Friday, December 4, 2015

Born Today December 4: Lloyd Bacon


1889-1955

Born Lloyd Frances Bacon in San Jose, CA, the son a famous stage actor Frank Bacon, who managed to live just long enough to have a turn performances in early motion pictures himself.  Lloyd's film debut was in a Broncho Billy film, a franchise in which he would continue to act in; the year was 1915.  He was also a frequent actor in early Charlie Chaplin films.  As a matter of fact, he was in a lot of very classic early Chaplin short films, including The Tramp (1915).  He acted all the way through the 1920's with great frequency, but acted in only film in the 1930's.  That would be Broadway Gondolier, a musical made in 1935, which he also directed.  This was his last acting credit, when then became a very successful director.  He actually made his directorial debut in the early 1920's; in 1922 he directed The Speeder a short film that he also starred in.  The first film that he directed that he did not act in also came in 1922, another short entitled The Educator.  His directing career in the 1920's was probably more prolific than was his acting career, in fact.  In the 1930's and 1940's, he directed some very famous films.  An early hit for him was 42 Street (1933).  He continued to direct films right up until the time of his death, when on the 15th of November 1955 he passed away suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 65, in Burbank, CA.  He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.

Bacon with Chaplin




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