Image of Charles Ray

Charles Ray

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.


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Born:
Mar 15, 1891 In Jacksonville, Illinois, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
65
First Appeared:
In the movie Old Mammy's Secret Code 1913-07-16
Latest Project:
Movie We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song 1985-01-28
Known For
Poster of The American
Poster of Bright Lights
Poster of The Deuce of Spades
Poster of The Quakeress
Filmography
Movie We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song Himself 1985-01-28
Movie The Legend of Rudolph Valentino Self (archive footage) 1961-05-24
Movie Slightly Dangerous Opera patron (uncredited) 1943-04-01
Movie Rio Rita Hotel Guest (uncredited) 1942-03-11
Movie Mrs. Miniver Man getting on Bus (uncredited) 1942-07-03
Movie The Mad Martindales Barbershop Customer (uncredited) 1942-05-15
Movie The Man Who Lost Himself (uncredited) 1941-03-21
Movie The Lady from Cheyenne Bit Role 1941-04-11
Movie Appointment for Love Butler (uncredited) 1941-10-31
Movie Hollywood Boulevard Charlie Smith - Assistant Director 1936-08-20
Movie Just My Luck Homer Crow 1935-12-30
Movie School for Girls Duke 1934-03-22
Movie Ladies Should Listen Henri, the porter 1934-08-10
Movie Ticket to a Crime Courtney Mallory 1934-12-14
Movie By Your Leave Leonard Purcell 1934-11-09
Movie The Camera Speaks Self (archive footage) 1934-08-11
Movie Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles Elmer Updike 1933-07-13
Movie Stars of Yesterday Self 1931-12-31
Movie The House That Shadows Built (archive footage) 1931-07-08
Movie The Garden of Eden Richard Dupont 1928-02-04
Movie The American Bill Smith 1927-01-01
Movie Vanity Lt. Lloyd Van Courtland 1927-05-09
Movie Getting Gertie's Garter Ken Walrick 1927-02-28
Movie Sweet Adeline Ben Wilson 1926-01-14
Movie Paris Jerry 1926-05-24
Movie The Fire Brigade Terry O'Neil 1926-12-20
Movie Percy Percival Rogeen 1925-04-05
Movie Bright Lights Tom Corbin 1925-11-15
Movie Dynamite Smith Gladstone Smith 1924-10-12
Movie The Girl I Loved John Middleton 1923-02-15
Movie Ponjola Native Tribesman 1923-10-28
Movie The Courtship of Miles Standish John Alden 1923-12-30
Movie Gas, Oil and Water George Oliver Watson 1922-03-01
Movie A Tailor-Made Man John Paul Bart 1922-08-05
Movie The Deuce of Spades Amos 1922-05-01
Movie The Old Swimmin' Hole Ezra Hull 1921-02-26
Movie Paris Green Luther Green 1920-06-01
Movie Homer Comes Home Homer Cavender 1920-06-27
Movie Alarm Clock Andy Andrew Gray 1920-03-14
Movie A Village Sleuth William Wells 1920-09-12
Movie An Old Fashioned Boy David Warrington 1920-10-31
Movie Greased Lightning Andy Fletcher 1919-04-27
Movie The Sheriff's Son Royal Beaudry 1919-03-30
Movie The Busher Ben Harding 1919-05-17
Movie Hay Foot, Straw Foot Ulysses S. Grant Briggs 1919-06-22
Movie Bill Henry Bill Henry Jenkins 1919-08-17
Movie The Egg Crate Wallop Jim Kelly 1919-09-28
Movie The Family Skeleton Billy Bates 1918-03-31
Movie Playing the Game Larry Prentiss 1918-04-22
Movie His Own Home Town Jimmy Duncan 1918-05-27
Movie The Claws of the Hun John Stanton 1918-07-08
Movie The Weaker Sex Jack Harding 1917-01-07
Movie Back of the Man Larry Thomas 1917-03-04
Movie The Clodhopper Everett Nelson 1917-06-24
Movie The Pinch Hitter Joel Parker 1917-04-28
Movie His Mother's Boy Matthew Denton 1917-12-24
Movie Peggy Colin Cameron 1916-01-02
Movie Plain Jane Mr. 'John Sophomore Adams' 1916-10-08
Movie The Forbidden Adventure Cecil Weatherby 1915-12-02
Movie The Cup of Life John Ward 1915-04-26
Movie In the Tennessee Hills Jim Carson 1915-02-12
Movie The Coward Frank Winslow 1915-11-14
Movie The Gangsters and the Girl Detective John Stone 1914-08-07
Movie Old Mammy's Secret Code David 1913-07-16
Movie The Quakeress John Hart - the Schoolmaster 1913-08-12