Wilton Lackaye

Wilton Lackaye

Theatre Magazine, 1908
Born William Andrew Lackey
(1862-09-30)September 30, 1862
Loudoun County, Virginia
Died August 22, 1932(1932-08-22) (aged 69)
New York City, New York
Years active 1883–1925
Spouse(s) Annie Lewis (died 1896)
Alice Evans (1 child)
Katherine Alberta Riley
Children Wilton Lackaye Jr.

Wilton Lackaye (September 30, 1862 – August 22, 1932) was an American stage and film actor, who originated the role of Svengali (from the 1895 novel Trilby) in both stage and film.

Early life and family

William Andrew Lackey[1] was born in Loudoun County, Virginia the son of James Lackey and his wife Margaret Bagnam.[2][3][4] He was married thrice: first to actress Annie Lewis, [5][6] second to Alice Evans and lastly to Katherine Alberta Riley. He had a son Wilton Lackaye Jr. (1902–1977) with Alice Evans. He had two siblings in show business: James Lackaye Jr. (1867–1919) and Helen Lackaye (1883–1940).[7][8]

Career

He created the role of Svengali in the play Trilby in 1895 which he played on screen in 1915 opposite Clara Kimball Young.[7] He enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished stage career before entering silent films in middle age. He was a distinctive-looking actor with large round eyes particularly effective when playing the scheming Svengali.

Death

Lackaye died at age 69 in New York City.[9]

Filmography

References

  1. Room, Adrian - Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 2010 pg. 270 accessed June 27, 2012
  2. William Lackey, Washington, D.C., 1870-1880 US Census Records, Ancestry.com
  3. Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912-1976, vol.3 I-P page 1395, originally published annually by John Parker, 1976 edition published by Gale Research
  4. Note: 1870 and 1880 US census records and Ontario marriage record placed Lackaye's birthplace as Washington D.C.
  5. Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928 about William Lackey - Name: William Lackey - Birth Place: Washington DC US - Age: 25 - Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861 - Father Name: James Lackey - Mother Name: Margaret Lackey - Spouse Name: Annie B Lewis - Spouse's Age: 17 - Spouse Birth Place: Washington D C - Spouse Father Name: Charles E Lewis - Spouse Mother Name: Amelia Lewis -Marriage Date: 22 Dec 1886 - Marriage County or District: Essex -Ancestry. com
  6. National Police Gazette; January 12, 1889; pg. 2; col. 4; Fulton History accessed June 27, 2012
  7. 1 2 "Biography Wilton Lackaye". allmovie.com. Rovi Corp. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  8. "Wilton Lackaye". IBDb.com. The Broadway League. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  9. "Wilton Lackaye, Noted Actor Dies", The New York Times; August 22, 1932; pg. 15
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.