Al Ernest Garcia | |
|---|---|
 Garcia, c. 1908–1915 | |
| Born | Allan Ernest Garcia March 11, 1887 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 1938 (aged 51) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Albert Garcia Allan Garcia Al Garcia Al E. Garcia |
| Years active | 1911–1938 |
Allan Ernest Garcia (11 March 1887 – 4 September 1938) was an American actor and casting director, best known for his long association with Charlie Chaplin.
Al Ernest Garcia appeared in over 120 films between 1911 and 1938, mostly in supporting roles. He frequently played in silent film westerns with stars including Leo Carrillo and Warner Baxter. Garcia also directed a short film named The Purple Scar in 1917, but it stayed his only work as a director. Born in California to Mexican parents, Garcia played in some Mexican films and also portrayed Mexicans in American films. With the advent of sound film, his roles were somewhat smaller, but he worked as an actor until his death.
Garcia is best remembered for his work with Charlie Chaplin. He acted with Chaplin in six films between 1921 and 1936. Chaplin cast him mostly in clinical or villainous supporting roles. Garcia portrayed the brutal circus director in The Circus (1928), the snobbish butler of the millionaire in City Lights (1931), and the factory owner in Modern Times (1936). He was also a casting director for Chaplin on The Circus, City Lights, and Modern Times. He worked for better pay and improved working conditions for supporting actors and bit players in films, and was co-founder of the Motion Picture Extras and Supporting Players Association, founded in 1933.[1]
On 4 September 1938, Garcia died of a heart attack, in Santa Monica, California, aged 51.
