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Charles Avery (actor)

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Charles Avery
Born
Charles Avery Bradford

(1873-05-28)May 28, 1873
Chicago, Illinois, United States
DiedJuly 23, 1926(1926-07-23) (aged 53)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation(s)Actor, film director and screenwriter
Years active1897–1926
Spouses
Katharine Gormley
​
​
(m. 1900⁠–⁠1913)​
[1]
Margaret E Royster
​
​
(m. 1914⁠–⁠1917)​
[2]

Charles Avery (May 28, 1873 – July 23, 1926) was an American silent-film actor, film director, and screenwriter.[clarification needed]

Avery was one of the original seven Keystone Cops.[3]

Early life and education

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He was born Charles Avery Bradford in Chicago, Illinois.[citation needed]

His sister Charlotte was also an actress,[4] as was his mother Marie Stanley.[4] His father was a playwright.[4]

Career

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He started acting in the theatre, playing the title role in Charley's Aunt,[5][6] and the part of Pegleg Hopkins in the adaptation of David Harum which had William H. Crane in the lead role.[7][8]

Avery appeared in a touring production of The Clansman as Governor Shrimp,[4][9] before entering films with the Biograph Company in 1908.

From 1908 to 1909, Avery featured in 33 short films under the direction of D. W. Griffith, usually only in supporting roles and often alongside Mack Sennett.

In 1913, he tried his hand at directing, starting with Across the Alley at Keystone Studios. Avery went on to direct Syd Chaplin in the Gussle series and Charles Murray in the Hogan series. He also continued to act, notably in the first three Keystone Cops films.

Leaving directorial duties in the 1920s, Avery later played supporting roles in low-budget Westerns such as The Rambling Ranger and Western Rover.

Death

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On July 23, 1926, Avery was found dead in his Los Angeles home.[10] His cause of death was acute dilation of the heart caused by chronic myocarditis.[11][12]

Filmography

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Director

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Stageplays

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References

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  1. ^ "Chas A Bradford". New York State Census, 1905. FamilySearch. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
  2. ^ "Charles Avery Bradford". California, County Marriages, 1850–1952. FamilySearch. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
  3. ^ Lahue, Kalton (1971); Mack Sennett's Keystone: The man, the myth and the comedies; New York: Barnes; ISBN 978-0-498-07461-5. p. 194.
  4. ^ a b c d "Death of Charlotte Deane" (PDF). The New York Dramatic Mirror. September 8, 1906. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  5. ^ "Professional Cards: Charles Avery" (PDF). The New York Dramatic Mirror. August 6, 1898. p. 20. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  6. ^ "Pike Opera House, Cincinnati, Ohio" (PDF). New York Clipper. May 7, 1897. p. 159. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "William H. Crane Enacts David Harum" (PDF). Utica Observer. April 9, 1900. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "Plays and Play People" (PDF). Utica Sunday Journal. May 5, 1901. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  9. ^ "Reflections" (PDF). The New York Dramatic Mirror. April 28, 1906. p. 10. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  10. ^ "Body Of Movie Actor Dead 4 Days Found". The Oxnard Daily Courier. July 23, 1923. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  11. ^ "Family Search Death Certificate of Charles Avery Bradford". FamilySearch.
  12. ^ "San Diego Union Newspaper July 25, 1926, Dead of Natural Causes".
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