| John St. Polis | |
| Birth Name: | John Marie Sainpolis |
| Birth Date: | 24 November 1873 |
| Birth Place: | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1909–1943 |
| Occupation: | Actor |
John M. St. Polis (born John Marie Sainpolis; November 24, 1873 - October 8, 1946) was an American actor.[1]
St. Polis was born John Marie Sainpolis in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Jean Marie Sainpolis and Marie Catherine Borg.[2] Before starting his film career, he made a name for himself on the Broadway stage, most notably in the role of Frederik in the original production of The Return of Peter Grimm (1911–12) and the play's revival in 1921, both performed at the Belasco Theatre. He also appeared in a different role in the screen version in 1926.[3]
He appeared in more than 120 films between 1914 and 1943. In all of his early roles, the actor is billed as John Sainpolis. His best-known performances are as Etienne Laurier in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), and as Comte Phillipe de Chagny in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He successfully made the transition from silent cinema to "talkies" with one of his most praised performances as Dr. John M. Besant, the father of Norma Besant (played by Mary Pickford) in Coquette (1929). He died on October 8, 1946, in Los Angeles, California from undisclosed causes, aged 72.