Richard Morris (actor)

Richard Morris (1862–1924) was an American opera singer, stage performer, and silent film actor. Morris was born on January 30, 1862, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He was 62 when he died in Los Angeles, California on October 11, 1924. Between 1912 and 1924, Richard Morris acted in 59 films.

Early life
In Boston's oldest Irish neighborhood, William Richard Stuart Morris was born on January 30, 1862, to working-class Irish parents in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His father, William A. Morris, came from Ireland, while his mother, Catherine Keefe, was a native of Boston. Being the eldest son in an Irish Catholic household, he was given his father's name, continuing a long-held tradition observed by generations prior. The 1870 census lists Morris's father as an expressman and his mother as a homemaker. Over time, the Morris family expanded to include eight children.

During his early education, he spent three years overseas, undergoing training for grand opera. Unfortunately, no matriculation records are available to specify the nature of this training. Upon his return to America, he showcased his talent as an opera singer, performing for audiences in domestic venues during the 1880s.

In 1889, records show he maintained his Charlestown place of residence as his permanent residence. His mother, aged 59, died at home in 1898.

According to the 1900 census, William RS Morris, 36 years old, lived at the same address as his widowed father and five sisters. At 74, Morris's father died in 1907. At the time of his death, Morris was touring Europe.

Stage
Early in his stage career, Morris worked in Shakespearean touring companies, e.g., Lawrence Barrett (1838-1891). In 1889, William Morris was 27 when he started acting with the renowned Shakespearean touring company of Edwin Booth (1833-1893) and Helena Modjeska (1840-1909). In Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 29, 1890, an evening performance of Macbeth was performed on the stage. A copy of the program features a listing of the cast of characters, including Mr. W.R.S. Morris, in the role of the second witch. The following year, 1891, Booth suffered a debilitating stroke, bringing an end to his stage career. On June 7, 1893, Edwin Booth died in New York City at age of 59.

He reunited with Helena Modjeska after her recovery from a stroke suffered in 1897. Morris eventually connected with Shakespearean actress Minna Gale (1868-1944) and her Repertory theatre. Like Morris, Gale had also lived in Europe, pursuing studies in music and theater. They had even more in common when they saw how their stage backgrounds helped them transition to acting on screen.

In 1906, the 44-year-old Morris departed for London. He returned to the operatic stage and continued to perform until 1909.

Lubin
After spending three years in London, Morris returned to America in early 1909. He sought work in the burgeoning movie industry. Morris was 47, a late age when seeking employment in films. In September 1909, he joined the Lubin Manufacturing Company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Lubin was an American motion picture company producing silent films from 1896 to 1916. Morris made his movie debut, playing an organ grinder in the Lubin-produced film Little Boy Blue released on May 6, 1912. Between 1912 and 1914, he acted in 25 films for Lubin, ending with the December 1914 release of No records exist documenting whether Morris acted in any Lubin productions before 1912 or when he started using the screen name of Richard Morris.

During his time at Lubin, he met director Lloyd B. Carleton. Carleton had signed a Lubin contract in 1911, which gave him the opportunity to direct features and shorts. Carleton recognized Morris's value as a character actor, and they made three 2-reelers in 1914. Morris remained with Lubin until July 1914. Carleton departed Lubin in the Autumn 1914. Carleton had found a fellow performer from the Eastern stage with impeccable stage credentials. He remained one of Lloyd B. Carleton's favorite character actors. Between 1914 and 1920, Morris acted in 15 Lloyd B. Carleton-directed films.

After making more than a thousand motion pictures, the Lubin Manufacturing Company declared bankruptcy on September 1, 1916

Lasky and Selig
In late Summer 1914, Morris traveled once again to London, England. During his stay in London, World War I was flaring up. On August 4, 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. Morris returned to American, arriving in New York on November 16, 1914. The ship's manifest lists William R Stuart Morris, born in Charlestown on January 30, 1862. The manifest further states he was single, 52 years old, and residing at 1108 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Between January and August 1915, Morris returned to making movies and acted in 4 films for various organizations, including Powers Picture Plays and Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play

In 1915, Morris signed a contract with Selig Polyscope based in Chicago, Illinois but having offices in Los Angeles. During his stay with Selig, he was reunited with Lloyd B. Carleton. Between September and December, Morris acted in 4 Carleton-directed short films. Morris's total film output for 1915 was 6 short movies and 2 feature-length. He made 3 more pictures for Selig Polyscope before departing.

Universal
Lloyd Carleton signed a Universal contract in the autumn of 1915. Richard Morris signed a Universal contract in 1916 and permanently moved to Los Angeles, California.

Morris reunited with Lloyd B. Carleton again and acted in the Red Feather feature-length production of A Yoke of Gold released on August 14, 1916. The same film provided an introduction to Emory Johnson. This relationship would prove beneficial in the coming years.

Between August 1916 and December, Morris would act in 7 Lloyd Carleton-directed films. All films were feature-length with the sole exception of the 2-reeler The Human Gamble. All films would feature Emory Johnson in the lead. The feature-length films were:
 * A Yoke of Gold Red Feather film released in August
 * The Unattainable Bluebird film released in September
 * Black Friday Red Feather film released in September
 * Barriers of Society Red Feather film released in October
 * The Devil's Bondwoman Red Feather film released in November
 * The Morals of Hilda Red Feather film released in December (his last film for Universal)

1916 would be Morris's glory year in films. He had successfully made the transition from filming 2-reelers to feature-length movies. He would continue to shoot only feature-length films for the remainder of his career.

FBO
After he departed from Universal in 1916, his picture output declined. He was an actor in his later 50s looking for work in a youth-obsessed industry. He acted in one film in 1918 and another one in 1919. He made 4 films in 1920, including reuniting with Lloyd Carleton to act in The Amazing Woman.

In January 1921, Richard Morris turned 59-years-old. In 1921, Hobart Bosworth productions invited Morris to play the part of Uncle Billy in The Sea Lion. He acted with Hobart Bosworth, Emory Johnson and Bessie Love. It was the only movie Morris filmed in 1921.

Emory Johnson embarked upon a career as a director in 1922. Johnson's first film was the FBO feature-length production of In the Name of the Law. When Johnson evaluated players for his first movie, Johnson probably recalled Morris had acted in 7 movies with him in 1916. Johnson hired the aging actor to play the role of Dr. Lucus in his first film.

Richard Morris would continue to appear in FBO productions directed by Emory Johnson including The Third Alarm, The West~Bound Limited, The Mailman and The Spirit of the USA until his untimely death in October 1924.

Alternate names
Richard Morris used many different pseudonyms during his career, including:
 * Dick Morris
 * Mr. Richard Morris
 * Mr. W.R.S. Morris
 * William Morris
 * Stuart Morris
 * William R S Morris

Death
The 1920 census registers Richard Morris as a single 57-year-old lodger living in Los Angeles. His listed occupation is an actor. The Emory Johnson-directed film The Spirit of the USA was released by Film Booking Offices of America on May 18, 1924. It would be Richard Morris's last movie.

On Saturday, October 11, 1924, Richard Stewart Morris died in Los Angeles, California. The newspaper listed him as being 63 years-old. (His real age was 62 ) when he died. A simple obituary appeared in the Los Angeles Times on October 13, 1924:

— The Los Angeles Times 1924

The funeral was held at the Pierce Brothers LeRoy Bagley Mortuary Hollywood, California with "The padre of Hollywood", the Rev. Neal Dodd officiating. That same year, Rev Dodd would become a founding member of a relief fund to aid film workers in need. A brief obituary would appear in The Boston Globe noting the death of William Richard Stuart Morris. Richard Morris was buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery.