Tom Ricketts

For other people named Thomas Ricketts, see Thomas Ricketts (disambiguation).

Thomas B. Ricketts (15 January 1853 – 19 January 1939) was an English-born American stage and film actor and director who was a pioneer in the film industry. He portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the first American film adaptation of A Christmas Carol (1908), and directed one of the first motion pictures ever made in Hollywood. After directing scores of silent films, including the first film to be released by Universal Pictures, Ricketts became a prominent character actor.

Tom Ricketts
Ricketts in 1914
Born	Thomas B. Ricketts (1853-01-15)15 January 1853 Greenwich, London, England
Died	19 January 1939(1939-01-19) (aged 86) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupations	Actor Director
Years active	1882–1939
Spouse	Josephine Ditt

Biography

Thomas B. Ricketts^[1] was born in Greenwich, London 15 January 1853,^[2] the son of Rosa (née Penniall) Robert Ricketts. His father was a painter and when Thomas was 17 years old he emigrated to the United States, and initially worked as a painter himself. However he soon moved into acting in the theatre and directed plays on Broadway for Charles Frohman.^[3] He was a stage manager for the Shubert family, sang baritone with the Carleton Opera Company, and starred in his own play, Henri Duvar.^[4]

In 1906, after he had been with the Shuberts for four years, Ricketts was persuaded by a friend to join Essanay Studios in Chicago.^[5][3] He played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1908), the first American film adaption of the Dickens classic,^[6] then starred in The Old Curiosity Shop (1909). When Ricketts said he had toured with a comedy he had written, A Cure for Gout, the company asked him to make a 600-foot film of it—the length limit for a comedy at that time.^[5]

Ricketts became a director, taking over comedies and melodramas from Broncho Billy Anderson, who in turn took over Westerns. Ethel Clayton, Jack Conway, J. Warren Kerrigan and Bryant Washburn were among Ricketts's discoveries—along with Josephine Ditt, "the best-dressed woman on the screen", to whom Ricketts was married.^[5] Chief dramatic and general producer for two years at Essanay,^[7] he helped organize the American Film Manufacturing Company in 1910. He made six films for the Flying "A"^[5] before withdrawing and seeking another opportunity.^[7]

Ricketts (front row, right) in group photograph of the Nestor Motion Picture Company, 1911

In 1911 Ricketts moved to California, together with Canadian film pioneer Al Christie, with thoughts of creating a new film company. "We arrived in Los Angeles with no idea of where to establish our studio," Ricketts remembered. "A real estate man who happened to overhear our discussion of a studio site suggested Hollywood. The next day we found our way out to Sunset and Gower, to a defunct roadhouse. The owner, a woman, wanted $60 a month rent for the entire block. We thought it was too much, but we signed a lease."^[5] The Nestor Film Company opened its studio October 27, 1911.^[8]

Ricketts directed one of the first Hollywood-made motion pictures, The Best Man Wins (1911), photographed by Charles Rosher.^{[a][4][10][11]} Its stars were juvenile leading man Harold Lockwood, ingenue Dorothy Davenport, vamp Josephine Ditt, juvenile ingenue Victoria Forde, male heavy Gordon Sackville, and character actresses Eugenie Forde and Alice Davenport. Allan Dwan was Ricketts's assistant.^[5]

Nestor made between 50 and 60 films—half of them directed by Ricketts—over the next 18 months.^[5] On May 20, 1912, the company merged with the Universal Film Manufacturing Company,^[12] Nestor's distributor beginning with The Dawn of Netta (1912), directed by Ricketts.^{[13][14]: 11}

In 1914, on an independent contract, Ricketts directed Richard Bennett in Damaged Goods back at American. When flower girls were needed for a wedding scene, Bennett's three daughters—Joan Bennett, Constance Bennett and Barbara Bennett—began their film careers.^[4] "Its success made me a little egotistical," Ricketts recalled. "It cost about $25,000 to make and brought in a million and a half on its first run. I naturally thought it would put me in great demand as a director. But it didn't. I had to start all over again, this time going back to my old trade as an actor."^[b][5] However, Ricketts did direct several more feature films for American through 1916, including some with their major romantic team of May Allison and Harold Lockwood such as The Lure of the Mask (1915)^[15] and The Other Side of the Door (1916).^[16]

