Wilfred Lucas
Born
January 29, 1871
Died
December 13, 1940 (69 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Norfolk, Ontario, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilfred Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian-born American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter.
Wilfred Lucas made his Broadway debut in 1904, playing in both the The Blue Grass Handicap and The Superstition of Sue. Following his 1906 role in the highly successful play The Chorus Lady, he was recruited to the fledgling Biograph Studios by D. W. Griffith.
At the time, the film business was still looked down upon by many members of the theatrical community. In her 1925 book titled When the Movies Were Young, Griffith's wife, actress Linda Arvidson, told the story of the early days at Biograph Studios. In it, she referred to Lucas as the "first real grand actor, democratic enough to work in Biograph movies." In 1908 Lucas made his motion picture debut in Griffith's The Greaser's Gauntlet, appearing in more than 50 of these short (usually 17 minutes) films over the next two years.
In 1910 while still acting, he wrote the script for Griffith's film Sunshine Sue, which was followed by many more scripts by 1924. Lucas also began directing in 1912 with Griffith on An Outcast Among Outcasts, and directed another 44 films over the next 20 years.
In early 1916 he starred as John Carter in Acquitted, about which Photoplay wrote, "No single performance in the records of active photography has surpassed his visualization of the humble book-keeper in Acquitted." Later in 1916 he appeared in D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance.
Part of the group of Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, Lucas became friends and sometimes starred with Mary Pickford, Sam De Grasse, and Marie Dressler. Canadian-born director Mack Sennett hired him to both direct and act in a large number of films at his Keystone Studios.
Lucas made the successful transition from silent film to sound. While working in Hollywood, in 1926 he returned to the stage, performing in several Broadway plays. He later appeared as a foil for Laurel and Hardy in their feature films Pardon Us and A Chump at Oxford.
During his long career, Wilfred Lucas appeared in more than 375 films. Although for a time he was cast in leading roles, he became very successful as secondary and minor characters, making a good living in the film industry for more than three decades.
Known For
The Best of Laurel and Hardy
The Warden (archive footage) (uncredited)
1968
The Sea Wolf
1941
Santa Fe Trail
Weiner (uncredited)
1940
A Dispatch from Reuters
Board Member (uncredited)
1940
Triple Justice
Constable Herb at Tule Mesa
1940
They Drive by Night
Bailiff (uncredited)
1940
Women in Hiding
Policeman (uncredited)
1940
Brother Orchid
Brother MacDonald
1940
Waterloo Bridge
Elderly Huntsman at Estate Dance (uncredited)
1940
Edison, the Man
Broker
1940
Tear Gas Squad
Policeman
1940
Virginia City
Southerner (uncredited)
1940
Women Without Names
Roomer
1940
The Fighting 69th
Eye Doctor (uncredited)
1940
A Chump at Oxford
Dean Williams
1940
Legion of the Lawless
East Ivestown Leader (uncredited)
1940
Four Wives
Stationmaster (uncredited)
1939
Nick Carter, Master Detective
Police Detective Randall
1939
Raffles
Bobby
1939
The Marshal Of Mesa City
Marshal Andy Thompson (uncredited)
1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Pompous Man (uncredited)
1939
The Day the Bookies Wept
Bill, Man Outside Racetrack (uncredited)
1939
Each Dawn I Die
Bailiff (uncredited)
1939
Zenobia
Undetermined Role
1939
Women in the Wind
Burbank Offical (uncredited)
1939
Dodge City
Bartender (uncredited)
1939
Almost a Gentleman
Dog Show Director
1939
Breakdowns of 1938
Race Judge (archive footage) (uncredited)
1938
The Declaration of Independence
John Dickinson (uncredited)
1938
Brother Rat
Ballfield Doctor
1938
A Man to Remember
Man at Hospital Dedication (uncredited)
1938
Down on the Farm
Wheeler
1938
Freshman Year
Professor Ullrich
1938
Four Daughters
Doctor (uncredited)
1938
Safety in Numbers
Councilman
1938
Over the Wall
Cell Block Keeper
1938
Night Spot
Police Lieutenant
1938
The Baroness and the Butler
Member of Parliament
1938
The Daredevil Drivers
Race Judge
1938
She Loved a Fireman
Fire Tug Captain
1937
Missing Witnesses
Judge in Wagner Case (uncredited)
1937
The Man Without a Country
Lincoln's Secretary (uncredited)
1937
Navy Blue and Gold
Ship's Captain (uncredited)
1937
The Westland Case
Gun Dealer
1937
Idol of the Crowds
Doctor (uncredited)
1937
Hot Water
Customer in Drugstore (uncredited)
1937
Prairie Thunder
Nate Temple
1937
Varsity Show
Police Commissioner (uncredited)
1937
Varsity Show
Police Commissioner
1937
Talent Scout
Director of Screen Test (uncredited)
1937
Empty Holsters
John Ware
1937
Blazing Sixes
Sheriff Tom
1937
Marked Woman
Jury Foreman #1 (uncredited)
1937
Mile a Minute Love
Drexel
1937
Land Beyond the Law
Jim Blake (uncredited)
1937
The Super Snooper
1937
Black Legion
Bailiff (uncredited)
1937
Criminal Lawyer
Brandon's Assistant
1937
We Who Are About to Die
Prison Yard Captain (uncredited)
1937
Beloved Enemy
Doctor (Uncredited)
1936
Give Me Liberty
His Excellency Permitting Henry's Arrest (uncredited)
1936
Midnight Blunders
Professor Edwin Millstone (uncredited)
1936
California Mail
Sheriff
1936
The Devil-Doll
Off-Screen Voice (voice / uncredited)
1936
High Tension
Businessman
1936
The White Angel
Raglan Staff Officer (uncredited)
1936
Human Cargo
Police Chief
1936
The Country Doctor
Proprietor (uncredited)
1936
Love on a Bet
Man at Hutchinson's Meeting
1936
The Preview Murder Mystery
Director (Uncredited)
1936
The Prisoner of Shark Island
Testifying Colonel
1936
Modern Times
Juvenile Officer
1936
Chatterbox
Himself (uncredited)
1936
Kind Lady
First Scotland Yard Man (uncredited)
1935
Show Them No Mercy!
