Sunshine Comedies is a silent film era line of comedic short films. [1] The two-reel film series was produced by Fox Film beginning in 1916. Actors featured in the series include Slim Summerville, Billie Ritchie, Ethel Teare, and Eli Nadel (as a child). Many of the comedies are lost but some survive. They were produced from 1917 until 1925.
Comedian Al St. John appeared in and directed many of them during his three years with Fox after which he departed to work on Tuxedo Comedies (see Al St. John filmography for details). [2]
Alice Davenport, [2] Bobby Dunn, and Charles Lakin were among the many supporting cast members. [2] Beginning in 1918, Winifred Westover had leading roles in some of the Sunshine Comedies opposite Hugh Fay and Jimmie Adams. [2]
Frank William George Lloyd was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from 1934 to 1935.
Wanda Hawley was an American actress during the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the United States and Canada as a singer. She initially began in films acting with the likes of William Farnum, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Douglas Fairbanks, and others. She co-starred with Rudolph Valentino in the 1922 The Young Rajah, and rose to stardom in a number of Cecil B. DeMille's and director Sam Wood's films.
Frank Dwight Alexander was an American silent film comedian and actor. He was occasionally billed as Fatty Alexander.
Billy West was a silent film actor, producer, and director. Active during the silent film era, he is best known as a semi-successful Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Beyond acting, he also directed shorts in the 1910s and 20s, as well as produced films. West ultimately retired in 1935.
Kathleen Kirkham Woodruff was an American actress on stage and in silent films.
Harry C. Myers was an American film actor and director, sometimes credited as Henry Myers. He performed in many short comedy films with his wife Rosemary Theby. Myers appeared in 330 films between 1908 and 1939, and directed more than 50 films between 1913 and 1917.
Josephine Bonaparte Crowell was a Canadian film actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 90 films between 1912 and 1929.
Harvey Harris Gates was an American screenwriter of the silent era. He wrote for more than 200 films between 1913 and 1948. He was born in Hawaii and died in Los Angeles, California.
Carrie Clark Ward was an American actress of the silent era.
David Smith was an English film director and cinematographer of the silent era. He directed more than 70 films between 1915 and 1927. He was born in Faversham, Kent, and died in Santa Barbara, California. He was the older brother of Albert E. Smith, one of the co-founders of the Vitagraph Studios.
Carmen Phillips was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1914 and 1926, frequently as a "vamp".
Sybil Seely was a silent film actress who worked with the well known silent film comedy actor Buster Keaton. She was credited in some of her films as Sibye Trevilla.
William Hill, known professionally as Billie Ritchie, was a Scottish comedian who first gained transatlantic fame as a performer for British music hall producer Fred Karno — thus, a full decade before Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin took a similar career path. Ritchie is best recalled today for the silent comedy shorts he made between 1914 and 1920 for director/producer Henry Lehrman's L-KO Kompany and Fox Film Sunshine Comedy unit.
Buddy Messinger was an American actor who was cast in substantial roles in dozens of films during the silent film era. He began his career as a jovial chubby child actor. With the advent of sound films he was relegated mostly to bit parts.
Earl Triplett Montgomery was a film director, writer, and comedian who performed in silent films including as the character Hairbreadth Harry. He established the producing company Earl Montgomery Comedy Company. Joe Rock partnered with him at Vitagraph.
Hugh Fay was an American comedic actor and director. He appeared in vaudeville and silent films.
Elinor Field was an American film actress who was one of Mack Sennett's Sennett Bathing Beauties. She also starred in the 15-episode serial The Jungle Goddess (1922).
Tuxedo Comedies were a brand of short comedy films in the United States. Comedian Al St. John appeared in and directed many of them after his three years with Fox Film doing Sunshine Comedies. They were produced by Reel Comedies. Educational Pictures distributed.
Joseph Murphy was an American comic stage actor. He went on to become a silent film actor, notably playing Andy Gump in the shorts The Gumps during the mid-1920s. His unusual tall, thin stature and extraordinary facial features were instantly recognizable.
This is a list of known on-screen appearances made by Joe Martin (orangutan), a film star of the 1910s and 1920s.