Robert Harron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Harron
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Harron in 1918
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| Born | April 12, 1893 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | September 5, 1920 (aged 27) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Queens |
| Other names | Bobby Harron |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1907–1920 |
| Relatives | John Harron (brother) |
Robert Emmett Harron (born April 12, 1893 – died September 5, 1920) was an American actor who starred in many early silent films. He appeared in over 200 movies! He is best remembered for his roles in two famous films directed by D.W. Griffith: The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916).
Early Life and Family
Robert Harron was born in New York City. He was the second oldest of nine children in a family that didn't have much money. His family was Irish Catholic. Some of his younger brothers and sisters also became actors, including John, Mary, and Charles. Sadly, Charles died in a car accident in 1915. Another sister, Tessie, passed away in 1918 from the Spanish influenza, and his brother John died in 1939.
Robert went to Saint John Parochial School in Greenwich Village. When he was 14, he started working as an errand boy at American Biograph Studios in Manhattan. He did cleaning jobs and also appeared as an extra in some short films to help his family.
Acting Career
Within a year of working at Biograph, a new director named D.W. Griffith noticed Robert. Griffith really liked Robert and started giving the 14-year-old bigger and bigger roles. His first movie for Griffith was a comedy called A Calamitous Elopement in 1908.
Griffith often cast Robert as a "sensitive" and "naïve" (meaning innocent) boy. This kind of character was very popular with movie fans back then, and it was a lot like Robert's real personality. People often said he was quiet and soft-spoken. These qualities made him very popular, especially with young female fans. In 1912 alone, Robert was in almost 40 films at Biograph!
Robert is probably most famous for his roles in three big movies by D.W. Griffith:
- Judith of Bethulia (1914), where he acted alongside stars like Blanche Sweet and Lillian Gish.
- The Birth of a Nation (1915), a very famous and sometimes controversial film.
- Intolerance (1916), another huge movie with many stories, where he starred with Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh.
One of his most loved roles was in the 1919 romantic film True Heart Susie, again directed by Griffith, where he starred with Lillian Gish.
Robert's acting career kept growing through the 1910s. He often played romantic roles with leading actresses like Mae Marsh and Lillian Gish, which helped keep his "sensitive boy" image. He even had a real-life romantic relationship with actress Dorothy Gish. By 1920, Robert was getting older and couldn't play the young boy roles anymore. He started losing leading roles to another actor, Richard Barthelmess. Later that year, D.W. Griffith arranged for Robert to work with Metro Pictures for four movies. His first film for Metro was a comedy called Coincidence. This movie was released in 1921, after Robert had passed away.
Death
In August 1920, Robert Harron traveled from Los Angeles to New York City. He was going to attend the premiere of a film called Way Down East and see a preview of his last movie, Coincidence. On September 1, Robert checked into the Hotel Seymour with his friend, Victor Heerman. They went to the preview for Coincidence that day. His friend later said that the audience didn't seem to like the movie very much.
After the premiere, Robert went back to his hotel room alone. At some point that evening, he was tragically injured in an accident involving his own firearm. Robert Harron passed away from his injury on September 5, 1920, at the age of 27. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens, New York City.
