Charles Brabin
Brabin in 1923
Born(1882-04-17)April 17, 1882[1]
Liverpool, England[1]
DiedNovember 3, 1957(1957-11-03) (aged 75)[1]
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
EducationSt Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool
OccupationFilm director
Years active1909–1934
Spouses
Suzan Jeanette Mosher
​
​
(m. 1913; div. 1920)​
​
​
(m. 1921; died 1955)​

Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director.

Biography

Lili Damita, Charles Brabin, and Merritt B. Gerstad on the set of The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929) Note the cleavage of the French actress, which later would not be allowed, under the Motion Picture Production Code

Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while holding down odd jobs there, he tried his hand as a stage actor. He joined the Edison Manufacturing Company around 1908, first acting, later writing and directing. He was active during the silent era, then pursued a short-lived career in talkies. His last film was A Wicked Woman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1934.[2]

Brabin married, firstly, to socialite Suzan Jeanette Mosher, daughter of Edwin Howard Mosher and Jennie Slater Mosher, of New York City. They married on December 14, 1913, at Bedford Congregational Church in the Bronx, New York, shortly after Brabin returned from a trip to England and Europe. Brabin's best friend, screen actor Marc MacDermott, served as best man.[3] Charles and Suzan Brabin remained married for seven years.[4]

Theda Bara and Charles Brabin (1922)

Brabin later wed silent-film "vamp" star Theda Bara July 2, 1921, remaining married to her until her death from abdominal cancer on April 7, 1955.

Partial filmography

The following are some of Brabin's films.[1]

Archive

Outtakes from Brabin's 1925 version of Stella Maris survive and were preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Parish, James; Pitts, Michael R. (1974). "BRABIN, CHARLES J., b. April 17, 1883, Liverpool, Eng.; d. Nov. 3, 1957". Film Directors: A Guide to their American Films. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. pp. 42–43. ISBN 9780810807525. OCLC 573547659 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ Langman, Larry (2000). "Bragin, Charls J. (1883-1957), b. England, director". Destination Hollywood: The Influence of Europeans on American Filmmaking. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 128. ISBN 9780786406814. OCLC 1193398184 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "BRABIN—MOSHER". The Moving Picture World. Moving Picture Exhibitors' Association. 18 (13): 1528. December 27, 1913. OCLC 1717051 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," names and record appear in database with images, National Archives and Records Administration.
  5. ^ "STELLA MARIS [ -- OUTS]". Preserved Projects | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 20, 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Brabin.
Authority control databases
Films directed by Charles Brabin
Categories