William Herbert "Bert" Woodruff (April 29, 1856[1] – June 14, 1934[2]) was an American actor of the silent era.
Bert Woodruff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | William Herbert Woodruff April 29, 1856 Peoria, Illinois, US |
| Died | June 14, 1934 (aged 78) |
| Years active | 1916–1931 |
Woodruff was born in Peoria, Illinois,[3] and was the son of Mrs. Hannah Woodruff.[4] He performed on stage before he began acting on film,[3] debuting in 1876 as part of the Woodruff and West song-and-dance act. His performances included blackface comedy and Irish specialties. In 1882, he became part of the Adelphi Theater stock company in Peoria, where he worked for seven years.[citation needed]
In 1898, Woodruff moved into management, opening a vaudeville theater in Peoria and managing it until 1904. From there he went to Redondo Beach, California, where he opened the city's first theater for films.[1] He appeared in more than 60 films between 1916 and 1931. He remains perhaps best-known for playing the grandfather in the 1928 Harold Lloyd comedy Speedy.
Woodruff died of nephritis in Hollywood, California, aged 78.[3]
Selected filmography
edit- Jim Bludso (1917)
- A Love Sublime (1917)
- Hands Up! (1917)
- The Delicious Little Devil (1919)
- Bill Henry (1919)
- The Jailbird (1920)
- For Those We Love (1921)
- The Grim Comedian (1921)
- See My Lawyer (1921)
- Two Minutes to Go (1921)
- Watch Your Step (1922)
- Making a Man (1922)
- The Rosary (1922)
- The Isle of Lost Ships (1923)
- The Silent Partner (1923)
- The Six-Fifty (1923)
- A Noise in Newboro (1923)
- Children of Dust (1923)
- The Sea Hawk (1924)
- The Siren of Seville (1924)
- Flowing Gold (1924)
- The Mine with the Iron Door (1924)
- Paths to Paradise (1925)
- Some Pun'kins (1925)
- The Vanishing American (1925)
- The Fighting Heart (1925)
- Driftin' Thru (1926)
- The Barrier (1926)
- The Fire Brigade (1926)
- Eyes of the Totem (1927)
- The Life of Riley (1927)
- Spring Fever (1927)
- Lure of the Night Club (1927)
- The Romantic Age (1927)
- Speedy (1928)
- Marked Money (1928)
- The Shopworn Angel (1928)
- The River (1929)
- A Song of Kentucky (1929)
- Laughing Sinners (1931) as Tink
- The Texas Ranger (1931)
References
edit- ^ a b "Bert Woodruff Quaint Character of Screen". Lansing State Journal. May 26, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: California Department of Health and Welfare. California Vital Records-Vitalsearch (www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com). The Vitalsearch Company Worldwide, Inc., Pleasanton, California.
- ^ a b c "William H. Woodruff". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 16, 1934. p. 15. ProQuest 100918124. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Mrs. Hannah Woodruff". The New York Times. May 4, 1938. p. 23. ProQuest 102567590. Retrieved January 28, 2021 – via ProQuest.
External links
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