Maurice Costello
Actor, Film actor
1877 – 1950
Who was Maurice Costello?
Maurice George Costello was an American prominent vaudeville actor of the late 1890s and early 1900s, who later played a principal role in early American films, as both a leading man, supporting player and a director.
Costello was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrants Ellen and Thomas Costello. He appeared in his first motion picture in 1905, in which he had the honour of appearing in the first serious film to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes in the movie Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, in which Costello played the title role. He continued to work for Vitagraph, being a member of the first motion picture stock company ever formed, playing opposite Florence Turner. Among some of his best known pictures are A Tale of Two Cities, The Man Who Couldn't Beat God and For the Honor of the Family. After an absence of some years he returned to the screen. He was married to actress Mae Costello. His descendants include two daughters, actresses Dolores Costello and Helene Costello, a grandson John Drew Barrymore, and a great granddaughter Drew Barrymore. He was one of the world's first leading men in early American cinema, but like a lot of other silent screen stars, he found the transition to "talkies" extremely difficult, and his leading man status was over. However, Costello was a trouper, and continued to appear in movies, often in small roles and bit parts, right up until his death in 1950. On November 23, 1913, Costello was arrested for beating his wife Mae. On November 25, 1913, Costello admitted that he had beat his wife while intoxicated. Mae Costello requested that the charges be dropped to disorderly conduct, and Costello was given 6mo probation by Magistrate Geisner of the Coney Island Police Court.
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- Born
- Feb 22, 1877
Pittsburgh - Also known as
- Maurice George Costello
- The Dimpled Darling
- Parents
- Spouses
- Mae Costello
(1902/06/08 - 1927) - Ruth Reeves
(1939/08/08 - 1941)
- Mae Costello
- Children
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Died
- Oct 29, 1950
Hollywood - Resting place
- Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Maurice Costello." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/maurice_costello>.
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