Thomas B. Ricketts (15 January 1853 – 19 January 1939) was an English-born American stage and film actor and director who was a pioneer in the film industry. He portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the first American film adaptation of A Christmas Carol (1908), and directed one of the first motion pictures ever made in Hollywood. After directing scores of silent films, including the first film to be released by Universal Pictures, Ricketts became a prominent character actor.
Biography Thomas B. RickettsAncestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2010. Retrieved 2016-02-06. was born in Greenwich, London 15 January 1853, the son of Rosa (née Penniall) and Robert Ricketts. His father was a painter and when Thomas was 17 years old he emigrated to the United States, and initially worked as a painter himself. However he soon moved into acting in the theatre and directed plays on Broadway for Charles Frohman. He was a stage manager for the Shubert family, sang baritone with the Carleton Opera Company, and starred in his own play, Henri Duvar.
In 1906, after he had been with the Shuberts for four years, Ricketts was persuaded by a friend to join Essanay Studios in Chicago. He played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1908), the first American film adaption of the Dickens classic, then starred in The Old Curiosity Shop (1909). When Ricketts said he had toured with a comedy he had written, A Cure for Gout, the company asked him to make a 600-foot film of it—the length limit for a comedy at that time.
Ricketts became a director, taking over comedies and melodramas from Broncho Billy Anderson, who in turn took over Westerns. Ethel Clayton, Jack Conway, J. Warren Kerrigan and Bryant Washburn were among Ricketts's discoveries—along with Josephine Ditt, "the best-dressed woman on the screen", to whom Ricketts was married. Chief dramatic and general producer for two years at Essanay, he helped organize the American Film Manufacturing Company in 1910. He made six films for the Flying "A" before withdrawing and seeking another opportunity.
In 1911 Ricketts moved to California, together with Canadian film pioneer Al Christie, with thoughts of creating a new film company. "We arrived in Los Angeles with no idea of where to establish our studio," Ricketts remembered. "A real estate man who happened to overhear our discussion of a studio site suggested Hollywood. The next day we found our way out to Sunset and Gower, to a defunct roadhouse. The owner, a woman, wanted $60 a month rent for the entire block. We thought it was too much, but we signed a lease." The Nestor Film Company opened its studio October 27, 1911."Bronze Memorial Will Mark First Hollywood Studio Site." Los Angeles Times. September 25, 1940.
Ricketts directed one of the first Hollywood-made motion pictures, The Best Man Wins (1911), photographed by Charles Rosher. Its stars were juvenile leading man Harold Lockwood, ingenue Dorothy Davenport, vamp Josephine Ditt, juvenile ingenue Victoria Forde, male heavy Gordon Sackville, and character actresses Eugenie Forde and Alice Davenport. Allan Dwan was Ricketts's assistant.
Nestor made between 50 and 60 films—half of them directed by Ricketts—over the next 18 months. On May 20, 1912, the company merged with the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Nestor's distributor beginning with The Dawn of Netta (1912), directed by Ricketts.
In 1914, on an independent contract, Ricketts directed Richard Bennett in Damaged Goods back at American. When flower girls were needed for a wedding scene, Bennett's three daughters—Joan Bennett, Constance Bennett and Barbara Bennett—began their film careers. "Its success made me a little egotistical," Ricketts recalled. "It cost about $25,000 to make and brought in a million and a half on its first run. I naturally thought it would put me in great demand as a director. But it didn't. I had to start all over again, this time going back to my old trade as an actor." However, Ricketts did direct several more feature films for American through 1916, including some with their major romantic team of May Allison and Harold Lockwood such as The Lure of the Mask (1915) and The Other Side of the Door (1916).
Returning to acting in 1919, in his mid-60s, Ricketts was almost always in demand for character parts. By 1935 he was described as "white-haired and bent with age … content with an occasional film role". His later films included Top Hat (1935), After the Thin Man (1936), Pennies from Heaven (1936), The Young in Heart (1938) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He was regarded as the oldest working actor in Hollywood.