Ricketts in After the Thin Man (1936)

Returning to acting in 1919, in his mid-60s, Ricketts was almost always in demand for character parts.^[3] By 1935 he was described as "white-haired and bent with age … content with an occasional film role".^[4] His later films included Top Hat (1935), After the Thin Man (1936), Pennies from Heaven (1936), The Young in Heart (1938) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He was regarded as the oldest working actor in Hollywood.^[17]

Ricketts died at Hollywood Hospital 19 January 1939, aged 86,^[3][18] of pneumonia, contracted the previous week when he went to work at Universal Studios despite a cold. "Mr. Ricketts left no funds," reported The New York Times, "and expenses of his funeral will be paid by the Motion Picture Relief Society."^[5] Josephine Ricketts, hospitalized in Santa Monica^[3] since suffering a stroke at Christmas, was not informed of her husband's death;^[5] it was reported that she would be told sometime before his funeral.^[19] Ricketts was buried in an unmarked grave at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.^[2]

Select filmography

Director

Still from The Best Man Wins (1911)

Herald for Damaged Goods (1914)

Promotion for The House of a Thousand Scandals in Reel Life, 1915

Year	Title	Notes
1909	A Cure for Gout	[5][20]
1909	The Game	[21]
1909	Gratitude	[21]
1909	Justified	[21]
1909	Maud Muller	[21]
1909	A Woman's Wit	[21]
1910	The Adventuress	[21]
1910	An Advertisement Answered	[21]
1910	A Fair Exchange	[21]
1910	The Hand of Uncle Sam	[21]
1910	His Only Child	[21]
1910	The Lure of the City	[21]
1910	The Stolen Fortune	[21]
1910	The Thief	[21]
1910	Vera, the Gypsy Girl	[21]
1911	The Best Man Wins	First motion picture made in Hollywood[5][11][10]
1912	The Dawn of Netta	First film distributed by Universal Pictures[14]: 11
1914	Damaged Goods	[21][22]
1915	The Buzzard's Shadow	[21][23]
1915	The House of a Thousand Scandals	[21][24]
1915	The End of the Road	[21][25]
1915	The Lure of the Mask	[21][26]
1915	Secretary of Frivolous Affairs	[21][27]
1915	The Wily Chaperon	[21]
1916	The Other Side of the Door	[21][28]
1916	The Single Code	[21][29]
1916	Secret Marriage	[21][30]
1918	The Crime of the Hour	[31]

Actor

Forrest Stanley, Vivian Martin and Ricketts in His Official Fiancée (1919)

