King Baggot facts for kids

William King Baggot (born November 7, 1879 – died July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director and screenwriter. He was a very famous movie star during the silent film era. He was one of the first actors in America to be widely known and talked about. People called him "King of the Movies" and "The Most Photographed Man in the World."

Baggot appeared in over 300 movies from 1909 to 1947. He also wrote 18 screenplays and directed 45 movies between 1912 and 1928. Some of the films he directed include The Lie (1912) and Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (1925). He also directed William S. Hart in the famous western movie, Tumbleweeds (1925).

As an actor, he was best known for his roles in The Scarlet Letter (1911), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913), and Ivanhoe (1913). Ivanhoe was special because it was filmed in real places in Wales.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

King Baggot was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was from Ireland and became a well-known real estate agent in St. Louis.

King went to Christian Brothers College High School, a Catholic school for boys. He was great at sports, especially soccer and baseball. He even became the captain of his soccer team. In 1894, he moved to Chicago to work for his uncle, who sold plumbing and electric items.

Later, he returned to St. Louis and played on a semi-professional soccer team. He became so well-known that a local theater group asked him to join their play to make it more popular. King really enjoyed acting and was good at it. Soon, he helped start his own amateur theater group called the Players Club of St. Louis. Even though he also sold tickets for the St. Louis Browns baseball team and worked in his father's real estate business, acting became his true passion.

Starting a Stage Career

King Baggot began his professional acting career on the stage. He performed in Shakespearean plays and toured all over the U.S. He worked with important theater companies like Liebler and Company, Frohman, and the Shuberts. He also performed in New York City in a play called The Queen of the Highway.

In the summer of 1909, while acting in St. Louis, King worked with famous actress Marguerite Clark in plays like Peter Pan. After his stage shows, he met Harry Solter, who directed movies for a company called Independent Moving Pictures (IMP). At that time, many stage actors didn't think much of movies. They saw them as just a way to record stunts. But King became interested in this new industry and decided to give it a try.

Becoming a Movie Star

King Baggot's first movie was a short romance film called The Awakening of Bess (1909). He starred opposite Florence Lawrence. Her husband, Harry Solter, directed the film at IMP in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Back then, movie actors usually didn't get their names shown. But King Baggot and Florence Lawrence became the first "movie stars" to have their names featured and promoted in advertising.

King Baggot in 1914.

King Baggot starred in many movies with Florence Lawrence from 1909 to 1911. After she left, he starred in films with Mary Pickford, including Pictureland (1911).

King also started writing screenplays and directing movies, all while becoming a huge international star. When he appeared in person at theaters, crowds would gather to see him. By 1912, he was so famous that he was chosen to be the first president of the Screen Club in New York. This was the first organization just for movie people.

On December 3, 1912, King married Ruth Considine. They had one son, Robert King Baggot. Robert later became a cameraman and had two sons, Stephen King Baggot and Bruce Baggot.

King Baggot as the main character in Ivanhoe (1913)

King Baggot played Wilfred of Ivanhoe in the movie Ivanhoe (1913). This was a longer adventure film that was shot in England and at Chepstow Castle in Wales. He also played Jean Dumas in the drama Absinthe (1914), which was filmed in Paris. In his 1914 movie Shadows, King Baggot directed the film and played ten different characters himself!

During World War I, in 1918, King Baggot starred as Harrison Grant in a 20-part spy thriller called The Eagle's Eye. He also played Sheldon Steele in the crime drama The Hawk's Trail (1919).

As a director, King Baggot helped Marie Prevost get her first main role in the romantic comedy Kissed (1922). He also directed Mary Philbin and William Haines in the romance movie The Gaiety Girl (1924).

He even started his own production company, King Baggot Productions. Through this company, he produced and directed The Home Maker (1925). This drama was about a husband and wife who switched their traditional roles. That same year, Baggot directed William S. Hart in his famous western Tumbleweeds. This movie was about the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.

Later Career and Legacy

King Baggot and his wife, Ruth, divorced in 1930.

Later in his career, King Baggot faced challenges with some studio executives. This eventually led to the end of his directing career. He then took on smaller roles, like character roles, bit parts, and even jobs as an extra. He appeared in many movies in these roles throughout the 1930s and 1940s, including Mississippi (1935).

In 1933, King Baggot, along with other famous silent film stars like Florence Lawrence and Francis Ford, had small parts in Mary Pickford's last movie, Secrets. His final movie appearance was in My Brother Talks to Horses (1947), where he played a bank employee. After this, he had to retire due to illness.

King Baggot passed away at age 68 from a stroke in Los Angeles. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles.

For all his important work in the film industry, King Baggot received a movie star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. You can find his star at 6312 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

King Baggot was a very busy actor and director. Here are some of the movies he was involved in:

As an Actor

As a Director

• The Lie (1912, short film)
• Kissed (1922)
• The Darling of New York (1923)
• The Gaiety Girl (1924)
• Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (1925)
• Tumbleweeds (1925)
• The House of Scandal (1928)

See also

In Spanish: King Baggot para niños