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Walter Long (actor)

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Walter Long
Long in 1924
Born
Walter Huntley Long

(1879-03-05)March 5, 1879
Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1952(1952-07-04) (aged 73)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Burial placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1900–1950
Spouses
Luray Grace Roblee
​
​
(m. 1908; died 1919)​
Leta Amanda Held
​
(m. 1923)​
Children1

Walter Huntley Long (March 5, 1879 – July 4, 1952)[1] was an American stage and film character actor who between 1909 and the late 1940s performed in nearly 200 screen productions.[2]

Early life and career

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Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1879, Long was the youngest of six children of Catherine Lucia Jane (née Phillips) and Francis Long, who was a farmer.[1][3]

Hooded Klansmen catch "Gus", portrayed in blackface by Long, in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Long (sixth from left) with other cast members of the crime drama film Kick In (1922)

After acting on stage for years, Long debuted in motion pictures in 1909 with Broncho Billy Anderson. He disliked the working conditions in film production, so after that screen project he returned to the stage.[4]

Long soon began to act again in motion pictures, over the years gaining recognition among theater audiences for being a popular "hissed-at villain".[5] He can be seen in some of D. W. Griffith's early films, as well as Griffith's later, far more elaborate productions, most notably The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916). In The Birth of a Nation, Long appears in blackface make-up as the African American character "Gus", and in Intolerance he portrays the "Musketeer", who operates within the crime-ridden slums of a modern American city.[6] He was also cast as a supporting character for Rudolph Valentino in the films The Sheik (1921), Moran of the Lady Letty (1922), and Blood and Sand (1922). He also appears as a comic villain in four Laurel and Hardy shorts released in the early 1930s: as an abusive prisoner in Pardon Us (1931), a dissolute hotel owner and boxer in Any Old Port! (1932), an escaped convict Going Bye-Bye! (1933), and as a gruff sea captain in The Live Ghost (1934).

On Broadway, Long performed in Adonis (1899),[7] Leave It to Me! (1938), Very Warm for May (1939), Boys and Girls Together (1940),[8] Follow the Girls (1944),[9] and Toplitzky of Notre Dame (1946).[8]

Although he was often called upon to play antagonists and villains because of his rugged appearance and gravelly voice, many people reported that off-camera he was actually a warm, kindhearted man.[10]

Military service

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Long served in the United States Army during both world wars. During World War I, he was a first lieutenant of Coast Artillery and then promoted in rank to captain by the time the conflict ended in November 1918.[11][5] He remained in the army reserves until World War II, when he was recalled to active duty, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel before officially retiring from service with an honorable discharge in October 1944.[10][11][5]

Personal life and death

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On May 6, 1908, in Escanaba, Michigan, Long married Luray Grace Roblee, a native of Wisconsin and a stenographer, who later became an actress at Triangle/Fine Arts.[12] She died at the Pacific Hospital in downtown Los Angeles in 1919, at age 29, due to bronchial pneumonia contracted during the global "Spanish flu" epidemic.[13] Over four years later in Los Angeles, on October 16, 1923, Long married California native Leta Amanda Held.[9] The couple adopted a son whom they named John Huntley Long.[14]

Long and Carol Dempster in the Western drama Scarlet Days (1919)

Long died of a heart attack in California on July 4, 1952, after watching the Independence Day fireworks display at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[11] In its obituary for the actor published two days after his death, the Los Angeles Times notes, "Long and his wife, Leta, both of 632 North Cahuenga Blvd., had just left the Coliseum when he was stricken."[11] Long's grave is located in the "Garden of Memory" at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.[1]

