Historical records matching Wilfred Lucas
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About Wilfred Lucas
According to the 1900 Census enumeration, Wilfred Lucus and both of his parents were born in Canada. The woman that is named his 'mother' in some family trees, Alice Ransom, can not be his mother since Alice was born in New York
On the site Biographical Summaries of Notable People , E. Adeline Reynolds is said to have been his mother.
A native of Ontario, Canada, Lucas headed to New York City to work in the theater, making his Broadway acting debut in 1904 at the Savoy Theater in the production of The Superstition of Sue. Following his 1906 role in the highly successful play, The Chorus Lady, Lucas was recruited to the fledgling Biograph Studios by D. W. Griffith. At the time, the film business was still looked down upon by many members of the theatrical community. In her 1925 book titled When the Movies Were Young, Griffith's wife, actress Linda Arvidson, told the story of the early days at Biograph Studios. In it, she referred to Lucas as the "first real grand actor, democratic enough to work in Biograph movies."
In 1908, Lucas made his motion picture debut in Griffith's production, The Greaser's Gauntlet. He appeared in more than 50 of these short films (usually 17 minutes) over the next two years and in 1910, while still acting, he wrote the script for Griffith's film Sunshine Sue which was followed by many more scripts between then and 1924. Lucas also began directing in 1912, first with Griffith on An Outcast Among Outcasts, and during the ensuing twenty years directed another 44 films. In 1916, Lucas appeared in Griffith’s film, Intolerance, a monumental project regarded by many as the most spectacular film of all time.
Part of the group of Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, Lucas became friends and sometimes starred with Mary Pickford, Sam De Grasse, and Marie Dressler. Canadian born director Mack Sennett hired him to both direct and act in a large number of films at his Keystone Studios.
Wilfred Lucas made the successful transition from silent film to sound. While working in Hollywood, in 1926 he returned to the stage, performing in several Broadway plays.He later appeared as a foil for Laurel and Hardy,in their feature films Pardon Us and A Chump at Oxford.
During his long career, Wilfred Lucas appeared in more than 375 films. Although for a time he was cast in leading roles, he became very successful as secondary and minor characters, making a good living in the film industry for more than three decades. His grave is located at Chapel of the Pines Crematory
While working at Biograph Studios, Wilfred Lucas met and ultimately married actress/screenwriter Bess Meredyth (1890-1969) with whom he had a son. John Meredyth Lucas (1919-2002) became a successful writer and director including a number of episodes of Mannix and Star Trek. The divorce was a bitter one and through what is now known as Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), Wilfred Lucas became estranged from his son.
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0524306/
Wilfred Lucas Biographical Summaries of Notable Peoplebr/> Birth: Jan 30 1871 - Norfolk Countybr/> Death: Dec 13 1940 - Los Angelesbr/> Parents: E. Adeline Reynolds, Daniel Lucasbr/> Wife: Bess Meredyth, Sylvia M., Louise Perinebr/> Son: John Meredyth Lucas
Wilfred Lucas
California Deaths, 1940 - 1997
Birth: Jan 30 1871 - Canada
Death: Dec 13 1940 - Los Angeles, California, USA
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Wilfred Lucas's Timeline
| 1871 |
January 30, 1871
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Townsend, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada
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| 1892 |
March 12, 1892
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New York, New York County, NY, United States
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| 1905 |
April 14, 1905
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Manhattan, New York, New York County, New York, United States
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| 1907 |
February 6, 1907
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New York, New York County, NY, United States
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| 1919 |
May 1, 1919
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