Ricketts died at Hollywood Hospital 19 January 1939, aged 86,Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1905–1939 [database online]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2013. Retrieved 2016-02-06. of pneumonia, contracted the previous week when he went to work at Universal Studios despite a cold. "Mr. Ricketts left no funds," reported The New York Times, "and expenses of his funeral will be paid by the Motion Picture Relief Society." Josephine Ricketts, hospitalized in Santa Monica since suffering a stroke at Christmas, was not informed of her husband's death; it was reported that she would be told sometime before his funeral. Ricketts was buried in an unmarked grave at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Select filmography Director
Year Title Notes 1909 1909 1909 Gratitude 1909 Justified 1909 Maud Muller 1909 1910 1910 1910 1910 1910 His Only Child 1910 1910 1910 1910 Vera, the Gypsy Girl 1911 First motion picture made in Hollywood 1912 First film distributed by Universal Pictures 1914 Damaged Goods 1915 1915 1915 1915 1915 Secretary of Frivolous Affairs 1915 1916 1916 1916 Secret Marriage 1918
Actor
Year Title Role Notes 1908 Ebenezer Scrooge 1909 1919 Girls Mr. Dennett 1919 His Official Fiancée Major Montressor 1919 Please Get Married Dr. Jenkins 1920 All of a Sudden Peggy Major Archie Phipps 1920 The Desperate Hero Butler 1920 Potter 1920 Major Archie Phipps 1920 Dr. Thomas Cassidy 1920 The Spenders Mr. Milbrey 1920 The Priest 1921 Beating the Game Jules Fanchette 1922 The Killer Tim Westmore 1921 Sham Uncle James 1922 Vidame de Pameir 1922 Fools of Fortune Milton DePuyster 1922 The Lavender Bath Lady Simon Gregory 1922 Putting It Over Arnold Norton 1922 Shattered Idols The Reverend Doctor Romney 1922 Anton Huber 1923 Alice Adams J. A. Lamb 1923 Black Oxen Charles Dinwiddie 1923 John Standish Lane 1923 Strangers of the Night Lush 1923 Within the Law General Hastings 1924 Cheap Kisses The Old Man 1924 Circe the Enchantress Archibald Crumm 1924 His Grace, the Duke 1925 Bobbed Hair Mr. Brewster 1925 The Business of Love Noah Burgess 1925 Uncle John Burgess 1925 Cyrus J. Davis 1925 The Rounder 1925 My Wife and I Valet 1925 Never the Twain Shall Meet Andrew J. Casson 1925 Oh Doctor! Mr. Peck 1925The Price of SuccessPeter Van Teyne 1925 Sealed Lips Joseph Howard 1925 Secrets of the Night Jerry Hammond 1925 Steppin' Out Henry Brodman 1925 Wages for Wives Judge McLean 1925 Was It Bigamy? Judge Gaynor 1925 When Husbands Flirt Wilbur Belcher 1926 1926 Mr. Briggs 1926 Dancing Days Stubbins 1926 Going the Limit Mortimer Harden 1926 Ladies at Play Deacon Ezra Boody 1926 Ladies of Leisure Wadleigh 1926 The Lily Jean 1926 Love's Blindness Marquis of Hurlshire 1926 The Nutcracker Isaac Totten 1926 Roué 1926 Poker Faces Henry Curlew 1926 Stranded in Paris Herr Rederson 1926 When the Wife's Away 1927 Broadway Madness Lawrence Compton 1927 Children of Divorce Secretary 1927 In a Moment of Temptation Timothy Gage 1927 My Friend from India Judge Belmore 1927 Professor Meekham 1927 Too Many Crooks Butler 1927 Venus of Venice Bride's father 1928 Dry Martini Joseph 1928 Five and Ten Cent Annie Adam Peck 1928 Freedom of the Press Wicks 1928 Interference Charles Smith 1928 Just Married Makepeace Witter 1928 The Law and the Man Quintus Newton 1929 Admiral 1929 Light Fingers Edward Madison 1929 Red Hot Speed 1930 Prince of Diamonds Williams 1930 Sea Legs Commander 1930 Astrologer 1931 Ambassador Bill Littleton 1931 Man of the World Mr. Bradkin 1931 Side Show Tom Allison 1931 Surrender Gottlieb 1932 Count Greffi 1932 He Learned About Women 1932 Love Bound The Baron 1932 If I Had a Million Guest at Mrs. Walker's dance 1932 Stepping Sisters "Stock Market" 1932 Thrill of Youth Grandpa Thayer 1933 Henry 1933 Forgotten Old crony 1933 Good-bye Love Alimony jail inmate 1933 Mama Loves Papa Mr. Pierrepont 1933 1933Secret Sinners Pop, the stage doorman 1933 Women Won't Tell 1934 Broadway Bill Johnson 1934 Cockeye 1934 Hotel manager 1934 In Love with Life Bookstore proprietor 1934 Forsaking All Others Wiffens 1934 Friends of Mr. Sweeney Old gentleman 1934 It Happened One Night Prissy old man 1934 Curly 1934 Manhattan Love Song Rich man 1934 No Greater Glory Old janitor 1934 One More River Barrister and clerk 1934 Pursued Tourist 1934 Sons of Steel Williams 1934 Springtime for Henry Bookstore clerk 1934 Stolen Sweets Stoner 1934 Viva Villa! Grandee 1934 Whom the Gods Destroy Charlie 1935 Clive of India Old member 1935 Cardinal Richelieu Agitator 1935 Escapade Old dandy 1935 George White's 1935 Scandals Old man 1935 Goin' to Town Eligible bachelor 1935 Villager 1935 Hi, Gaucho! Don Salvador 1935 Let's Live Tonight Millionaire 1935 Music Is Magic Dancer, elderly man 1935 Now or Never 1935 Old man 1935 Tellson, Jr. 1935 Top Hat Thackeray Club waiter 1935 Vagabond Lady Department head 1936 Juryman 1936 Faculty doctor 1936 Daniel Boone Attorney General's associate 1936 Show Boat Minister 1936 Gold Diggers of 1937 Reginald 1936 Little Lord Fauntleroy Partygoer 1936 Gentle Julia Old man at dance 1936 Human Cargo Reporter 1936 After the Thin Man Henry, the butler 1936 To Mary - with Love Waiter 1936 More Than a Secretary Henry 1936 Pennies from Heaven Mr. Briggs 1936 Song and Dance Man Old theatrical couple 1936 We Went to College Pop 1937 Born Reckless Patient 1937 Maid of Salem Giles Cory 1937 Servant 1937 Uncle George 1937 Sexton 1937 Member of the board of directors 1937 Personal Property Elderly man 1937 Parnell Elderly man 1937 Rhythm in the Clouds Winter 1938 Andrew 1938 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Uncle Andre 1938 Old man 1938 Young Fugitives Tom Riggins 1938 Gateway Old man 1938 Four Men and a Prayer Station master 1939 Son of Frankenstein Burgher
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