Filmography

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Year Title Genre Role Notes
1910 The Fugitive Drama Unknown role Short
1911 The Primal Call Drama Unknown role Short
1911 Bobby, the Coward Drama Unknown role Short
1912 The Girl and Her Trust Drama Grace's Bashful Suitor (uncredited) Short
1912 The Painted Lady Drama Unknown role Short
1912 The Musketeers of Pig Alley Drama Unknown role Credited as the first gangster film in history.
1913 The Deerslayer Drama Indian (uncredited) Short
1913 Traffic in Souls Drama Policeman
1914 The Broken Bottle Drama Unknown role
1914 The Life of General Villa Action-drama Federal Officer Pancho Villa plays himself.
1914 Home, Sweet Home Drama himself Biographical film
1914 The Escape Drama Unknown role Now considered a lost film.
1914 Dan Morgan's Way Drama Dick Ramsey Short
1914 Blue Pete's Escape Western Chicago Red Short
1914 The Avenging Conscience Drama Detective (uncredited) Based on "The Tell-Tale Heart".
1914 Where the Mountains Meet Unknown role Himself Short
1914 The Revenue Officer's Deputy Drama Bruner Short
1914 Ethel Has a Steady Comedy Unknown role Short
1914 Bobby's Medal Drama Unknown role Short
1915 The Birth of a Nation Drama Gus – a renegade Negro
1915 A Man and His Mate Taylor
1915 The Outlaw's Revenge Federal officer
1915 The Highbinders Crime Pat Gallagher Short
1915 Little Marie Short
1915 Jordan Is a Hard Road Agent
1915 Martyrs of the Alamo Santa Anna
1916 Let Katie Do It Drama Pedro Garcia
1916 Daphne and the Pirate Drama Jamie d'Arcy Starring Lillian Gish
1916 Sold for Marriage Drama Col. Gregioff
1916 The Children in the House Al Fellower
1916 The Marriage of Molly-O Joseph McGuire
1916 Intolerance Drama Musketeer of the Slums
1916 Unprotected Drama Joshua Craig
1916 The Years of the Locust Drama Aaron Roth
1916 Joan the Woman Epic drama Executioner Joan of Arc
1917 The Evil Eye Drama Mexican Joe
1917 The Golden Fetter Romance McGill
1917 Each to His Kind Drama Mulai Singh Lost film
1917 The Winning of Sally Temple Drama Duke of Chatto
1917 The Cost of Hatred Drama Jefe Politico
1917 A Romance of the Redwoods Drama Sheriff Starring Mary Pickford
1917 The Little American Romantic war drama German Captain
1917 Hashimura Togo Comedy Carlos Anthony
1917 The Woman God Forgot Romance Taloc (High Priest)
1919 The Poppy Girl's Husband Drama Boston Blackie
1919 Chasing Rainbows Western Lacy
1919 The Mother and the Law The Musketeer of the Town
1919 Scarlet Days Western King Bagley, aka Knight of the Black Stain
1919 Desert Gold Horseracing melodrama Rojas
1919 An Adventure in Hearts Adventure Guilamo Sevier Lost film
1920 The Fighting Shepherdess Pete Mullendore
1920 Excuse My Dust Comedy drama Ritz
1920 The Third Woman Scar Norton
1920 The Sea Wolf Drama Black Harris, the Mate
1920 Go and Get It Mystery Comedy drama Jim Hogan
1920 Held In Trust Romance Hasbrouck Rutherford Lost film
1920 What Women Love Comedy drama Captain Buck Nelson Lost film
1921 Tiger True Old Whitey / the Baboon
1921 The Fire Cat Gringo Burke
1921 White and Unmarried Comedy Chicoq
1921 A Giant of His Race
1921 The Sheik Drama Omair – the bandit Starring Rudolph Valentino
1922 Moran of the Lady Letty Captain "Slippery" Kitchel Lost film
1922 Across the Continent Dutton Tyler Lost film
1922 The Dictator Comedy drama Mike "Bigg" Dooley
1922 South of Suva Drama Sydney Latimer Lost film
1922 Blood and Sand Drama Plumitas Starring Rudolph Valentino
1922 To Have and to Hold Drama Red Gill
1922 Shadows Daniel Gibbs
1922 The Beautiful and Damned Drama Hull
1922 Kick In Drama Whip Fogarty
1922 Omar the Tentmaker Drama Executioner
1922 My American Wife Drama Gomez
1923 The Last Hour Red Brown
1923 Quicksands Ring member
1923 The Isle of Lost Ships Peter Forbes
1923 The Little Church Around the Corner Big Hex Poulon
1923 The Shock The captain
1923 The Huntress Joe Hagland
1923 The Call of the Wild Hagin
1923 Desire Bud Reisner
1923 The Broken Wing Captain Innocencio Dos Santos
1923 A Shot in the Night
1924 Yankee Madness Pablo del Gardo
1924 Missing Daughters Guy Benson
1924 Daring Love Red Bishop
1924 Wine Comedy drama Benedict, Count Montebello
1924 White Man The River Thief
1924 The Ridin' Kid from Powder River Western Steve Lanning
1925 The Lady drama Blackie
1925 The Reckless Sex