Druggist (uncredited)
1935
Frisco Kid
First Policeman (uncredited)
1935
Rip Roaring Riley
Chief Martin
1935
Stormy
Mack's Horse Trainer (uncredited)
1935
Stranded
Pat, a Welfare Worker (uncredited)
1935
The Arizonian
Townsman with Mayor
1935
Vagabond Lady
Dock Official (uncredited)
1935
Les Misérables
Onlooker
1935
Naughty Marietta
Announcer (uncredited)
1935
Angkor
Wilfred Lucas, game hunter
1935
Chandu on the Magic Island
Capt. Walker
1935
Shrimps for a Day
Mr. Wade
1934
Love Time
Dignitary (uncredited)
1934
Cleopatra
Roman Greeting Antony (uncredited)
1934
The Return of Chandu
Capt. Wilson [Chs. 4-12]
1934
The Dragon Murder Case
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1934
One Night of Love
Metropolitan Operagoer
1934
Apples to You!
Chairman of the Board
1934
The Moth
John Gale
1934
The House on 56th Street
Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)
1933
Air Fright
Mr. Lucas, Airline Superintendent
1933
Advice to the Lovelorn
1933
Mary Stevens, M.D.
Andrews' Lawyer Barry (uncredited)
1933
Midnight Mary
Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)
1933
The Mayor of Hell
Bill (uncredited)
1933
Strange People
John Davis
1933
The Sphinx
Prosecuting Attorney
1933
I Cover the Waterfront
Randall
1933
The Devil's Brother
1933
The Big Cage
Bob Mills
1933
The Three Musketeers
El Shaitan
1933
The Intruder
Mr. Wayne
1933
Phantom Thunderbolt
Eaton - Railroad President
1933
Racetrack
Mr. Ryan
1933
Sister to Judas
Mike O'Flanagan
1932
The Secrets of Wu Sin
Pharmacist
1932
You Said a Mouthful
Official (uncredited)
1932
Lucky Larrigan
John Larrigan
1932
The Unwritten Law
Captain Kane
1932
Call Her Savage
Child Welfare Official (Uncredited)
1932
The Devil Horse
Whitney [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
1932
Free Wheeling
The Specialist
1932
Big City Blues
Policeman (uncredited)
1932
What Price Hollywood?