Clara Bow, Kate Lester and Ricketts in Black Oxen (1923)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1908	A Christmas Carol	Ebenezer Scrooge	[21]
1909	The Old Curiosity Shop		[5][32]
1919	Girls	Mr. Dennett	[21]
1919	His Official Fiancée	Major Montressor	[21]
1919	Please Get Married	Dr. Jenkins	[21]
1920	All of a Sudden Peggy	Major Archie Phipps	[21]
1920	The Desperate Hero	Butler	[21]
1920	The Great Lover	Potter	[21]
1920	The Paliser Case	Major Archie Phipps	[21]
1920	The Parish Priest	Dr. Thomas Cassidy	[21]
1920	The Spenders	Mr. Milbrey	[21]
1920	The Willow Tree	The Priest	[21]
1921	Beating the Game	Jules Fanchette	[21]
1922	The Killer	Tim Westmore	[21]
1921	Sham	Uncle James	[21]
1922	The Eternal Flame	Vidame de Pameir	[21]
1922	Fools of Fortune	Milton DePuyster	[21]
1922	The Lavender Bath Lady	Simon Gregory	[21]
1922	Putting It Over	Arnold Norton	[21]
1922	Shattered Idols	The Reverend Doctor Romney	[21]
1922	A Tailor-Made Man	Anton Huber	[21]
1923	Alice Adams	J. A. Lamb	[21]
1923	Black Oxen	Charles Dinwiddie	[21]
1923	The Dangerous Maid	John Standish Lane	[21]
1923	Strangers of the Night	Lush	[21]
1923	Within the Law	General Hastings	[21]
1924	Cheap Kisses	The Old Man	[21]
1924	Circe the Enchantress	Archibald Crumm	[21]
1924	The Gaiety Girl	His Grace, the Duke	[21]
1925	Bobbed Hair	Mr. Brewster	[21]
1925	The Business of Love	Noah Burgess	[21]
1925	The Fate of a Flirt	Uncle John Burgess	[21]
1925	A Fight to the Finish	Cyrus J. Davis	[21]
1925	The Girl Who Wouldn't Work	The Rounder	[21]
1925	My Wife and I	Valet	[21]
1925	Never the Twain Shall Meet	Andrew J. Casson	[21]
1925	Oh Doctor!	Mr. Peck	[21]
1925	The Price of Success	Peter Van Teyne
1925	Sealed Lips	Joseph Howard	[21]
1925	Secrets of the Night	Jerry Hammond	[21][14]: 50
1925	Steppin' Out	Henry Brodman	[21][14]: 50
1925	Wages for Wives	Judge McLean	[21]
1925	Was It Bigamy?	Judge Gaynor	[21]
1925	When Husbands Flirt	Wilbur Belcher	[21]
1926	The Belle of Broadway		[21]
1926	The Cat's Pajamas	Mr. Briggs	[21]
1926	Dancing Days	Stubbins	[21]
1926	Going the Limit	Mortimer Harden	[21]
1926	Ladies at Play	Deacon Ezra Boody	[21]
1926	Ladies of Leisure	Wadleigh	[21]
1926	The Lily	Jean	[21]
1926	Love's Blindness	Marquis of Hurlshire	[21]
1926	The Nutcracker	Isaac Totten	[21]
1926	The Old Soak	Roué	[21]
1926	Poker Faces	Henry Curlew	[21]
1926	Stranded in Paris	Herr Rederson	[21]
1926	When the Wife's Away		[21]
1927	Broadway Madness	Lawrence Compton	[21]
1927	Children of Divorce	Secretary	[21]
1927	In a Moment of Temptation	Timothy Gage	[21]
1927	My Friend from India	Judge Belmore	[21]
1927	A Sailor's Sweetheart	Professor Meekham	[21]
1927	Too Many Crooks	Butler	[21]
1927	Venus of Venice	Bride's father	[21]
1928	Dry Martini	Joseph	[21]
1928	Five and Ten Cent Annie	Adam Peck	[21]
1928	Freedom of the Press	Wicks	[21]
1928	Interference	Charles Smith	[21]
1928	Just Married	Makepeace Witter	[21]
1928	The Law and the Man	Quintus Newton	[21]
1929	The Glad Rag Doll	Admiral	[21]
1929	Light Fingers	Edward Madison	[21]
1929	Red Hot Speed		[21][14]: 64
1930	Prince of Diamonds	Williams	[21]
1930	Sea Legs	Commander	[21]
1930	The Vagabond King	Astrologer	[21]
1931	Ambassador Bill	Littleton	[21]
1931	Man of the World	Mr. Bradkin	[21]
1931	Side Show	Tom Allison	[21]
1931	Surrender	Gottlieb	[21]
1932	A Farewell to Arms	Count Greffi	[21]
1932	He Learned About Women		[21][33]
