Robert Harron
“The sweetest of them all who had the most to give.” — Clarine Seymour
Ever think about how many Robert's there were in the silent/classic era? I've counted 45 so far, but if you were to ask me who my favorite was, my answer would be this Robert right here because he seemed to be a courteous gentleman. 'Tis a shame he passed away so soon while amid an ongoing career.
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Robert was born Robert Emmett Harron on April 12, 1893, in New York City to a poor, working-class Irish Catholic family. He was the second oldest of nine children and one of the five who became actors. Bobby attended Christian Brothers school in Greenwich Village (now Manhattan College). At the age of 13 or 14, he sought work in order to support his family. With the help of the family priest, he got his first job as a messenger boy for Biograph Studios and was able to land a few bit parts in films with his siblings. Eventually, D.W. Griffith took notice of his potential and started casting him in more serious parts. His first role was in the short crime drama, The Lonely Villa (1909). His big break came in Judith of Bethulia (1914) opposite Mae Marsh, Blanche Sweet, and Henry B. Walthal. Over time he became a favorite of Griffiths and received good parts in silent classics such as The Birth of a Nation (1915), True Heart Susie (1919), and Intolerance (1916).
Robert appeared in over 200 films! He was best remembered for playing naive and sensitive characters but was also a popular leading man, who frequently shared the screen with Mae Marsh (whom he was in 60 films with), Blanche Sweet, and Lillian Gish. If you ask me, one of his best pictures was True Heart Susie (1919) with Lillian. Though he was mostly over at Biograph, he did a few pictures for Metro and First National, which brings us to an unfortunate end. After Griffith discovered Richard Barthelmess, he was up for competition. Although Barthelmess didn't do this intentionally, he withdrew his leading man roles and Robert had a hard time receiving the parts he used to get. Since Metro offered him a four-picture deal, Griffith agreed to loan him over to them. Sadly, his first film for MGM would also be his last.
While in the middle of shooting Coincidence, he traveled to New York for the premiere of Way Down East as well as a preview for the current picture he was working on. Bobby booked a room with his friend Victor Heerman at the Seymour Hotel and while unpacking his trunk, a loaded handgun that had been wrapped up in some clothes fell to the floor and fired, shooting him in the left lung. Bobby called the hotel desk to send for help but refused to let the manager call an ambulance, claiming that it was a freak accident and he would be alright. He seemed to have the assurance he would make it and even joked about it, only the poor guy deceived himself. While being rushed to the hospital on a stretcher, he lost an abundance of blood but remained conscious for the next four days until he died of his wound. While on his deathbed he told the priest that it was an accident, but not everyone believed him...
There were assorted rumors that he committed suicide due to his unhappiness with his career, which was on the verge of possibly dying. Fiddlesticks! Bobby would never do such a thing! If Bobby had been such a devout Catholic and genuinely cared about providing for his family, he would never let his work affect him so negatively...or would he? Even though we don't have an exact answer, you either believe one or the other. I am in accordance with the accidental theory, and I know many of his friends and co-workers were too.
Although he never married, he dated Dorothy Gish for a while.
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| Love this photo of Bobby with Lillian Gish on the set of one of my favorite silents, True Heart Susie (1919). |