Richard Rosson
Richard Rosson | |
|---|---|
 Rosson 1916 | |
| Born | April 4, 1893 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | May 31, 1953 (aged 60) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director Actor |
| Years active | 1911–1943 |
Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he was a co-director of the 1932 film Scarface.
Career
Rosson's first directorial effort was the 1926 American black and white silent comedy film Fine Manners, initially directed by Lewis Milestone[1] for Famous Players-Lasky/Paramount Pictures. After an argument with actress Gloria Swanson, Milestone walked off the set, leaving the film to be completed by Rosson,[2] who had picked up directorial tricks while working as an assistant director to Allan Dwan.[3] The success of the film, being Rosson's first directorial effort since he co-directed Her Father's Keeper in 1917 with his brother Arthur Rosson,[4] won him a long-term contract with Famous Players-Lasky.[4]
Personal life
Rosson was the younger brother of director Arthur Rosson, his younger sister Helene became a movie actress, and his younger brother Harold became a well known director of photography who won the first Academy Award for color cinematography. He died from suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning at his home in Pacific Palisades, California at the age of 60. He was married to silent film actress and model, Vera Sisson. On May 1, 1939, Rosson was arrested on a charge of espionage in Vienna, Austria, with his wife and two other British nationals, by the Gestapo, allegedly for filming military hardware. They were held in solitary confinement for 34 days and released.[5]
Selected director filmography
- Fine Manners (1926)
- Dead Man's Curve (1928)
- Scarface (co-director) (1932)
- West Point of the Air (1935)
- Apache Trail (uncredited) (1942)
- The Getaway (uncredited) (1942)
- Corvette K-225 (1943)
Selected actor filmography
- The Pretty Sister of Jose (1915)
- The Old Cobbler (1916)
- The Ghost Flower (1918)
- The Poor Boob (1919)
- For Those We Love (1921)
- Always the Woman (1922)
References
- ^ "Fine Manners (1926)". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Joseph R. Millichap (1981). Lewis Milestone. Twayne's filmmakers series. Twayne Publishers. pp. 15, 31. ISBN 0-8057-9281-3.
- ^ Lawrence J. Quirk (1984). The films of Gloria Swanson. Citadel Press. p. 202. ISBN 0-8065-0874-4.
- ^ a b Grace Kingsley (September 28, 1926). "Tony will be in it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (1953-05-31). "Richard Rosson > Overview". AllMovie. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
External links
- American film directors
- American male film actors
- 1893 births
- 1953 deaths
- American male silent film actors
- Film directors from Los Angeles
- Film directors from New York City
- Male actors from New York City
- American male actors who committed suicide
- Film directors who committed suicide
- Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning
- Suicides in California
- 20th-century American male actors