1925 The Shock Punch boxing drama Bull Malarkey
1925 The Verdict mystery Convict Fred Windemere
1925 Soul-Fire Herbert Jones Sailor
1925 Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman Crawshay
1925 Bobbed Hair Doc
1925 The Road to Yesterday Rowdy in Burning-at-the-Stake Scene (uncredited)
1925 Steel Preferred Redface
1926 Red Dice Crime drama Nick Webb
1926 The Highbinders Bill Dorgan
1926 Things Wives Tell Ben Felton
1926 Eve's Leaves Chanz Fang
1926 West of Broadway Comedy-western Bad Willie
1926 Jim, the Conqueror Western Hank Milford
1927 Jewels of Desire Pedro, aka Jose Hernandez
1927 The Yankee Clipper Portuguese Joe
1927 White Pants Willie Mock Epply
1927 Back to God's Country Captain Blake
1927 Chicago Flynn's Thug (uncredited)
1928 Thundergod Bruce Drossler
1928 Gang War Mike Luego
1928 Forbidden Grass
1928 Me, Gangster Gangster (uncredited)
1928 Black Cargoes of the South Seas Action drama Fursey
1929 The Black Watch Harrim Bey
1930 Beau Bandit Bobcat
1930 Conspiracy Mystery melodrama Weinberg
1930 Moby Dick Stubbs
1931 Sea Devils Johnson the first mate
1931 Other Men's Women drama Bixby
1931 Los presidiarios El Tigre (uncredited)
1931 The Maltese Falcon Miles Archer
1931 Pardon Us comedy The Tiger Laurel & Hardy film
1931 Sous les verrous Le Tigre
1931 Soul of the Slums Melodrama Pete Thompson
1931 Dragnet Patrol Melodrama Jim Grainger
1932 Ship a Hooey Comedy CPO Long
1932 Any Old Port! Comedy Mugsie Long Laurel & Hardy short
1932 Escapade Crime Gympy McLane
1932 Cornered Western Henchman Slade
1932 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang Crime drama Blacksmith (uncredited)
1932 Women Won't Tell Drama Joe Kummer
1932 Call Her Savage Man Who Tries to Pick Up Nasa (uncredited)
1932 Silver Dollar Sick Miner Selling Mine to Yates (uncredited)
1933 Laughter in Hell Chain Gang Member (uncredited)
1933 Blondie Johnson Artie (uncredited)
1933 Easy Millions
1933 Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men Red's Prison Cellmate (uncredited)
1934 Fugitive Lovers Prison Guard (uncredited)
1934 Six of a Kind Hold-Up Man (uncredited)
1934 The House of Rothschild Prussian Soldier (uncredited)
1934 Lazy River Buck – Prisoner (uncredited)
1934 The Thin Man Stutsy Burke (uncredited)
1934 Operation 13 Operator 55
1934 Going Bye-Bye! Comedy Butch Long Laurel & Hardy short
1934 Lightning Strikes Twice Policeman (uncredited)
1934 Three Little Pigskins comedy Joe Stacks (uncredited) Three Stooges film
1934 The Live Ghost Comedy Sea Captain Laurel & Hardy short
1935 The Whole Town's Talking Convict (uncredited)
1935 Naughty Marietta Pirate Leader (uncredited)
1935 Here Comes Cookie Tramp (uncredited)
1935 Annie Oakley Dan – First Indian Hater (uncredited)
1935 Frisco Kid Gambling Miner (uncredited)
1936 Drift Fence western Bev Wilson, neighbor
1936 Sutter's Gold Sailor (uncredited)
1936 The Glory Trail Riley – Renegade Leader
1936 Wedding Present Gangster (uncredited)
1936 The Accusing Finger Convict (uncredited)
1936 The Bold Caballero adventure Guard
1937 Dick Tracy Whitey (uncredited) Serial
1937 Pick a Star musical comedy Bandit
1937 North of the Rio Grande Western Patrick "Buck" O'Hara
1937 Hoosier Schoolboy Riley
1937 Federal Bullets Henchman
1938 The Painted Trail Gang Leader Driscoll
1938 Six Shootin' Sheriff Western Gang leader Chuck
1938 Bar 20 Justice Western Duke Pierce
1938 Man's Country Lex Crane / Buck Crane
1938 Prison Break Convict (uncredited)
1938 Wild Horse Canyon Western Roscoe
1939 Union Pacific Irishman (uncredited)
1939 Daughter of the Tong Henchman (uncredited)
1939 Flaming Lead Western Big Jim Greely
1939 Fighting Mad Frenchy
1940 Dark Command Townsman (uncredited)
1940 Men Without Souls Fireman (uncredited)
1940 Hidden Gold Henchman Sanford (uncredited)
1940 When the Daltons Rode Deputy on Train (uncredited)
1941 Ridin' on a Rainbow Three Feathers Bartender (uncredited)
1941 A Man Betrayed Henchman Asking About Pete and Louie (uncredited)
1941 City of Missing Girls drama Officer Larkin
1941 Lady from Louisiana Lottery Thug (uncredited)
1941 Silver Stallion Action adventure Benson
1941 I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island Captain Quinez (uncredited)
1945 Dillinger Mug in Police Lineup (uncredited)
1948 No More Relatives Comedy Joe Edgar Kennedy short

