Well many of you that read this blog may noteven be aware but there WERE movies of Oz before Judy Garland.... some of them even involving the Baum family.
My newest piece in my collection is JUST that. An original SIGNED photograph of Bryant Washburn from the 1925 version of the Wizard of Oz starring Larry Semon, Bryant Washburn, Oliver Hardy and Dorothy Dwan. Bryant played the role of Prince Kynd in the movie which focused in more of the humor than the actual story Baum wrote, even though L. Frank BAum Jr. was involved int he production.
According to online research I have done today--- Bryant was born in Chicago on April 28, 1889. The family moved and lived in Racine from the time Bryant was three till he turned eleven and they moved back to Chicago. He attended public schools and only went to the second year of highschool at Lakeview High School in Chicago.
His first theatrical experience was as a head usher at the old Chicago Opera House and then was promoted to the box office and then decided his place was was behind the curtain rather than in front of it. His first role was in a George Fawcett production and was a bit part. From there he went on to a small summer stock company at Lake Brady, Ohio just outside of KENT--which by the way is not far from here at all.
To keep this rather short Bryant for some reason is almost nearly forgotten today even though he played in over 300 movies. Movies include Captian Midnight, Call Of The Savage, The Spider Returns, Adventures of Captain Marvel and The Clutching Hand.
My newest piece in my collection is JUST that. An original SIGNED photograph of Bryant Washburn from the 1925 version of the Wizard of Oz starring Larry Semon, Bryant Washburn, Oliver Hardy and Dorothy Dwan. Bryant played the role of Prince Kynd in the movie which focused in more of the humor than the actual story Baum wrote, even though L. Frank BAum Jr. was involved int he production.
According to online research I have done today--- Bryant was born in Chicago on April 28, 1889. The family moved and lived in Racine from the time Bryant was three till he turned eleven and they moved back to Chicago. He attended public schools and only went to the second year of highschool at Lakeview High School in Chicago.
His first theatrical experience was as a head usher at the old Chicago Opera House and then was promoted to the box office and then decided his place was was behind the curtain rather than in front of it. His first role was in a George Fawcett production and was a bit part. From there he went on to a small summer stock company at Lake Brady, Ohio just outside of KENT--which by the way is not far from here at all.
To keep this rather short Bryant for some reason is almost nearly forgotten today even though he played in over 300 movies. Movies include Captian Midnight, Call Of The Savage, The Spider Returns, Adventures of Captain Marvel and The Clutching Hand.
Bryant died in Hollywood , California on April 30, 1963 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetary in Culver City California. Bryant had three children.
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