David Warfield
Encyclopedia
David Warfield was an American
stage
actor
, born in San Francisco, California
. His first connection with the theatre was as an usher. He made his first stage appearance in 1888 in The Ticket-of-Leave Man. Two years later he went to New York City
, where he appeared at the Casino Theatre and at Weber and Field's Music Hall
. In 1901, he was discovered and promoted by David Belasco
who starred him in The Auctioneer, in which he played 1,400 times, including a revival that extended over several seasons. He remained under the Belasco management.
One of his best-known roles was that of Anton von Barwig in The Music Master
, which he played from 1904 to 1907, appearing in the part more than 1000 times. He created the title role in The Return of Peter Grimm in 1911. Warfield's position as a leading American actor in comedy was established by the masterly style in which he portrayed, in each of these plays, a kindly old gentleman who is pathetic in misfortune and amusingly eccentric. In 1916 he appeared in Van der Decken, a play by Belasco, based on the legend of The Flying Dutchman
.
Warfield, who at the time was one of the world's richest entertainers, died in New York City, at 84.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, born in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. His first connection with the theatre was as an usher. He made his first stage appearance in 1888 in The Ticket-of-Leave Man. Two years later he went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he appeared at the Casino Theatre and at Weber and Field's Music Hall
Weber and Fields
Weber and Fields refers to the vaudeville team of:* Joe Weberand:* Lew Fields....
. In 1901, he was discovered and promoted by David Belasco
David Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
who starred him in The Auctioneer, in which he played 1,400 times, including a revival that extended over several seasons. He remained under the Belasco management.
One of his best-known roles was that of Anton von Barwig in The Music Master
The Music Master
The Music Master was a theatrical play written by Charles Klein, and produced and directed by David Belasco. The three-act comedy-drama opened at the Belasco Theatre in New York on September 26, 1904. It ran for 288 performances before it was moved to the Bijou Theatre and ran for another 306...
, which he played from 1904 to 1907, appearing in the part more than 1000 times. He created the title role in The Return of Peter Grimm in 1911. Warfield's position as a leading American actor in comedy was established by the masterly style in which he portrayed, in each of these plays, a kindly old gentleman who is pathetic in misfortune and amusingly eccentric. In 1916 he appeared in Van der Decken, a play by Belasco, based on the legend of The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman
The legend of the Flying Dutchman concerns a ghost ship that can never make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. It probably originates from 17th-century nautical folklore. The oldest extant version dates to the late 18th century....
.
Warfield, who at the time was one of the world's richest entertainers, died in New York City, at 84.
External links
- David Warfield at Find-A-Grave
- David Warfield at Emory College Shakespeare's WorldEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
- David Warfield photo gallery at NYP Library
- color portrait David Warfield(Library of Congress)