Bill the Replacement Director (uncredited)
1932
The Dark Horse
Debate Chairman
1932
Stockholm ”Queen of the Baltic”
1932
The Midnight Patrol
1932
Careless Lady
Ship's Purser
1932
Red Noses
Mr. Lucas
1932
Cross-Examination
Judge Hollister
1932
The Tabasco Kid
Sheriff's Deputy
1932
House of Mystery
Sheriff Franklin
1931
Rich Man's Folly
1931
Convicted
Capt. Hammond
1931
The Phantom
Dist. Atty. John Hampton
1931
The Age for Love
Undetermined Role
1931
Graft
Candidate Louis
1931
The Galloping Ghost
Sportscaster
1931
Big Ears
Doctor
1931
Pardon Us
Warden
1931
Stranger in Town
J.P. Walker
1931
Homicide Squad
1931
Young Donovan's Kid
Duryea
1931
Dishonored
1931
Men Call It Love
Sam Ellery (uncredited)
1931
Millie
Millie's Elderly Escort (uncredited)
1931
Looser Than Loose
Mr. Gillstrom, Charley's Boss
1930
Love Your Neighbor
1930
Madam Satan
Roman Senator
1930
Those Who Dance
Big Ben Benson
1930
Cock o' the Walk
Señor Vallejo
1930
The Arizona Kid
Manager
1930
Hello Sister
Dr. Saltus
1930
Burnt Fingers
Lord Cumberly
1927
The Sorrows of Satan
Minister (uncredited)
1926
Her Sacrifice
Edwin Ramsey
1926
Cyclone Cavalier
Hugh Clayton
1925
How Baxter Butted In
R.S. Falk
1925
The Bad Lands
Col. Owen
1925
A Broadway Butterfly
Stage Manager
1925
Riders of the Purple Sage
Oldring
1925
As No Man Has Loved
Maj. Bissell
1925
Lightning Romance
Richard Wade
1924
The Price She Paid
James Presbury
1924
Racing for Life
Hudford
1924
The Fighting Sap
Charles Richmond
1924
The Valley of Hate
Old Jim Darley
1924
Valley of Hate
Old Jim Darley
1924
Daughters of Pleasure
Mark Hadley
1924
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall
Earl of Rutland
1924
North of Nevada
C. Hanaford
1924
Trilby
The Laird
1923
The Greatest Menace
Charles W. Wright
1923
The Girl of the Golden West
Ashby
1923
Jazzmania
Julius Furman
1923
Heroes of the Street
1922
The Kentucky Derby
Capt. Wolff
1922
Paid Back
Ship Captain
1922
Flesh and Blood
The Policeman
1922
Across the Dead-Line
Aaron Kidder
1922
The Beautiful Liar
Gaston Allegretti
1921
The Fighting Breed
John MacDonald
1921
One a Minute
Prosecutor (uncredited)
1921
Through The Back Door
Elton Reeves
1921
The Man from Kangaroo
Red Jack Braggan
1920
Soldiers of Fortune
President Alvarez
1919
A Woman of Pleasure
Sir John Thornbull
1919
The Hushed Hour
Robert Appleton Jr.
1919
What Every Woman Wants
Horace Lennon
1919
The Judgment House
Rudyard Byng
1917
The Co-respondent
Richard Manning
1917
Sins of Ambition
Andrew Maxwell
1917
Souls Triumphant
Robert Powers
1917
Hands Up!
John Houston
1917
A Love Sublime
Philip
1917
Jim Bludso
Jim Bludso
1917
The Microscope Mystery
Doc Arnold
1916
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
Extra (uncredited)
1916
Hell-to-Pay Austin
Hell-to-Pay Austin
1916
Acquitted
John Carter
1916
The Wood Nymph
Fred Arnold
1916
Macbeth
Macduff
1916
The Lily and the Rose
Jack Van Norman
1915
The Spanish Jade
Osmund Manvers
1915
Brute Force
Brute Force
1914
Gentleman Burglar
Baffles
1914
A Tender-Hearted Crook
1913
Pure Gold and Dross
1913
The Widow and the Widower
The Widower
1913
The Massacre
Stephen
1912
A Sailor’s Heart
The Sailor
1912
A Pueblo Legend
The Indian Girl's Great Brother
1912
Man's Genesis
Bruteforce
1912
A Temporary Truce
An Indian (uncredited)
1912
Home Folks
The Blacksmith
1912
When Kings Were the Law
The King of Romanda
1912
Just Like a Woman
The Wealthy Friend
1912
Fate's Interception
The American
1912
The Girl and Her Trust
1912
The Goddess of Sagebrush Gulch
Minor Role (uncredited)
1912
Under Burning Skies
Joe
1912
Billy's Stratagem
Billy's Father
1912
The Transformation of Mike
Mike
1912
A Terrible Discovery
The District Attorney
1911
The Failure
The Clerk
1911
A Woman Scorned
The Doctor
1911
The Miser's Heart
First Crook
1911
Love in the Hills
The Manley Suitor
1911
The Long Road
A Policeman
1911
The Making of a Man
In Second Audience
1911
Swords and Hearts
Hugh Frazier
1911
The Rose of Kentucky
The planter
1911
The Primal Call
The Fisherman
1911
Enoch Arden: Part II
1911
Enoch Arden
Enoch Arden
1911
Enoch Arden: Part I
1911
The Lonedale Operator
The Fireman
1911
His Daughter
1911
The Diamond Star
1911
Fisher Folks
Steve Hardester
1911
What Shall We Do with Our Old?
Violent Jailbird
1911
Heart Beats of Long Ago
The Lover
1911
His Trust Fulfilled
George
1911
His Trust
George
1911
When a Man Loves
1911
The Two Paths
1911
Winning Back His Love
Frederick Wallace
1910
The Rocky Road
1910
1776, or The Hessian Renegades
1909
A Strange Meeting
1909
The Renunciation
1909
The Girls and Daddy
1909
The Honor of Thieves
1909
The Taming of the Shrew
1908
The Girl and the Outlaw
1908
The Greaser's Gauntlet
Jose
1908