Richard Garrick
Born
Richard Thomas O'Brien

(1878-12-27)December 27, 1878
Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland
DiedAugust 21, 1962(1962-08-21) (aged 83)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor and Film Director
Years active1900s-1957

Richard Garrick (December 27, 1878 – August 21, 1962) was an Irish-born American actor and director.

Life and career

Garrick was born Richard Thomas O'Brien in the townland of Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland.[1] His father, James E. O'Brien, was a master tailor in that town, counting among his clients Lord Waterford as well as other nobility and landed gentry.[2] In 1882, James left Portlaw for the United States. He landed in North Adams, Massachusetts, where there were cotton mills[3] and the need for a clothesmaker. Two years later, his wife Johanna and children followed.

In 1898, Garrick enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served as a corporal in Company M, U.S. 26th Infantry Regiment stationed in Miagao, Iloilo, in the Philippines in 1900[4] during the Philippine–American War. When he returned to North Adams, he worked for a time in his father's tailor shop, then struck out on his own.

Richard Garrick, Broadway, Streetcar Named Desire, Jessica Tandy, stage, production
The Doctor (Richard Garrick) and Nurse (Ann Dere) subdue an hysterical Blanche (Jessica Tandy) in the original New York production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

He ventured to New York City where he landed roles in stage productions,[5] among them The Boys of Company B (1907),[6] The Flag Lieutenant (1909),[7] The Fourth Estate, (1909),[8] and The Monkey's Paw. By 1912 Garrick was in Los Angeles and became a charter member of The Reel Club.[9] Through the early 1910s, Garrick acted in, as well as directed, silent films, including Colonel Custard's Last Stand (1914). In 1915, he joined the Gaumont Company[10] and was placed in charge of the second Rialto Star Feature Company.[11] By 1916, Garrick was the director general of Gaumont's Jacksonville, Florida, studios.[12] He left Gaumont to open Garrick Studios Company,[13] offering a five-acre (20,000 m2) facility in Jacksonville that would house enough equipment and space for 20 companies to work simultaneously. As the 1916–1917 season approached, however, the mood towards making films in Jacksonville shifted, and many residents opposed the industry's presence.

Garrick went overseas in 1919 and directed films in London and Paris. In 1922, he was named production manager of a new film corporation in Italy.[14] Overall, he directed 30 silent films during his career. When he returned to the United States, it was to pursue his first love — stage acting.[15] During World War II, he was among the cast[16] of Ten Little Indians, a production of the U.S. Army Special Service/USO Camp Shows[1] in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

In 1947, Garrick was once again on stage in New York City, performing as the mental-health doctor or "stranger" in the original production of A Streetcar Named Desire, which co-starred Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy. He reprised that role in the 1951 film version of the play. His appearances in both the play and film adaptation marked the start of a second film career for Garrick. During the 1950s, he played small supporting roles in numerous Hollywood movies. His television acting credits include the role of Benjamin Franklin in Night Strike on Calvacade of America[17] (April 29, 1953 and October 19, 1954); and the role of Thaddeus Grimshaw in the episode Royal Carriage on My Friend FlickaMy Friend Flicka (March 16, 1956).

Throughout his career, Garrick performed along with some of the brightest actors and actresses in stage and film history, including James Arness, Ed Begley, Marlon Brando, Lee J. Cobb, James Dean, Julie Harris, Brian Keith, Charles Laughton, Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden, Victor Mature, Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Patricia Neal, Donald O'Connor, Maureen O'Sullivan, Anthony Quinn, Ronald Reagan, Ginger Rogers, Jean Simmons, Richard Todd, Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, John Wayne, Dennis Weaver and Richard Widmark.

Garrick taught at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and in 1930 he opened the Richard Garrick Studio[18] in Santa Ana, California, to teach drama, English, public speaking, and other subjects to aspiring actors.[19]

Garrick died on August 21, 1962, in Los Angeles and is buried as a U.S. veteran at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery[20] in San Diego, California.