1932	Love Bound	The Baron
1932	If I Had a Million	Guest at Mrs. Walker's dance	[21]
1932	Stepping Sisters	"Stock Market"	[21]
1932	Thrill of Youth	Grandpa Thayer	[21]
1933	The Eleventh Commandment	Henry	[21]
1933	Forgotten	Old crony	[21]
1933	Good-bye Love	Alimony jail inmate	[21]
1933	Mama Loves Papa	Mr. Pierrepont	[21]
1933	The Power and the Glory		[21]
1933	Secret Sinners	Pop, the stage doorman
1933	Women Won't Tell		[21]
1934	Broadway Bill	Johnson	[21]
1934	The Count of Monte Cristo	Cockeye	[21]
1934	The Curtain Falls	Hotel manager	[21]
1934	In Love with Life	Bookstore proprietor	[21]
1934	Forsaking All Others	Wiffens	[21]
1934	Friends of Mr. Sweeney	Old gentleman	[21]
1934	It Happened One Night	Prissy old man	[21]
1934	The Man Who Reclaimed His Head	Curly	[21]
1934	Manhattan Love Song	Rich man	[21]
1934	No Greater Glory	Old janitor	[21]
1934	One More River	Barrister and clerk	[21]
1934	Pursued	Tourist	[21]
1934	Sons of Steel	Williams	[21]
1934	Springtime for Henry	Bookstore clerk	[21]
1934	Stolen Sweets	Stoner	[21]
1934	Viva Villa!	Grandee	[21]
1934	Whom the Gods Destroy	Charlie	[21]
1935	Clive of India	Old member	[21]
1935	Cardinal Richelieu	Agitator	[21]
1935	Escapade	Old dandy	[21]
1935	George White's 1935 Scandals	Old man	[21]
1935	Goin' to Town	Eligible bachelor	[21]
1935	The Great Impersonation	Villager	[21]
1935	Hi, Gaucho!	Don Salvador	[21]
1935	Let's Live Tonight	Millionaire	[21]
1935	Music Is Magic	Dancer, elderly man	[21]
1935	Now or Never		[21]
1935	The Public Menace	Old man	[21]
1935	A Tale of Two Cities	Tellson, Jr.	[21]
1935	Top Hat	Thackeray Club waiter	[21]
1935	Vagabond Lady	Department head	[21]
1936	The Case Against Mrs. Ames	Juryman	[21]
1936	The Crime of Dr. Forbes	Faculty doctor	[21]
1936	Daniel Boone	Attorney General's associate	[21]
1936	Show Boat	Minister	[21]
1936	Gold Diggers of 1937	Reginald	[21]
1936	Little Lord Fauntleroy	Partygoer	[21]
1936	Gentle Julia	Old man at dance	[21]
1936	Human Cargo	Reporter	[21]
1936	After the Thin Man	Henry, the butler	[21]
1936	To Mary - with Love	Waiter	[21]
1936	More Than a Secretary	Henry	[21]
1936	Pennies from Heaven	Mr. Briggs	[21]
1936	Song and Dance Man	Old theatrical couple	[21]
1936	We Went to College	Pop	[21]
1937	Born Reckless	Patient	[21]
1937	Maid of Salem	Giles Cory	[21]
1937	A Star Is Born	Servant	[21]
1937	The Lady Escapes	Uncle George	[21]
1937	The Prince and the Pauper	Sexton	[21]
1937	The Toast of New York	Member of the board of directors	[21]
1937	Personal Property	Elderly man	[21]
1937	Parnell	Elderly man	[21]
1937	Rhythm in the Clouds	Winter	[21]
1938	The Young in Heart	Andrew	[21]
1938	Bluebeard's Eighth Wife	Uncle Andre	[21]
1938	The Baroness and the Butler	Old man	[21]
1938	Young Fugitives	Tom Riggins	[21][14]: 107
1938	Gateway	Old man	[21][14]: 107
1938	Four Men and a Prayer	Station master	[21]
1939	Son of Frankenstein	Burgher	[21]

Notes

1. The Best Man Wins is a romantic comedy filmed in October and released December 25, 1911, promoted as a Christmas release. It is sometimes called the first Hollywood film. Also laying claim to that distinction is The Law of the Range, a Western directed by Nestor's Milton H. Fahrney that was released December 13, 1911.^[9]
2. As part of its obituary, The New York Times reprinted a North American Newspaper Alliance interview with Thomas Ricketts conducted not long before his death.