brief clips. This was followed with Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
's Male and Female
Male and Female
Male and Female is a 1919 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. It is based on the J. M. Barrie play "The Admirable Crichton".-Plot:...
which starred him opposite Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was an American actress, singer and producer. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the...
and Lila Lee
Lila Lee
Lila Lee was a prominent screen actress of the early silent film era.-Early life:Lila Lee was born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel in Union Hill, New Jersey into a middle-class family of German immigrants who relocated to New York City when Lila was quite young...
. Most of the cast returned for the 1920 film, Why Change Your Wife?
Why Change Your Wife?
-Plot:Frumpy wife Beth devotes herself to bettering her husband's mind and expanding his appreciation for the finer things in life, such as classical music. When he goes shopping at a lingerie store to buy some sexier clothes for her, he meets Sally, the shop girl. Rejected by his wife for a night...
which also co-starred Bebe Daniels
Bebe Daniels
Bebe Daniels was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent movie era as a child actress, became a star in musicals like 42nd Street, and later gained further fame on radio and television in Britain...
.
His popularity continued through the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
with him starring in several pictures. In 1924 he played in, The Alaskan
The Alaskan (1924 film)
The Alaskan is a 1924 silent adventure drama based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood set in northwoods country as his novels tend to be. In this case Alaska. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictures and directed by Herbert Brenon...
opposite Estelle Taylor
Estelle Taylor
Estelle Taylor was an American Hollywood actress whose career was most prominent during the silent film era of the 1920s....
and Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
. In 1927 Meighan starred in The City Gone Wild opposite Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
. His final silents, both produced by Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
in 1928, were The Mating Call
The Mating Call (film)
The Mating Call is a 1928 silent drama film about a WWI vet who takes on the Ku Klux Klan when he loses his wife to a womanizing Klansman. The film was produced by Howard Hughes for his Caddo Corporation, and was originally released by Paramount Pictures...
which was critical of the KKK and The Racket
The Racket
The Racket is an American crime film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Thomas Meighan, Marie Prevost, Louis Wolheim, and George E. Stone...
which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Both were thought lost until rediscovered in private collections in 2006 and restored by University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
and shown on Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
.
Talkies
His first talkie was The Argyle Case (1928). Meighan was nearing 50 and feared his popularity might wane, and decided to go into real estate. It took until 1931 for him to return to the screen with Young Sinners. He would go on to make only four additional talkies until his illness sidelined him from acting. His last film was Peck's Bad BoyPeck's Bad Boy
Peck's Bad Boy is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward F. Cline. It was based on the series of books by George W. Peck.- Cast :*Jackie Cooper as Bill Peck*Thomas Meighan as Henry Peck*Jackie Searl as Horace Clay...
in 1934.
Personal life
Meighan commanded a salary of $5,000 a week for much of his career. At one point it reached $10,000 a week.Marriage
Meighan met Frances Ring (July 4, 1882-January 15, 1951), an attractive stage actress, during his stint on Broadway. She was a sister of popular singer Blanche RingBlanche Ring
Blanche Ring , was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood motion pictures....
. The pair became inseparable and soon married. They remained married until his death in 1936. Their happy marriage was considered a strong one prompting one writer to remark, "Thomas Meighan and Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was the name given to a dog adopted from a WWI battlefield that went on to star in twenty-three Hollywood films. The name was subsequently given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin...
were the only Hollywood stars who had never seen a divorce court". The couple had no children.
Hollywood scandals
Meighan was involved in some of the more scandalous moments of silent film history; albeit as a helping hand. On October 25, 1916 in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
he was the sole witness to Jack Pickford
Jack Pickford
Jack Pickford was a Canadian-born American actor. He was best known for his tabloid lifestyle, marriage to the top starlets of his day, and being of the famous Pickford acting family.-Early life:...
and Olive Thomas
Olive Thomas
Olive Thomas was an American silent film actress and model. She is best remembered for her marriage to Jack Pickford and her death.-Early life:...
' secretive wedding.
In March 1923, Douglas Gerrad, in need of help bailing his friend Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
out of jail for bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
, called up a fellow Irishman named Dan O'Brien who happened to be with Meighan at the time. Meighan barely knew Valentino but put up a large chunk of the bail money, and with the help of June Mathis
June Mathis
June Mathis was an American screenwriter and one of the highest paid Hollywood executives in the 1920s. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted the third most influential woman in Hollywood, behind...
and George Melford
George Melford
George H. Melford was an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.-Career:...
, Valentino was eventually freed.
Florida
In the mid-1920s, Meighan became obsessed with FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
after talks with his realtor brother James E. Meighan. He bought property in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
in 1925. In 1927, he built a home in New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
where he would spend his winters. He intended to shoot his film We're All Gamblers there, however, filming was moved to Miami.
The Meighans' hoped to draw other celebrities to the area. On July 1, 1926, The Meighan Theatre opened with a screening of Meighan's movie The New Klondike. Meighan himself was not present but sent a congratulatory telegram.
