- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- Arthur Houseman
- Arthur Housman was born on October 10, 1889 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for L'aurore (1927), L'oiseau de nuit (1926) and The Girl of the Golden West (1930). He died on April 8, 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Housman was one of two actors of the time who was famous for playing drunks, the other being Jack Norton. In real life Norton didn't drink at all, while Housman unfortunately developed a serious drinking problem.
- Slim, aristocratic actor who, after the advent of talking pictures, specialized in playing a comical drunk.
- Jack's Joke (1913) and The Edison Minstrels (1913) are two of Housman's early films that have been found and restored.
- Started in vaudeville and on stage in New York and worked in silent comedies at Edison, Selig and Fox. Starred in his own series of 'Housman Comedies' in the 1920s, of which one, Male Wanted (1923), is apparently the only survivor.
- Stan Laurel remarked that while he never saw Arthur sober he never saw him as he performed in films and he was in 5 with The Boys.
- I came to the stage by the star route. I read, when I was 17 years old, that any one born on October 10 - my birthday - was, astrologically, destined to be a great actor. I foolishly believed the stars, and here I am.
- I have been with the Edison Company for four years, and like it much better than stage work, for it is, in a way, easier; there's no night work, and it's more interesting, for on the stage you play the same part for a whole season, and sometimes more, when in movies you have a new part handed you every week, and sometimes two. My favorite parts? Don't ask me to name the characters, for I can't remember them, I like 'boob' parts pretty well. I've had a lot of them to play, and I like them. I like any comedy part, though.
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