| Claude Gillingwater | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 2, 1870 Louisiana, Missouri, USA |
| Died | November 1, 1939 (aged 69) Beverly Hills, California, USA |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1918 – 1939 |
Claude Benton Gillingwater (August 2, 1870 – November 1, 1939) was an American stage and screen actor.[1] He first appeared on the stage then in 92 films between 1918 and 1939.
Gillingwater was born in Louisiana, Missouri. Though he studied law, preferring not to follow in his father's footsteps as a lawyer, he became a traveller for a wholesale firm, selling vinegar. While thus engaged he seized the opportunity of filling a vacancy in a small theatrical company with David Belasco. Eight years later, Mary Pickford saw him acting and secured him for her picture, Little Lord Fauntleroy which started off his film career.
Gillingwater was in poor health since being injured in a fall in 1936.[1] His wife died of a heart attack in 1937.[1] In November 1939, Gillingwater died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest at his home in Beverly Hills, California.[1] His son, Claude Gillingwater, Jr., was also an actor.[1]