Edwin Middleton

Edwin Middleton (January 1, 1865 – June 17, 1929) was an American film director.^[1][2]

Edwin Middleton
Born	January 1, 1865 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 17, 1929 (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	Film director, screenwriter

Pool Shark

Biography

He worked in theater as part of a stock company from Philadelphia before his film career.^[3] In 1891, he was an actor in a production titled Sin and Shadow.^[4] In 1906, he is credited with a part in a Broadway production titled Matilda as "Dr. Lamb".^[5]

He directed W.C. Fields's film debut in Pool Sharks in 1915.^[6] He also directed several shorts with casts that included Bud Ross. He made a series of films for the Gaumont Film Company.

He directed at least three "Cissy" films starring Cissy Fitzgerald. He worked for Gaumont Film Company in Jacksonville, Florida.^[7]

He was an organizer of the Motion Picture Directors Association of New York.^[8]

Filmography

• The Dream of a Motion Picture Director (1912)
• Lime Kiln Field Day (1913) – The oldest surviving film featuring African American actors
• One on Romance (1913)
• Because of a Hat (1914), writer
• Rip Van Winkle (1914) ^[8]
• The Flaming Sword (1915)
• The Widow Wins (1915)^[9]
• Leave it to Cissy (1915)
• Curling Cissy (1915)
• Cissy's Innocent Wink (1915)
• The Reformer (1915)
• Ethel's Romeos (1915)
• Pool Sharks (1915) – The first film appearance of W.C. Fields
• Wildfire (1915)
• The Haunted Manor (1916)
• The Isle of Love (1916)^[10]
• Flames of Vengeance (1916)
• Armadale (1916)^[11] – An adaptation of Armadale
• Gates of Divorce^[12]
• The Criminals Thumb (1916)
• The Hidden Face (1916)
• Gates of Divorce (1916) – A "three-part drama"^[13]