George Loane Tucker (June 12, 1872 – June 20, 1921) was an American actor, silent film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor.

Career Tucker was born George S. Loane in Chicago to George Loane and stage actress Ethel Tucker. After graduating from the University of Chicago, he got a job as a railroad clerk. He was chief clerk for the Maintenance of Way. Tucker was later the youngest man to be promoted to Contracting Freight Agent. After his first wife died while giving birth to the couple's son, Tucker quit his job. On the advice of friends, he began acting in stage productions.

By the mid-1910s, films were becoming a more popular draw for audiences which led Tucker to film acting and scenario writing. In 1911, he wrote a script for the short drama film Their First Misunderstanding. The film, which starred Mary Pickford, was a surprise hit.

Over the course of his career, Tucker directed 69 films, 19 of which he also wrote. In 1913 he directed Traffic in Souls, which concerned the topic of white slavery. The film was an enormous hit (it made over a million dollars in profit) and remains an early influential example of realism in early cinema. Traffic in Souls served to establish Tucker as a respected director and writer. Shortly after the film was released, he moved to England where he was hired as the Director-general for the London Film Company. It was there that Tucker met and married his second wife, British actress Elisabeth Risdon. While living in England, Tucker directed and produced several films for London Film including The Manxman (1917). An adaptation of the 1894 novel of the same name, it was one of the few British films that was distributed in the United States and would go on to become a financial and critical success.

In late 1916, Tucker returned to the United States in where he was hired as the Director-general for Goldwyn Pictures. That year, he wrote and directed The Cinderella Man which became that year's most profitable film. The following year, Tucker wrote and directed another hit, Virtuous Wives, starring Anita Stewart. In 1919, Tucker wrote, produced and directed what became his most well known and financially successful film, The Miracle Man. The film featured Lon Chaney in a breakout role as a man who pretends to be handicapped. The Miracle Man was a critical and financial success (some critics called it "the greatest picture ever made") and made the film's stars, Chaney and Thomas Meighan, established stars. Shortly before his death, Tucker completed direction on the drama Ladies Must Live. The film was released in October 1921, approximately four months after his death.

Death On June 20, 1921, Tucker died after a year long illness at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 49. He was survived by his wife, actress Elisabeth Risdon. Tucker is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Selected filmography As actor: Year Title Role Notes 1909 The Awakening of Bess The Heavy Short film 1911 Pictureland The Tourist Short film 1911 Second Sight Short film 1911 The Fair Dentist Dental Patient Alternative title: Mary's PatientsShort film 1911 Uncle's Visit Mr. Sperry Short film 1911 The Piece of String The Tourist also directorShort film 1911 In the Sultan's Garden Short film 1911 For the Queen's Honor Duke Arturo Short film 1911 A Gasoline Engagement Rev. John Maxwell Short film 1911 Dorothy's Family Dorothy's Second Suitor Short film 1912 Does Your Wife Love You? George Credited as George TuckerShort film 1912 The Closed Bible The Convict's Daughter's Husband Credited as George TuckerShort film 1912 The Winning Punch James Roth Short film 1912 Next Edward Robbins, Successful Suitor Short film 1912 An Old Lady of Twenty Credited as George TuckerShort film 1913 The Whole Truth George Truthtell also directorShort film 1913 The Temptation of Jane Harry Charlton Short film 1913 Traffic in Souls Wireless Operator also director

As director/producer/writer: Year Title Credit Notes 1911 Their First Misunderstanding DirectorWriter Short film 1911 Little Red Riding Hood Director Short film 1911 Over the Hills Director Short film 1911 The Portrait DirectorWriter Short film 1911 The Aggressor Director Short film 1911 Behind the Stockade DirectorWriter Short film 1911 The Brothers Director 1911 The Dream Director 1911 For Her Brother's Sake Director 1911 The Piece of String Director also actor 1911 The Rose's Story Director Short film 1911 The Scarlet Letter Director Short film 1911 Dangerous Lines Director Short film 1912 The Old Folks' Christmas DirectorWriter Short film 1912 Prince Charming DirectorWriter Short film 1913 Traffic in Souls DirectorWriter also actor 1913 The Big Sister Director Short film 1913 His Hour of Triumph Director Short film 1913 Their Parents Director Short film 1913 The Whole Truth Director also actorShort film 1913 Just a Fire Fighter Director Short film 1913 The Count Retires Director Short film 1913 The Jealousy of Jane Director Short film 1913 A Possibility Director Short film 1913 The Yogi Director Short film 1913 In Peril of the Sea Director Short film 1913 Hidden Fires Director Short film 1913 Jane of Moth-Eaten Farm Director Short film 1913 The Temptation of Jane Director Short film 1913 Jane's Brother, the Paranoiac Director Short film 1914 The Third String Director 1914 The Revenge of Mr. Thomas Atkins Director Short film 1914 The Dawn of Romance Director Short film 1914 She Stoops to Conquer Director Short film 1914 The Cage Director Short film 1914 The Black Spot Director Short film 1914 A Bachelor's Love Story Director Short film 1914 The Difficult Way Director Short film 1914 England Expects DirectorWriter Short film 1914 0-18 or A Message from the Sky Director 1914 Called Back Director 1914 The Fringe of War Director 1915 His Lordship Director 1915 Her Uncle Director 1915 The Prisoner of Zenda Director 1915 The Sons of Satan Director 1915 The Christian Director 1915 1914 Director 1915 The Middleman Director 1915 Rupert of Hentzau Director 1915 The Folly of Desire Director 1915 A Man of His Word DirectorWriter 1916 The Game of Liberty Director Alternative title: Under Suspicion 1916 Arsène Lupin Director 1916 The Manxman Director Lost film 1916 The Heel of the Law Director 1916 Homeless Director Short film 1916 A Story from Life Director 1916 Mixed Relations DirectorWriter Short film 1916 An Odd Freak DirectorWriter Short film 1916 The Hypocrites Director 1916 I Believe DirectorWriter 1917 The Mother of Dartmoor Director 1917 The Cinderella Man DirectorWriter 1918 Dodging a Million DirectorWriter 1918 Joan of Plattsburg DirectorWriter 1918 Virtuous Wives DirectorWriter 1918 The Beloved Traitor WriterEditor 1919 The Miracle Man DirectorWriterProducer 1921 Ladies Must Live DirectorWriter

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External links

Portrait of Tucker on lantern slide of Ladies Must Live (1921)