Hal Wilson Explained

Hal Wilson
Birth Name:	Harold Wilson
Birth Date:	October 2, 1861
Birth Place:	New York City
Death Place:	Los Angeles
Occupation:	Actor

Hal Wilson (also credited Harold Wilson; born Hippocrates Wolfarth, October 2, 1861 – May 22, 1933), was a character actor who appeared in silent films.^[1] He was born in New York City.^[2] He was a denizen of Hollywood.^[3] He had a significant role in The Man Trap.^{[4] [5]}

Wilson got into acting at age 10 and was in his first feature film in 1915. There is some debate about his birth year. Per a 1921 studio guide, he acted on the stage for 20 years, including for Harrigan and Hart, Charles Frohman, Albert H. Woods, and the Murray Hill Theatre Stock Company under Henry V. Donnelly, before moving to film in 1907.^[6]

Wilson married Ethel Harbord, born Elizabeth Laura Sophia Pirani (b. 1869) in Melbourne, Australia, on May 13, 1896.^[7] He died in Los Angeles in 1933.^{[8] [9]}

Selected filmography

• Lady Godiva (1911), short film
• Cardinal Wolsey (1912)
• The Cross-Roads (1912), short film
• Faithful Until Death (1912), Vitagraph short film^[10]
• The Spider's Web (1912)
• Rob Roy (1913) as Jarvie
• The Sable Lorcha (1915)
• The Little School Ma'am (1916) as Washington
• Casey at the Bat (1916) as a doctor
• The Midnight Man (1917) as Mr. Moore
• The End of the Tour (1917)
• The Little Yank (1917)
• Betsy's Burglar (1917)
• The Man Trap (1917)
• Her Official Fathers (1917)
• Kingdom Come (1919)
• Dinty (1920)
• Whispering Devils (1920)^[1]
• Suds (1920)^[1]
• The Secret Four (1921)
• The Unknown Wife (1921)
• Charge It (1921)
• Nan of the North (1922), a film serial, as Gaspar Le Sage
• Forget Me Not (1922)^[11]
• Blaze Away (1922)^[1]
• According to Hoyle (1922)
• Main Street (1923)
• The Love Master (1924) as Alec McLeod
• Smilin' at Trouble (1925)
• Divorce Made Easy (1929)^[1]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hal Wilson. https://web.archive.org/web/20190219072940/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba9aed61c. dead. February 19, 2019. BFI.
2. (14 October 1914). Hal Wilson's Career: Eclair Character Actor Began Versatile Roles Early, Universal Weekly
3. Web site: Early Hollywood crazy quilt. Katherine L.. Hungerford. 5 January 2019. Stewart Printing Co.. Google Books.
4. Web site: Motography. 9 January 2019. Google Books.
5. (2 August 1924). Hal Wilson (photo/ad), Wid's Weekly
6. https://archive.org/details/motionpicturestu00johnrich/page/208 Motion picture studio directory and trade annual 1921
7. Price, Guy (13 May 1921). Facts and Fables of the Foyer, Los Angeles Daily Herald
8. Book: Katchmer, George A.. A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. 20 May 2015. McFarland. Google Books. 9781476609058.
9. (27 May 1933). We Just Had Such A Nice Talk With Hal Wilson ..., Hollywood Filmograph, p. 3
10. (21 November 1912). Orpheum, East Oregonian
11. Russell, Marion (29 July 1922) Forget Me Not (review), Billboard, p. 114, col. 3.