Director[21]

Actor

References

  1. 1 2 "Richard O'Brien, Stage, Film Star, Youth Here, Dies". The North Adams Transcript. Massachusetts, North Adams. August 24, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved January 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Tailoring". The Waterford (IRE) News. Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland. 4 April 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Michalenko, Eugene. "In This Valley: A Brief History of Adams". Explore Adams. Adams Historical Society. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  4. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census. Post of Miagao, Philippine Islands, Military and Naval Forces: U.S. Federal Government. June 1900. p. Roll 1840; Enumeration District 0179, FHL microfilm 1241840. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Richard Garrick Credits". IBDB. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Boys of Company "B" Opening Night Cast". IBDB. Lyceum Theatre, New York, NY: Internet Broadway Database. 8 April 1907. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Flag Lieutenant Opening Night Cast". IBDB. Criterion Theatre, New York, NY: Internet Broadway Database. 30 August 1909. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "The Fourth Estate: Opening Night Cast". IBDB. Wallack's Theatre, New York, NY: Internet Broadway Database. 6 October 1909. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Reel Club Forms in Los Angeles". SilentEra.com. Los Angeles, California. December 21, 1912. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "O'Brien Named Gen'l Manager". The North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. 29 November 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Richard Garrick Joins the Gaumont Company". The Moving Picture World, Vol. 25. 11 September 1915. p. 1835. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  12. ↑ Miller, Blair (10 April 2013). Almost Hollywood, The Forgotten Story of Jacksonville, Florida. Hamilton Books. p. 109. ISBN 9780761859963. Retrieved 18 December 2020 – via GoogleBooks.
  13. ↑ Morton, David D. "The Herald's of the Dawn: A History of the Motion Picture Industry in the State of Florida, 1908-2019" (PDF). pp. 31, 68, 74, 76–78. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  14. ↑ "American to manage Italian film company". The Tampa Tribune. Florida, Tampa. December 3, 1922. p. 35. Retrieved January 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Known in Theatrical Life as Richard Garrick—Gives Interview on Visit to U.S." The North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. 17 November 1928. p. 16.
  16. ↑ "Ten Little Indians Playbill". European Theatre of War: U.S. Army Special Service / USO Camp Shows. 1945. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  17. ↑ ""Night Strike" on Calvacade of American, Starring Glenn Langan, Richard Garrick and Russel Simpson". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 19 October 1954. p. 23. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  18. ↑ "Display Ad". Santa Ana Register. Santa Ana, California. 11 October 1930. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  19. ↑ "Garrick opens drama studio in Santa Ana". Santa Ana Register. California, Santa Ana. October 15, 1930. p. 13. Retrieved January 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Richard Garrick Memorial Page". Find A Grave. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "Films Directed in Many Lands". The Los Angeles Times. 29 October 1933. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Officer Murray". Silent Era. 1 August 1912. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  23. ↑ ""The Idol of The Stage" Gaumont-Mutual Masterpiece, De Luxe Edition". Portsmouth Daily Times. Portsmouth, Ohio. 24 February 1916. p. 9.
  24. ↑ ""The Drifter," A Masterpiece Film, and Sammy Burns". The Leavenworth Times. Leavenworth, Kansas. 9 February 1916. p. 2.
  25. ↑ "Princess Offers Thrilling Drama Monday, Tuesday". Santa Ana Register. Santa Ana, California. 2 October 1915. p. 2.
  26. ↑ "Two Pretty Girls in "The Quality of Faith"". The Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. 14 March 1916. p. 16.
  27. ↑ "A Certain Party Opening Night Cast". IBDB. Wallack's Theatre New York, NY: Internet Broadway Database. 24 April 1911. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Play With a Curious Title". The Labor World. Duluth, Minnesota. 23 December 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  29. ↑ "Lyric Theatre Display Ad". Concordia Blade-Empire. Concordia, Kansas. 21 January 1915. p. 2. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  30. ↑ "Noted Actor, Richard Garrick, at Hippodrome Today". The Leavenworth Post. Kansas, Leavenworth. 8 January 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  31. ↑ "This clipping has been marked as not public". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  32. ↑ "A Streetcar Named Desire Opening Night Cast". Internet Broadway Database. Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC. 3 December 1947. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  33. ↑ Quill, Gynter (4 September 1953). "Reagan Gets His Man And Resigns, Twice". The Waco News-Tribune. Waco, Texas.
  34. ↑ "Movie Still With Caption". Grand Prairie Daily News. Grand Prairie, Texas. 3 June 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  35. ↑ "Garfield Shows Distinguished Film Today". The Terre Haute Tribune. Terre Haute, Indiana. 16 October 1955. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  36. ↑ "'The Royal Carriage' episode of My Friend Flicka Television Series". 16 March 1956.
  37. ↑ "Richard O'Brien, at 76, Soon Flies to France for Film Role". The North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. 31 August 1955. p. 5. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
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