George Arliss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Arliss
Arliss in 1919
Born	Augustus George Andrews (1868-04-10)10 April 1868 London, England
Died	5 February 1946(1946-02-05) (aged 77) London, England
Occupation	Actor author playwright filmmaker
Years active	1887–1943
Spouse(s)	Florence Montgomery ​ (m. 1899)​

George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was a famous English actor. He was also an author, playwright, and filmmaker. George Arliss became very successful in the United States.

He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award. He won it for his role as the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli in the movie Disraeli (1929). He was also the oldest actor born earliest to win this award. Arliss was known for playing real-life historical figures in movies called biopics. Some of these were Disraeli, Voltaire (1933), and Cardinal Richelieu (1935). He also starred in fun comedies like The Millionaire (1931).

His long career included acting on stage, in silent films (movies without sound), and later in sound films (movies with sound).

Early Life and Education

George Arliss as Benjamin Disraeli, The Theatre magazine, 1911

George Arliss was born in London, England. His birth name was Augustus George Andrews. His family often called him Uncle Gus. He went to Harrow School. After school, he worked in his father's publishing office. But at age 18, he decided to become an actor instead.

Acting Career Highlights

George Arliss started his acting career in British theaters in 1887. By 1900, he was performing in London's famous West End. In 1901, he traveled to America with a theater group. He planned to stay only for the tour, but he ended up staying for twenty years!

He made his first Broadway appearance in a play called Magda in 1902. He became a big star in 1908 with the play The Devil. In 1911, a special play called Disraeli was written just for him. Arliss toured with this play for five years. He became very well-known for playing Benjamin Disraeli, a famous British prime minister from the 1800s.

From Stage to Silent Films

Arliss began his film career in 1921 with The Devil. He then made a silent film version of Disraeli. He made four other silent movies too. Today, only a few of his silent films still exist. These include The Devil, Disraeli, $20 a Week, and The Green Goddess (1923). The Green Goddess was based on a popular stage play he had starred in.

Success in Sound Films

In 1929, George Arliss remade both The Green Goddess and Disraeli as sound films. He was 61 years old, but he successfully switched from stage and silent films to movies with sound. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Disraeli.

Arliss made 10 sound films for Warner Bros. studio. His contract gave him a lot of control over his movies. He could even help choose actors and rewrite scripts. This was very unusual for actors at that time. One of his films, The Man Who Played God (1932), gave Bette Davis her first main role. Bette Davis always said that Arliss helped her career a lot. They also starred together in The Working Man in 1933.

Arliss in a sultan costume

Arliss also helped build a film production team at Warner Bros. His stage manager, Maude T. Howell, became an assistant producer. She was one of the few female film executives in Hollywood back then. Arliss liked to work with the same reliable actors, like Ivan Simpson. He was also good at finding new talent, such as James Cagney and Randolph Scott. Even though he was very involved in making his films, Arliss only took credit for his acting.

Later Career and Retirement

George Arliss is best remembered for his clever movies about historical figures. These include Alexander Hamilton (1931), Voltaire (1933), The House of Rothschild (1934), and Cardinal Richelieu (1935). He also made several family comedies.

George Arliss in The House of Rothschild (1934)

In 1934, moviegoers in Britain voted Arliss their favorite male star.

Arliss was almost 70 when he finished the British movie Doctor Syn in 1937. He and his wife, Flo, visited America in 1937. They even re-enacted their roles from Disraeli on a popular radio show called Lux Radio Theatre. They appeared on the show a few more times.

They returned to London in 1939. The start of World War II meant they could not go back to America. In 1941, Arliss faced a legal issue with the British government. He was fined for not reporting his bank accounts in the U.S. and Canada. He said he didn't know about the new law.

Personal Life

On 14 September 1899, George Arliss married Florence Arliss (born Florence Kate Montgomery Smith). They were married until his death. Florence, or "Flo," acted with her husband on stage and in many of his films. She often played his character's wife.

Arliss was a strong supporter of animal rights. He was against animal testing and founded a society for it in Chicago. He was also the president of the Episcopal Actors' Guild of America for many years.

He was a strict vegetarian, meaning he did not eat meat. He famously said, "I eat nothing I can pat." Arliss also walked four miles every day and was interested in exercise.

In his retirement, Arliss lived in Pangbourne, England. He passed away in London on 5 February 1946, at age 77, due to a lung illness. His gravestone highlights an honorary Master of Arts degree he received from Columbia University in 1919. This was an achievement he was very proud of.

Legacy

George Arliss wrote his autobiography, Up the Years from Bloomsbury, in 1927.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. He is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Arliss in 1919

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  George Arliss as Benjamin Disraeli, The Theatre magazine, 1911

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  Arliss in a sultan costume

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  George Arliss in The House of Rothschild (1934)

See also

• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars