1874-1949
Actor Charles B. Middleton was born on this day in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Known affectionately as Chuck, he got his start in acting because, basically, he was bored...actually he felt stunted creatively. He had a "problem" that many would love to have, he was the son of an extremely wealthy family and did not need to find a career, but he was not exactly happy with his life, which was pretty strict. So he literally ran away with a traveling circus. He then graduated to the vaudeville and finally onto the dramatic stage. He is remembered for his roles as villains, often comical, and his deep booming voice that made him ideal for such roles. But, before the world came to know the sound of his voice, he made his film debut in the silents of the 1920's. His first film was actually part of a serial released in 1920; the independently produced The $1,000,000 Reward was partially directed by it's producer Harry Grossman, and it now sadly lost to us. He appeared in two additional films in the early 1920's--one of which--The Evil Dead--was a re-release of part of the serial mentioned above; both of which were Grossman productions. Returning to the stage, he did not appear in a motion picture again until 1928, when the world first heard his voice on film. He appeared in the little all talking short produced by Warner Bros. utilizing the Vitaphone sound system: A Man of Peace. He was not done with silents however. He next appeared in Pirates of the Pines, a little film directed by J C. Cook, featuring George O'Hara in the leading role. His first turn in a feature film produced by a major studio, albeit in a supporting role, came in the Fox film The Framer's Daughter. He next appeared in 1929 MGM partial silent crime production The Bellamy Trial playing a district attorney. He was in two more film in the 1929, both full talkies; the first was the Allan Dwan directed drama The Far Call. The other was a first of sorts for him, he was the "moustache twirling" villain the all talking Harold Lloyd comedy Welcome Danger. This type cast would become a specialty of his with the variety of comedians, including The Marx Brothers. Finding comedy work to his likely, he next appeared as "the Morally Indignant Father" in the comedy short More Sinned Against Than Usual (1930), his first film of the new decade. Later that same year, he appeared in an all color devilishly comedic short The Devil's Cabaret, which was shot in "2-strip technicolor," as "Mr. Satan." At this point, his film acting career really takes off and he was rarely out of work. One of his more famous roles came in 1933 in The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup. By far his most famous, recognizable role came in the Flash Gordon serials in the yellow face role of Emperor Ming--or Ming the Merciless--starting in 1936. Also in 1936, he appeared in James Whale's Show Boat. Middleton worked right up to the time of his death of a sudden heart attack on the 22nd of April in 1949. His last role was in the western The Last Bandit, which was released in February of 1949. Middleton was 74 years old at the time of his death. He was buried next to his wife--actress Leora Spellman--who had preceded him in death by four years, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The couple had one daughter, who was named for her mother, and who did not choose to go into acting; however, her son--their grandson--born in 1941 did. Burr Middleton is still acting today.
[source: A.J. (Find A Grave)]
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