Charles Morton
Encyclopedia
Charles Morton was an American
actor
.
; receiving his education at Madison High School and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
He made his first stage appearance at the age of seven and later appeared in vaudeville
, stock and the legitimate stage. Morton's career started late in the silent era, first as a leading man, continued into sound features and finally television.
His polished physical appearance, charm and personality were noted by the studios and at the age of 20 signed his first contract with Fox in 1927. Audiences first discovered the handsome youth that same year opposite the studio's leading flapper, Madge Bellamy
, in Colleen, one of the era's many comedy-dramas.
Morton went on the star in John Ford
's 1928 World War I
silent film Four Sons
. Morton was also a member of the ultimately tragic circus troupe in F. W. Murnau's near-classic 4 Devils
, among the most mourned of the lost film
s of the silent era. Morton also starred in Fox's None But the Brave
(1928).
After 1933 with the widespread use of sound film, Morton's career began to lose momentum and by 1936 his roles were significantly reduced, playing minor roles on television until his death from heart disease
in 1966.
Even though Morton's career continued into the mid-1960s, almost all of his television roles after 1933 were so minor that he was left uncredited for the majority.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Career
Born in Illinois, Charles Morton spent his adolescence in Madison, WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
; receiving his education at Madison High School and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
He made his first stage appearance at the age of seven and later appeared in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, stock and the legitimate stage. Morton's career started late in the silent era, first as a leading man, continued into sound features and finally television.
His polished physical appearance, charm and personality were noted by the studios and at the age of 20 signed his first contract with Fox in 1927. Audiences first discovered the handsome youth that same year opposite the studio's leading flapper, Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy was an American film actress who was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era, and ended following a romantic scandal in the 1940s.-Early life:...
, in Colleen, one of the era's many comedy-dramas.
Morton went on the star in John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's 1928 World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
silent film Four Sons
Four Sons
Four Sons is a silent drama film directed and produced by John Ford and written for the screen by Philip Klein from a story by I. A. R. Wylie. It is one of only a handful of survivors out of the more than fifty silent films that Ford directed between 1917 and 1928. It starred Margaret Mann, James...
. Morton was also a member of the ultimately tragic circus troupe in F. W. Murnau's near-classic 4 Devils
4 Devils
4 Devils was a 1928 American silent drama film directed by German film director F. W. Murnau.-Preservation status:...
, among the most mourned of the lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
s of the silent era. Morton also starred in Fox's None But the Brave
None But the Brave (1928 film)
None But the Brave is a feature film released by Fox Film Corporation, directed by Albert Ray and starring Charles Morton, Sally Phipps, J. Farrell MacDonald, and Sharon Lynn. One or two sequences were filmed in color, possibly Multicolor or Technicolor's System 2. It is not known whether this...
(1928).
After 1933 with the widespread use of sound film, Morton's career began to lose momentum and by 1936 his roles were significantly reduced, playing minor roles on television until his death from heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
in 1966.
Even though Morton's career continued into the mid-1960s, almost all of his television roles after 1933 were so minor that he was left uncredited for the majority.