Phillips Holmes
Phillips Holmes (July 22, 1907 – August 12, 1942) was an American film actor who appeared in 44 films between 1928 and 1938.
Phillips Holmes | |
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Holmes in 1933 | |
Born | Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | July 22, 1907
Died | August 12, 1942 35) Ontario, Canada | (aged
Cause of death | mid-air collision |
Resting place | Gate of Heaven Cemetery |
Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge University of Grenoble Princeton University |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1918-1938 |
Early life, education and career
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Edna Phillips and stage star Taylor Holmes, Holmes enjoyed a privileged childhood and received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, the University of Grenoble and a year at Princeton University where he was spotted in the undergraduate crowd during the filming of Frank Tuttle's Varsity in 1928 and offered a screen test.[1] In the early 1930s he became a popular leading man, playing leads in a few important productions, notably in Josef von Sternberg's An American Tragedy (1931).
At Paramount, he starred in melodrama and comedy. In 1933 his contract with Paramount ran out and he moved to MGM for one year. As the decade progressed, Holmes' career declined, and he appeared in a few box-office failures, including Sam Goldwyn's poorly received Nana (1934).[2] His last American movie was General Spanky (1936). In 1938 he appeared in two UK movies. Housemaster was his last film. Then he returned to acting on stage in the United States.
Scandal
In 1933, Holmes was driving with actress Mae Clarke when he crashed into a parked car.[3] Clarke, who suffered a broken jaw and facial cuts, sued Holmes for US$21,500 (equivalent to $416,127 in 2018), claiming that he had been driving while drunk.[3] Clarke dropped the suit when Holmes agreed to pay her medical expenses.[3]
Military service and death
At the start of World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was killed in a mid-air collision in northwest Ontario, Canada.[4][5]
Legacy
Holmes has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Partial filmography
- Uneasy Money (1918) - Caddy (uncredited)
- Her Market Value (1925) - Party Boy (uncredited)
- Varsity (1928) - Middlebrook
- His Private Life (1928) - Pierrot (uncredited)
- The Wild Party (1929) - Phil
- The Studio Murder Mystery (1929) - Young Actor (uncredited)
- Stairs of Sand (1929) - Adam Wansfell
- Illusion (1929) - Eric's Friend in Audience (uncredited)
- The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929) - Roger Longmore
- Pointed Heels (1929) - Donald Ogden
- Only the Brave (1930) - Capt. Robert Darrington
- Paramount on Parade (1930) - Hunter - Episode 'Dream Girl'
- The Devil's Holiday (1930) - David Stone
- Grumpy (1930) - Ernest Heron
- Her Man (1930) - Dan Keefe
- The Dancers (1930) - Tony
- Man to Man (1930) - Michael Bolton
- The Criminal Code (1930) - Robert Graham
- Stolen Heaven (1931) - Joe Bartlett
- Confessions of a Co-Ed (1931) - Dan Carter
- An American Tragedy (1931) - Clyde Griffiths
- Two Kinds of Women (1932) - Joseph Gresham Jr.
- Broken Lullaby (1932) - Paul Renard
- Night Court (1932) - Mike Thomas
- Make Me a Star (1932) - Phillips Holmes (uncredited)
- 70,000 Witnesses (1932) - Buck Buchan
- The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933) - Leonard St. John
- Men Must Fight (1933) - Bob Seward
- Looking Forward (1933) - Michael Service
- Storm at Daybreak (1933) - Csaholyi
- The Big Brain (1933) - Terry Van Sloan
- Dinner at Eight (1933) - Ernest DeGraff
- Beauty for Sale (1933) - Burt Barton
- Penthouse (1933) - Tom Siddall
- Stage Mother (1933) - Lord Aylesworth
- Nana (1934) - Lieutenant George Muffat
- Caravan (1934) - Lt. von Tokay
- Private Scandal (1934) - Cliff Barry
- Million Dollar Ransom (1934) - Stanton Casserly
- No Ransom (1934) - Tom Wilson
- Great Expectations (1934) - Pip
- Ten Minute Alibi (1935) - Colin Derwent
- The Divine Spark (1935) - Vincenzo Bellini
- Chatterbox (1936) - Philip 'Phil' Greene Jr
- The House of a Thousand Candles (1936) - Tony Carleton
- General Spanky (1936) - Marshall Valient
- The Dominant Sex (1937) - Dick Shale
- Housemaster (1938) - Philip de Pourville (final film role)
See also
References
- "Phillips Holmes '30 – Going Hollywood and After" (PDF format). Princeton University Library Chronicle, Volume 31, Autumn 1969.
- "Phillips Holmes". Speakeasy. 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
- Mank, Gregory William (2005-05-17). Women in Horror Films, 1930s. McFarland. ISBN 9780786423347.
- Buller, Richard P. (2005). A Beautiful Fairy Tale: The Life of Actress Lois Moran. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879103125.
- Database (undated). "Phillips Holmes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phillips Holmes. |