Henry Roquemore
Encyclopedia
Henry Roquemore or Henry Rocquemore (March 13, 1886 - June 30, 1943) was an American
character actor
who primarily played bit part
s. He appeared in 229 silent
and sound film
s from 1927 until 1943. Many of his roles were uncredited parts in Western movies, but he also appeared in major films including Meet John Doe
, The Little Foxes
, The Magnificent Ambersons
, and the Marx Brothers
film Yours for the Asking
.
Roquemore began his career in entertainment by staging local talent show
s, for clubs in his hometown of Marshall, Texas
. His first role in Hollywood was the Beast in the 1927 silent film Is Your Daughter Safe?
and his last was in 1943's Girl Crazy
. After the making of first sound film in 1927, he specialized in his fat man roles and was widely sought out by directors, such as Frank Capra
and Orson Welles
for bit parts; exemplified by the Match King one of Mae West
's suitors in 1935's Goin' to Town
. His more famous roles include; Jouett Goforth in 1931's Cimarron and in 1941's Woman of the Year
as the Justice of the Peace who married Katharine Hepburn
and Spencer Tracy
. He was married to fellow character actress Fern Emmett
, and they may have met while making Texas Terror
in 1935.
Henry Roquemore died from a heart attack
in 1943 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who primarily played bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
s. He appeared in 229 silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
s from 1927 until 1943. Many of his roles were uncredited parts in Western movies, but he also appeared in major films including Meet John Doe
Meet John Doe
Meet John Doe is a 1941 American comedy drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by a newspaper columnist and pursued by a wealthy businessman. It became a box office hit...
, The Little Foxes
The Little Foxes
The Little Foxes is a 1939 play by Lillian Hellman. Its title comes from Chapter 2, Verse 15 in the Song of Solomon in the King James version of the Bible, which reads, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Set in a small town in Alabama in...
, The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (film)
The Magnificent Ambersons is a 1942 American drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. His second feature film, it is based on the 1918 novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington and stars Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead and Ray Collins...
, and the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
film Yours for the Asking
Yours for the Asking
Yours for the Asking is a 1936 film starring George Raft as a casino owner and Dolores Costello as the socialite he hires as hostess. The movie also features Ida Lupino and was directed by Alexander Hall.-Cast:* George Raft as Johnny Lamb...
.
Roquemore began his career in entertainment by staging local talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
s, for clubs in his hometown of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
. His first role in Hollywood was the Beast in the 1927 silent film Is Your Daughter Safe?
Is Your Daughter Safe?
Is Your Daughter Safe?, also known as The Octopus, was an early silent exploitation film produced and directed by S. S. Millard. Written by Max Abramson, it was originally released in 1927 and presented around the United States in the following years.The film was created as a compilation of...
and his last was in 1943's Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
. After the making of first sound film in 1927, he specialized in his fat man roles and was widely sought out by directors, such as Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
and Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
for bit parts; exemplified by the Match King one of Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
's suitors in 1935's Goin' to Town
Goin' To Town
Goin' To Town is a 1935 musical comedy film released by Paramount Pictures. It starred Mae West and featured Paul Cavanagh, Marjorie Gateson and Monroe Owsley....
. His more famous roles include; Jouett Goforth in 1931's Cimarron and in 1941's Woman of the Year
Woman of the Year
Woman of the Year is a romantic comedy film. The movie is about an emancipated woman, chosen "Woman of the Year", and her colleague-turned-husband and their efforts to negotiate a path to marital bliss....
as the Justice of the Peace who married Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
and Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
. He was married to fellow character actress Fern Emmett
Fern Emmett
Fern Emmett was an American film actress. She appeared in 212 films between 1930 and 1946.-Selected filmography:The following were with John Wayne:* Riders of Destiny...
, and they may have met while making Texas Terror
Texas Terror (film)
Texas Terror is a 1935 American romantic western film starring John Wayne and Lucile Brown, and directed by Robert N. Bradbury.-Plot:Sheriff John Higgins quits and goes into prospecting after he thinks he has killed his best friend in shooting it out with robbers. He encounters his dead buddy's...
in 1935.
Henry Roquemore died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1943 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.