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Fanny Midgley

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Fanny Midgley
Lester Cuneo and Midgley in Blue Blazes (1922)
Born
Fanny B. Tilton

(1865-11-26)November 26, 1865
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJanuary 4, 1932(1932-01-04) (aged 66)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1911–1932
Spouse(s)Sager Midgley, Cecil S. Frier

Fanny Midgley (born Fanny B. Tilton; November 26, probably 1865 – January 4, 1932) was an American film actress of Hollywood's early years, mostly in silent films.[1]

Biography

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Midgley was born Fanny B. Tilton in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Joseph Tilton and Henrietta Garrison. Her death certificate gives a birth date of November 26, 1879,[2] but it is more likely that she was born about 1865, as she is listed with her parents in the 1870 and 1880 censuses as being 5 and 14 years old.[3][4]

She married fellow actor Sager Midgley, Jr.(1862-1929), in Cincinnati in 1885,[5] and they performed together as a Vaudeville act, finding the footlights in New York by 1890.[6] They had four known children, at least two of which died in infancy.[7] A surviving son, Miles Raymond Midgley (1899-1945) also worked in show business.[8][9]

Fanny Midgley's work on stage included portraying Mopsa in the Broadway production The Free Lance (1906).[10]

After moving to Hollywood, Midgley married Cecil S. Frier on August 14, 1914.[11]

Midgley's first feature film was Shorty Escapes Marriage (1914).[1] In 1914 alone, she had 27 film appearances, including The Sheriff of Bisbee, in which she starred with actress Mildred Harris, the future mother of Charlie Chaplin's first child. From 1915 through 1919, she appeared in another 32 films, mostly in supporting roles. Her last film appearance during this period was the 1919 film The Lottery Man, in which she starred with Wanda Hawley and Wallace Reid.

During the 1920s, her career began to slow, appearing in 22 films between 1920 and 1926, with her biggest film role during that time being in the 1922 film The Young Rajah with Rudolph Valentino. From 1927 to 1929, her career almost completely halted compared to her previous years, with only five film appearances during this period, most notably with Buddy Roosevelt in The Cowboy Cavalier in 1928.

She did transition somewhat successfully to sound films, and appeared in the 1930 movie The Poor Millionaire, starring Richard Talmadge and Constance Howard. In 1931, she appeared in An American Tragedy, starring Sylvia Sidney and Phillips Holmes.

Midgley died on January 4, 1932, in Hollywood. Her death certificate gave her age as 52, but given census records, it is more likely that she was about 67.[2][3][4]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b Katchmer, George A. (May 20, 2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. pp. 256–257. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994: Entry for Fanny B Frier, 4 January 1932". FamilySearch. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "United States, Census, 1870: Entry for Joseph Tilton and Henrietta Tilton". FamilySearch. June 30, 1870. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "United States, Census, 1880: Entry for Fannie B. Tilton". FamilySearch. June 1, 1880. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  5. ^ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016: Entry for Sager Midgley Jr. and Fanny B. Tilton, 1885". FamilySearch. April 16, 1885. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  6. ^ Tom, Gillen (November 5, 1926). "Do You Remember?". The Vaudeville News and New York Star. p. 6. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  7. ^ "Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865-1912". University of Cincinnati Digital Resource Commons. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  8. ^ "United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942: Entry for Miles Raymond Midgley". FamilySearch. April 25, 1942. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949: Entry for Miles R. Midgley". FamilySearch. November 6, 1945. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  10. ^ "Fanny Midgley". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "California, Marriages, 1850-1945: Fannie Midgley in entry for Cecil S. Frier, 1914". FamilySearch. June 14, 1914. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
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