References

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  1. ^ a b c Wilson, Scott (19 August 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 453. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Strausbaugh, John (16 August 2007). Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-101-21605-7. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "United States Census, 1880", image of original enumeration sheet, Walter H. Long, son in household of Francis and Lucia Long, Milford, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, June 22, 1880; Enumeration District (ED) 141, sheet 378; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Retrieved via subscribed online service FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "Walter Long Back on Screen". Pittsburgh Daily Post. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. January 4, 1920. p. 43. Retrieved May 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Walter Long as a Stage Captain Wears His Genuine War Ribbons", New York Herald Tribune (New York City), February 25, 1945, p. C2. Retrieved via ProQuest Historical Newspapers, April 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Smith, Valerie (1997). Representing Blackness: Issues in Film and Video. Rutgers University Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-8135-2314-9. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Walter Long". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Walter Long". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Walter Long". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Erickson, Hal. "Walter Long". AllMovie. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d "Walter H. Long, Film and Stage Actor, Dies", obituary, Los Angeles Times, July 6, 1952, p. 16. Retrieved via ProQuest Historical Newspapers database (Ann Arbor, Michigan), subscription access through The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, March 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995", database, entry number 3285, marriage license and certificate of Lwray [sic] Roblee and Walter H. Long, May 6, 1908, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan. Retrieved via FamilySearch (Salt Lake City, Utah), April 2, 2023.
  13. ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", image of original death certificate of Luray Roblee Long at Pacific Hospital, January 2, 1919, Los Angeles, California; Bureau of Vital Statistics, California State Board of Health, Sacramento. Record retrieved via FamilySearch, April 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930 Population Schedule", database with image of original enumeration page, "John H. Long", 7 years old, "Adopted son" in household of Leta A. and Walter H. Long, recorded April 2, 1930; ED [Enumeration District] 162, sheet 23B, line 55, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California; Bureau of the Census records, National Archives and Records Administration (Washington D.C.). Census page retrieved via FamilySearch, April 2, 2023.
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