Born Today September 1: James J. Corbett

1866-1933

The man who be a World Heavyweight Champion of boxing, James John Corbett, affectionately known as "Gentleman Jim," was born on this day in San Francisco, California.  He would eventually become an actor, but he very famously appeared in an early Edison Short Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph in 1894, with fellow boxer Peter Courtney.  Edison later recalled in 1930 that the film was the very first film the company made for public exhibition (which was true-ish enough).  Unlike Courtney, who is known to film only by his appearance in the above referenced title, Corbett had a eye for the theatrical and an aim to capitalize on it after his boxing career was ended.  In addition to giving what we would call motivational speeches today, he also took to appearing in minstrel shows and eventually made his way back in front of the motion picture camera (he had appeared in a number of exhibition reels after the Edison Black Maria experience--as early as 1897).  He starred, largely as himself--and billed by his nickname-- in the 1913 western The Man From the Golden West.  His roles on film were few and far between, but by 1916, he was commanding the leading role.  In all he appeared in just nine films (as far as anyone has been able to document to date)--and that includes the famous Edison 6 part (1 minute each) film (only 1 part of the film remains, but it is viewable on DVD format and can be viewed on YouTube).  He had a role in the Edward Dillion feature comedy The Beauty Shop released in 1922 and did not appear again in film until the coming of the talkie in the late 1920's.  Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Corbett, was his writing; he appeared as himself in a 1910 Vitagraph produced biographical short that he penned about his life (to date): James J. Corbett; or, How Championships Are Won and Lost (that same biographical material was later used in a film about his life starring Errol Flynn in 1942, appropriately titled Gentleman Jim). His role as a member of the minstrel show entertainers in the early all sound musical production Happy Days in 1929 directed by Benjamin Stoloff was his first in a sound picture. His last film appearance came in 1930 in the Murray Roth short At The Round Table (the film also had an appearance by DeWolf Hopper Sr.--the father of William Hopper and ex-husband of his mother Hedda). Corbett died three years later in Bayside, New York on the 18th of February at the age of 66.  He was subsequently interred at Brooklyn's Cypress Hill Cemetery. His boxing career is the most interesting part of his biography, so I highly recommend reading up on it if you are interested in sports. 

Wikipedia

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Find A Grave

Born Today July 7: Peter Courtney

Peter Courtney is on the right.

1867-1896

Boxer, actor and early Edison short subject Peter Courtney was born on this day in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.  He is known for an appearance in one film only, Corbett and Courtney Before The Kinetograph, a famous Edison actuality that is mostly lost.  What survives is the first round of the match (1 reel) and, as each round was set at 1 minute a piece, the film is just 40 seconds long (originally there were 6 reels), making it a fragment of the first reel.  The whole match was filmed at the famed Black Maria studio (the world's first).  Amazingly the print that survived at the Library of Congress was in good enough condition for restoration.  It has been released on DVD and is available for viewing online.  Courtney is not known to have participated in any other boxing matches aside for this one specially set up for filming.  Courtney died very, very young, at the age of 28 from tuberculosis, just two years after this was filmed, on the 11th of May.  He may have died in Trenton, New Jersey, where was listed as a resident.  The is no information on his burial.

See:

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Born Today March 24: George Francis Train

1829-1904

Ecentrentic industrial millionaire George Francis Train was born on this day in Boston, Mass.  His family soon relocated to New Orleans.  The vast majority of his immediate family, including both of his parents and at least 3 siblings died there from a yellow fever epidemic.  He was then sent back to Boston to be raised by very strict Methodist grandparents, who very much wanted him to become a minister.  He instead went into the mercantile trade, and soon became a wanderer--and adventurer.  It is possible that reports of his crossing the planet by many transportational modes was the inspiration for Jules Verne's Around The World In 80 Days.  He was considered "different" from early adulthood, a trait that would only increase as he aged.  Thought many thought him insane, many of his actions and speeches, especially in the realm of politics and individual rights, may have had a "method in their madness" (he was, for example a financial supporter of Susan B. Anthony, but also once stood for "dictator of the United States").  More of his decidedly colourful life can be found in the links below.  The reason for his presence on a silent movie blog stems from one sole film that featured him and one other person dating from 1898.  Billed as "Citizen George Frances Train" and "Professor Mike Donovan," the short "mockumentery" Train vs. Donovan was produced by American Mutoscope was probably a spoof on an earlier film by the Edison Corp. Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph, which was shot 4 years earlier.  It was filmed at the New York Athletic Club.  Train lived for nearly 5 years after the film was shot, dying on the 5th of January 1904 at the age of 74 in New York City.  He was buried in the historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.  He is entombed in his well off father-in-law's mausoleum there.

For More:

Wikipedia

Smithsonian article on Train's support of Susan B. Anthony's publication

New England Historical Society

Leave Virtual Flowers @ Find A Grave

IMDb