In 1930 sound was added to the theatre. Meighan himself appeared this time, pushing the button to start the sound. The theatre closed in 1934, a victim of the Depression. It reopened in 1938 under the name The Newport Richey Theatre. The theatre is still open as a community playhouse under the name Richey Suncoast Theatre.
Death
In 1934 Meighan was diagnosed with cancer. In 1935, he underwent surgery at the Doctors Hospital in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He finally succumbed to cancer at 9:10pm on July 8, 1936, passing away at his home in Great Neck, New York
Great Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...
. Many of his family were present.
Meighan was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in his hometown of Pittsburgh.
Legacy
Meighan was a large donater to various Catholic charities and the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. Many of his later films survive and have been released on DVD.Selected filmography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1914 | Danny Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman |
| 1915 | Temptation Temptation (film) Temptation is a 1915 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Geraldine Farrar - Renee Dupree* Theodore Roberts - Otto Mueller* Pedro de Cordoba - Julian* Elsie Jane Wilson - Madame Maroff... |
| Kindling | |
| The Fighting Hope | |
| The Secret Sin | |
| Armstrong's Wife | |
| Blackbirds | |
| 1916 | The Sowers |
| The Trail of the Lonesome Pine The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1916 film) The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is a 1916 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the novel of the same name. A surviving motion picture at George Eastman House, Rochester.-Cast:* Charlotte Walker - June Tolliver... |
|
| Pudd'nhead Wilson Pudd'nhead Wilson Pudd'nhead Wilson is a novel by Mark Twain. It was serialized in The Century Magazine , before being published as a novel in 1894.-Plot:... |
|
| The Heir to the Hoorah | |
| 1917 | The Slave Market |
| Sapho | |
| The Silent Partner | |
| Sleeping Fires Sleeping Fires Sleeping Fires is a 1917 silent film drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Hugh Ford and stars Pauline Frederick. This is a lost film.-Cast:*Pauline Frederick - Zelma Bryce... |
|
| 1918 | In Pursuit of Polly |
| Madame Jealousy | |
| Heart of the Wilds | |
| M'Liss M'Liss (1918 film) M'Liss is a 1918 silent film directed by Marshall Neilan, written by Frances Marion and based on a Bret Harte's story. The film was made previously in 1915 and was remade again in 1922 as The Girl Who Ran Wild, starring Gladys Walton. Another same-titled remake was released in 1936, starring Anne... |
|
| 1919 | Male and Female Male and Female Male and Female is a 1919 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. It is based on the J. M. Barrie play "The Admirable Crichton".-Plot:... |
| The Heart of Wetona | |
| The Probation Wife | |
| The Miracle Man The Miracle Man (1919 film) The Miracle Man is a 1919 dramatic film based on a 1914 play by George M. Cohan, which in turn is based on the novel of the same title by Frank L. Packard. It was directed by George Loane Tucker and stars Thomas Meighan, Betty Compson, and Lon Chaney... |
|
| 1920 | Conrad in Quest of His Youth Conrad in Quest of His Youth Conrad in Quest of His Youth is a 1920 silent film dramedy directed by William C. deMille and starring Thomas Meighan. The film is based on a novel Conrad in Quest of His Youth by Leonard Merrick adapted and written for the screen by Olga Printzlau. This film survives at the Library of Congress... |
| The Prince Chap | |
| 1921 | The City of Silent Men |
| The Prince There Was | |
| Frontier of the Stars | |
| 1922 | The Bachelor Daddy |
| The Man Who Saw Tomorrow The Man Who Saw Tomorrow The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is a 1981 documentary-style movie about the predictions of French astrologer and physician Michel de Notredame .The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is narrated by Orson Welles.... |
|
| 1923 | Woman-Proof |
| The Ne'er-Do-Well | |
| Homeward Bound | |
| 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... |
|
| 1924 | Pied Piper Malone |
| Tongues of Flame | |
| The Alaskan The Alaskan (1924 film) The Alaskan is a 1924 silent adventure drama based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood set in northwoods country as his novels tend to be. In this case Alaska. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictures and directed by Herbert Brenon... |
|
| 1925 | Old Home Week Old Home Week Old Home Week is a practice that originated in the New England region of the United States similar to a holiday or festival. In its beginning in the 19th-20th century it involved a municipal effort to invite former residents of a village, town, or city - usually individuals who grew up in the... |
| The Man Who Found Himself | |
| 1926 | The New Klondike The New Klondike The New Klondike is a 1926 black-and-white silent romantic comedy sports drama film directed by Lewis Milestone for Famous Players-Lasky. The film was set against the backdrop of the Florida land boom of the 1920s, and stands as Ben Hecht's first film assignment.-Background:Partly filmed on... |
| Tin Gods | |
| 1927 | Blind Alleys Blind Alleys (film) Blind Alleys is a 1927 silent American drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Thomas Meighan as Captain Dan Kirby* Evelyn Brent as Sally Ray* Greta Nissen as Maria d'Alvarez Kirby* Hugh Miller as Julio Lachados... |