Robert Harron(1893-1920)
- Actor
- Art Department
- Cinematographer
Today screen actor Robert (Bobby) Harron is one of Hollywood's
forgotten souls, although he was a huge celebrity in his time and
graced some of the silent screen's most enduring masterpieces. A
talented, charismatic star in his heyday, Bobby had everything going
for him but died far too young to make the longstanding impression he
certainly deserved.
Bobby was born one of nine children in New York City to an impoverished
Irish-American family. In order to put food on the table, Bobby started
out quite young looking for work. At age 13 he found a job working for
the American Biograph Studio on East 14th Street as a messenger boy and
was given a couple of film bits for added measure. Within the next year
director D.W. Griffith had joined
the company and the sensitive, highly photogenic Bobby caught the
legendary director's eye almost immediately.
Bobby subsequently had leading roles in many of Griffith's classic
silents, usually playing characters that were much younger and much
more naive than in real life. He appeared opposite other legendary
female stars who also played "young-ish" roles, notably
Mae Marsh and
Lillian Gish. Bobby made indelible
impressions in
The Birth of a Nation (1915),
Intolerance (1916),
An Old Fashioned Young Man (1917),
Hearts of the World (1918),
A Romance of Happy Valley (1919)
and True Heart Susie (1919).
Bobby had become such a sensation that in 1920 he entertained thoughts
about leaving the Griffith fold and forming his own company. A fatal,
self-inflicted bullet wound to the left lung in September of 1920 ended
those dreams before they ever got off the ground. Although it was
listed as an "accidental" death, Hollywood rumor has it that a
despondent Bobby killed himself in a New York hotel room on the eve of
the premiere of Griffith's new film
Way Down East (1920). It seems
Bobby was devastated after being passed over by Griffith for the lead
role in favor of the director's new protégé,
Richard Barthelmess. Whatever the
truth may be, Bobby's death remains a tragic mystery. Ironically, Bobby
had two lesser known sibling actors who also died quite young.
Tessie Harron (1896-1918) died at age 22
of Spanish influenza, and John Harron
(1904-1939), nicknamed Johnnie, collapsed and died of spinal meningitis
at age 35. Both appeared unbilled in
Hearts of the World (1918)
with Bobby.
forgotten souls, although he was a huge celebrity in his time and
graced some of the silent screen's most enduring masterpieces. A
talented, charismatic star in his heyday, Bobby had everything going
for him but died far too young to make the longstanding impression he
certainly deserved.
Bobby was born one of nine children in New York City to an impoverished
Irish-American family. In order to put food on the table, Bobby started
out quite young looking for work. At age 13 he found a job working for
the American Biograph Studio on East 14th Street as a messenger boy and
was given a couple of film bits for added measure. Within the next year
director D.W. Griffith had joined
the company and the sensitive, highly photogenic Bobby caught the
legendary director's eye almost immediately.
Bobby subsequently had leading roles in many of Griffith's classic
silents, usually playing characters that were much younger and much
more naive than in real life. He appeared opposite other legendary
female stars who also played "young-ish" roles, notably
Mae Marsh and
Lillian Gish. Bobby made indelible
impressions in
The Birth of a Nation (1915),
Intolerance (1916),
An Old Fashioned Young Man (1917),
Hearts of the World (1918),
A Romance of Happy Valley (1919)
and True Heart Susie (1919).
Bobby had become such a sensation that in 1920 he entertained thoughts
about leaving the Griffith fold and forming his own company. A fatal,
self-inflicted bullet wound to the left lung in September of 1920 ended
those dreams before they ever got off the ground. Although it was
listed as an "accidental" death, Hollywood rumor has it that a
despondent Bobby killed himself in a New York hotel room on the eve of
the premiere of Griffith's new film
Way Down East (1920). It seems
Bobby was devastated after being passed over by Griffith for the lead
role in favor of the director's new protégé,
Richard Barthelmess. Whatever the
truth may be, Bobby's death remains a tragic mystery. Ironically, Bobby
had two lesser known sibling actors who also died quite young.
Tessie Harron (1896-1918) died at age 22
of Spanish influenza, and John Harron
(1904-1939), nicknamed Johnnie, collapsed and died of spinal meningitis
at age 35. Both appeared unbilled in
Hearts of the World (1918)
with Bobby.