Thomas Meighan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Meighan
Meighan, sometime before 1923
President of The Lambs
In office 1924–1926
Preceded by	Albert Oldfield Brown
Succeeded by	Thomas Alfred Wise
Personal details
Born	(1879-04-09)April 9, 1879 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	July 8, 1936(1936-07-08) (aged 57) Great Neck, New York, U.S.
Spouse	Frances Ring (1909–1936)
Occupation	Actor

Thomas Meighan (born April 9, 1879 – died July 8, 1936) was a famous American actor. He starred in many silent films and early movies with sound, called talkies. He often played the main male character alongside popular actresses like Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point, he earned a lot of money, about $10,000 each week!

Early Life and Choices

Thomas Meighan was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and Mary Meighan. His father was in charge of a company called Pittsburgh Facing Mills. This meant Thomas's family had a good amount of money.

Thomas's parents wanted him to go to college. But when he was 15, he didn't want to. So, his father sent him to work shoveling coal. This hard work quickly changed Thomas's mind! He then went to Mount St. Mary's College. He studied to become a pharmacist. But after three years, Thomas decided he really wanted to be an actor instead.

Starting in Theatre

In 1896, Thomas left college to follow his dream. He joined a theatre group in Pittsburgh. He started as a young actor and earned $35 a week.

Thomas quickly became successful. He first performed on Broadway in New York City in 1900. Four years later, he was in a play called The Two Orphans. His big break came in 1908. He acted with William Collier Sr. in a play called The Dictator. After that, he got a main role in The College Widow. This play was very popular on Broadway. While working on this play, he met his future wife, Frances Ring.

Even when he became a movie star, Thomas Meighan always loved the theatre. He stayed involved with it throughout his life.

Becoming a Film Star

In 1914, Thomas Meighan started acting in movies. Movies were still very new back then! His first film was made in London. It was called Dandy Donovan, the Gentleman Cracksman. This movie helped him get a contract with a big company, Famous Players-Lasky. His first movie in the U.S. was The Fighting Hope in 1915. Over the next two years, his acting career really took off.

In 1918, he made a special movie to support World War I. It was called Norma Talmadge and Thomas Meighan in a Liberty Loan Appeal. He then acted with Mary Pickford in a movie called M'Liss.

Reaching Stardom

Meighan with co-star Pauline Starke in 1922. They were promoting their film If You Believe It, It's So.

Thomas Meighan became a huge star in 1919. One of his most famous movies from that time was The Miracle Man. It also featured Lon Chaney. Sadly, most of this movie is now lost. After that, he starred in Cecil B. DeMille's Male and Female. He acted alongside Gloria Swanson and Lila Lee in that film. Many of the actors from Male and Female also appeared in the 1920 movie Why Change Your Wife?, which also starred Bebe Daniels.

In 1925, Meighan and Swanson made a short film together. It was directed by Allan Dwan. This film was a joke for a special event for The Lambs club. It was made using a new sound technology called Phonofilm. The film showed Gloria Swanson trying to get into the all-male club.

Thomas Meighan stayed very popular through the 1920s. He starred in many movies during this time. In 1924, he was in The Alaskan with Estelle Taylor and Anna May Wong. In 1927, he starred in The City Gone Wild with Louise Brooks.

His last silent films were made in 1928 by Howard Hughes. These were The Mating Call, which spoke out against the Ku Klux Klan, and The Racket. The Racket was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture! Both of these movies were thought to be lost for a long time. But they were found again in 2006 and shown on TV.

Sound Movies and Later Career

Thomas Meighan's first full-length movie with sound was The Argyle Case in 1928. He was almost 50 years old then. He worried that people might not want to see him in movies as much. So, he decided to try working in real estate.

He didn't return to acting until 1931, with the movie Young Sinners. He made four more sound movies after that. But then, he became sick and had to stop acting. His very last movie was Peck's Bad Boy in 1934.

Personal Life

For much of his career, Thomas Meighan earned about $5,000 every week. At one point, he even earned $10,000 a week!

Marriage and Family

Thomas Meighan at home with his wife, Frances Ring.

Thomas Meighan met Frances Ring when she was an actress on Broadway. She was the younger sister of a famous singer named Blanche Ring. Another sister, Julie Ring, was a vaudeville actress. The actor and director A. Edward Sutherland was their nephew.

Thomas and Frances became very close and soon got married. They stayed married until Thomas passed away in 1936. Their marriage was known to be very happy and strong. One writer even joked that "Thomas Meighan and Rin Tin Tin were the only Hollywood stars who had never seen a divorce court." Thomas and Frances did not have any children.

Life in Florida

In the mid-1920s, Thomas Meighan became very interested in Florida. His brother, James E. Meighan, was a real estate agent there. Thomas bought land in Ocala, Florida, in 1925. In 1927, he built a home in New Port Richey, Florida. He planned to spend his winters there. He even wanted to film his movie We're All Gamblers in New Port Richey. But the filming was moved to Miami instead.

The Meighans hoped to bring other famous people to the area. On July 1, 1926, The Meighan Theatre opened in New Port Richey. It showed Thomas Meighan's movie The New Klondike. Thomas wasn't there, but he sent a telegram to congratulate them.

In 1930, sound was added to the theatre. This time, Thomas Meighan was there! He pushed the button to start the sound for the first time. The theatre closed in 1934 because of the Great Depression. It reopened in 1938 as The New Port Richey Theatre. Today, it is still open as a community playhouse. It is now called the Richey Suncoast Theatre.

Later Years and Passing

In 1934, doctors found out that Thomas Meighan had cancer. The next year, he had surgery in New York City. He passed away from cancer on July 8, 1936, at his home in Great Neck, New York. Many of his family members were with him.

Thomas Meighan was first buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens. About a year later, his body was moved. He was reburied in his hometown of Pittsburgh, at Saint Mary Cemetery.

His Legacy

Thomas Meighan gave a lot of money to different charities. He supported both Catholic charities and Jewish charities. Many of his later movies still exist today. You can even find some of them on DVD.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Thomas Meighan para niños