Arthur Byron

This article is about the American actor. For the English tenor, see Arthur Byron (tenor).

Arthur William Byron (April 3, 1872 – July 16, 1943) was an American actor^[1] who played a mixture of British and American roles in films.

Arthur Byron
Byron in The Casino Murder Case, 1935
Born	Arthur William Byron (1872-04-03)April 3, 1872 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	July 16, 1943(1943-07-16) (aged 71) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film actor
Years active	1932–1937
Spouse	Kathryn Keys
Children	3
Father	Oliver Doud Byron
Relatives	Ada Rehan (aunt)
4th President of the Actors' Equity Association
In office 1938–1940
Preceded by	Burgess Meredith (acting president)
Succeeded by	Bert Lytell

L-R: Richard Barbee, Arthur Byron, and Margaret Lawrence in the Broadway production of Transplanting Jean (1921)

Early years

Born in Brooklyn, Byron was the son of actors Kate Crehan and Oliver Doud Byron.^[1] He was a nephew of the stage actress Ada Rehan.^[2]

Career

Byron started his theatrical career in February 1889^[3] at the age of 17 with his father's dramatic company. In 1939 he celebrated his 50 years in showbusiness.

He appeared in more than 300 plays and played with stars like Maxine Elliott, Ethel Barrymore, John Gielgud, Katherine Cornell, Maude Adams and Minnie Maddern Fiske.

He was a founder and one-time president of The Actors' Equity Association and a member of The Lambs^[2] and the Actor's fund of America.^{[citation needed]}

Byron appeared many times at the Lakewood Playhouse in Maine.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life and death

Byron was married to Kathryn Keyes, and they had two daughters and a son.^[3] He died of a heart ailment, from which he suffered for some years, in Hollywood in 1943. He was cremated and his ashes were sent to the Byron summer home in Maine.^[2]

Selected filmography

• Nervy Nat Kisses the Bride (1904, Edison)
• Fast Life (1932) - John D. Jameson
• The Mummy (1932) - Sir Joseph Whemple
• 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) - Warden Paul Long
• Gabriel Over the White House (1933) - Jasper Brooks - Secretary of State
• The Silk Express (1933) - Conductor Clark
• Private Detective 62 (1933) - Tracey (uncredited)
• The Mayor of Hell (1933) - Judge Gilbert
• College Coach (1933) - Dr. Phillip Sargent
• Two Alone (1934) - Slag
• The House of Rothschild (1934) - Baring
• Stand Up and Cheer! (1934) - John Harly
• Fog Over Frisco (1934) - Everett Bradford
• The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934) - Police Insp. Stone
• The Man with Two Faces (1934) - Dr. Kendall
• That's Gratitude (1934) - Thomas Maxwell
• Marie Galante (1934) - Gen. Gerald Phillips
• The President Vanishes (1934) - President Craig Stanley
• The Secret Bride (1934) - Governor W.H. Vincent
• Shadow of Doubt (1935) - Morgan Bellwood
• The Whole Town's Talking (1935) - Spencer
• The Casino Murder Case (1935) - Richard Kinkaid
• Murder in the Fleet (1935) - Capt. John Winslow
• Oil for the Lamps of China (1935) - No. 1 Boss
• The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) - Mr. Erickson
• The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) - (scenes deleted) (final film role)