Charles Ray

Charles Ray

1891-03-15

Biography

From Wikipedia Charles Edgar Ray (March 15, 1891 – November 23, 1943) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Ray rose to fame during the mid-1910s portraying young wholesome hicks in silent comedy films. Ray was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and moved to Springfield as a child where he attended elementary school. He then moved to Arizona for a time before finally relocating to Los Angeles where he finished his education. He initially began his career on the stage before working for director Thomas H. Ince as a film extra in December 1912. He appeared in several bit parts before moving on to supporting roles. Ray's break came in 1915 when he appeared opposite Frank Keenan in the historical war drama The Coward. Ray's popularity increased after appearing in a series of films which cast him in juvenile roles, primarily young hicks or "country bumpkins" that foiled the plans of thieves or con men. In March 1917, he signed with Paramount Pictures and resumed working with director Thomas H. Ince. By 1920, he was earning a reported $11,000 a week. Around this time, he left Paramount after studio head Adolph Zukor refused to give him a pay raise. Zukor later wrote in his autobiography The Public Is Never Wrong, that Ray's ego had gotten out of hand and that Ray "...was headed for trouble and  did not care to be with him when he found it." After leaving Paramount, Ray formed his own production company, Charles Ray Productions, and also used his fortune to purchase a studio in Los Angeles where he began producing and shooting his own films. On November 23, 1943, Ray died of a mouth and throat infection at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles for which he had been hospitalized six weeks prior. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Charles Ray has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6355 Hollywood Boulevard.

Also appears in

The Cup of Life

The Cup of Life

Not yet rated

Bright Lights

Bright Lights

Not yet rated

Greased Lightning

Greased Lightning

10.0

45 Minutes from Broadway

45 Minutes from Broadway

Not yet rated

The Quakeress

The Quakeress

Not yet rated

Old Mammy’s Secret Code

Old Mammy’s Secret Code

Not yet rated

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

Not yet rated

The Mad Martindales

The Mad Martindales

5.0

The Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden

5.6

A Village Sleuth

A Village Sleuth

Not yet rated

The Old Swimmin’ Hole

The Old Swimmin’ Hole

Not yet rated

The Egg Crate Wallop

The Egg Crate Wallop

Not yet rated

The Grey Sentinel

The Grey Sentinel

Not yet rated

The Grudge

The Grudge

Not yet rated

The Claws of the Hun

The Claws of the Hun

Not yet rated

Plain Jane

Plain Jane

Not yet rated

His Mother’s Boy

His Mother’s Boy

Not yet rated

The Wolf Woman

The Wolf Woman

Not yet rated

Percy

Percy

Not yet rated

The Transgressor

The Transgressor

Not yet rated