Raymond Griffith
Biography
Raymond Griffith was one of the great silent movie comedians. Later in his career, he worked behind the camera as writer and producer. Griffith was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He lost his voice at an early age, causing him to speak for the rest of his life in a hoarse whisper. Griffith claimed that it was the result of his having to scream at the top of his lungs every night in a stage melodrama as a child actor —others have stated that a childhood disease was more likely the cause. Although a few comedy films of his are considered classics, Griffith is almost totally forgotten today. Many of his starring feature films have long since been lost, but probably the best known of his films today is Hands Up! (1926), a Civil War comedy feature directed by Clarence G. Badger, and co-starring Mack Swain, which was entered into the National Film Registry in 2005. Also considered a classic is Badger's Paths to Paradise, a caper film that is in all circulating prints missing its final reel. Like many silent comedians, he had a traditional costume; his was a top hat, white tie and tails, often augmented by a cape and/or walking stick. The coming of sound ended Griffith's acting career, but he did have one memorable role in a motion picture before retiring from the screen, playing a French soldier killed by Lew Ayres in the 1930 Lewis Milestone film All Quiet on the Western Front. He then segued into a writing/producing career at Twentieth Century Fox. Griffith choked to death at the Masquers Club in Los Angeles, California, aged 62, on November 25, 1957.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (50)
Day-time Wife
Producer (Production)
1939
Drums Along the Mohawk
Associate Producer (Production)
1939
Hotel for Women
Producer (Production)
1939
Three Blind Mice
Producer (Production)
1938
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Associate Producer (Production)
1938
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
Producer (Production)
1937
Poor Little Rich Girl
Producer (Production)
1936
Private Number
Associate Producer (Production)
1936
Clive of India
Associate Producer (Production)
1935
The Affairs of Cellini
Associate Producer (Production)
1934
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Associate Producer (Production)
1934
Born to Be Bad
Associate Producer (Production)
1934
Blood Money
Associate Producer (Production)
1933
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
Producer (Production)
1933
Baby Face
Producer (Production)
1933
Picture Snatcher
Supervising Producer (Production)
1933
Ladies They Talk About
Producer (Production)
1933
Parachute Jumper
Supervising Producer (Production)
1933
Three on a Match
Supervising Producer (Production)
1932
Life Begins
Production Supervisor (Production)
1932
The Rich Are Always with Us
Supervising Producer (Production)
1932
Local Boy Makes Good
Adaptation (Writing)
1931
Girls About Town
Writer (Writing)
1931
Expensive Women
Writer (Writing)
1931
The Beloved Bachelor
Adaptation (Writing)
1931
Bought!
Writer (Writing)
1931
God's Gift to Women
Screenplay (Writing)
1931
All Quiet on the Western Front
as Gérard Duval (uncredited)
1930
The Sleeping Porch
1929
Trent's Last Case
as Philip Trent
1929
Time to Love
as Alfred Sava-Goiu
1927
You'd Be Surprised
as Mr. Green
1926
Wet Paint
as He
1926
Hands Up!
as Jack
1926
He's a Prince!
as Prince
1925
Fine Clothes
as Oscar
1925
Paths to Paradise
as The Dude from Duluth
1925
The Night Club
as Robert White
1925
Forty Winks
as Lord Chumley
1925
Miss Bluebeard
as Bertie Bird
1925
Open All Night
as Igor
1924
Lily of the Dust
as Karl Dehnecke
1924
Changing Husbands
as Bob Hamilton
1924
Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model
as Shorty Burchell
1924
Poisoned Paradise
as Martel
1924
The Yankee Consul
Writer (Writing)
1924
White Tiger
as Roy Donovan
1923
The Day of Faith
as Tom Barnett
1923
Red Lights
as Sheridan Scott
1923
Going Up
Writer (Writing)
1923