Robert Schable

Robert Schable (August 31, 1873^[1] – July 3, 1947)^[2][1] was an American stage and screen actor as well as a stage manager, known for his screen portrayals of upper-class villains.^[3][4]

Robert Schable
Robert Schable, 1920
Born	(1873-08-31)August 31, 1873 Hamilton, Ohio
Died	July 3, 1947(1947-07-03) (aged 73) Hollywood, California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1890s-1929
Spouse	Wilda Bennett (1912-20 divorced)

Anna Q. Nilsson and Robert Schable in Without Limit 1921

Career

Born in Hamilton, Ohio to German immigrants Charles Schable and Mary Hesterberg,^[5][6] Schable was a stage performer with the Charles Frohman company in the 1890s,^[7] and a stage manager with John Drew Jr. in the decade following that.^[8] He began in silent films in 1919,^[7] often playing comedic, character parts or men with a European flair.

Broadway shows in which Schable appeared included On With the Dance (1917), The Fallen Idol (1915), Inconstant George (1909), Jack Straw (1908), De Lancey (1905), The Duke of Killicrankie (1904), Captain Dieppe (1903), The Mummy and the Humming Bird (1903), The Mummy and the Humming Bird (1902), The Second in Command (1901), Richard Carvel (1900), Beau Brummell (1899), Cyrano de Bergerac (1899), and The Man of Destiny (1899).^[9]

Following his retirement from acting in 1929, Schable was director George Fitzmaurice's business manager.^[10]

Personal life and death

Schable was married to Wilda Bennett from March 20, 1912 until their divorce on August 12, 1920.^[11][12]

On July 3, 1947, Schable, despondent over his worsening health and residing at the Virginia Rest Home at 2120 North Vermont Avenue in Hollywood, was found by a nurse in the bathroom of his apartment, dead, having slashed his throat with a razor. He had left a note requesting that his attorney be contacted and giving instructions regarding the funeral. His estate, valued at $5,000, was divided between personal friends and an assortment of theatrical benefit organizations. Schable had no immediate relatives.^[10] Following the funeral on July 7, his remains were cremated.^[13]

Selected filmography

• The World to Live In (1919)
• The Marriage Price (1919)
• Redhead (1919)
• The Test of Honor (1919)
• The Firing Line (1919)
• On with the Dance (1920)
• Sinners (1920)
• The Stolen Kiss (1920)
• A Romantic Adventuress (1920)
• Blind Wives (1920)
• Paying the Piper (1921)
• Without Limit (1921)
• Experience (1921)
• Sisters (1922)
• Sherlock Holmes (1922)
• The Woman Who Fooled Herself (1922)
• Love's Masquerade (1922)
• Bella Donna (1923)
• Slander the Woman (1923)
• In Search of a Thrill (1923)
• The Silent Partner (1923)
• The Cheat (1923)
• The Stranger (1924)
• Partners Again (1926)
• Silken Shackles (1926)
• The Love of Sunya (1927)
• Sailors' Wives (1928)
• Careers (1929)
• The Man and the Moment (1929)
• The Locked Door (1929) (uncredited)

References

1. "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG5L-PVD : 26 November 2014), Robert Schable, 03 Jul 1947; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
2. Stewart, William T.; McClure, Arthur F.; Jones, Ken D. (1981). International Film Necrology. New York: Garland Publishing. p. 264. ISBN 0-8240-9552-9.
3. Fox, Charles Donald; Silver, Milton L.; eds. (1920). Who's Who on the Screen. New York: Ross Publishing. p. 43. OCLC 476002.
4. McElliott (January 14, 1921). "Cut Backs and Close Ups". New York Daily News. p. 28. ProQuest 2260462246. Robert Schable seems doomed to play 'heavies' for the rest of his life. Having done the villain in 'Blind Wives,' he's now engaged in behaving badly for the director in 'Temple Dusk,' a poetically named fillum.
5. "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K43-JH34 : 11 February 2023), Robert Schable, .
6. "United States Census, 1910", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLZV-ZRB : Fri Oct 06 11:37:12 UTC 2023), Entry for Charles T Schable and Mary Schable, 1910.
7. Robert Schable bio by Hans J. Wollstein; allmovie.com
8. Barry, Owen (September 1909). "The Sign of the Zodiac—III; The Children of Virgo". The Green Book Magazine, Volume 2. p. 566.
9. "Robert Schable". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
10. "Retired Actor Ends His Life". The Los Angeles Times. July 4, 1947. pt. II, pg. 8. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
11. "Miss Wilda Bennett Married; Niece of Red Bank Man Wedded to Ohio Man Last Wednesday". The Daily Register. March 27, 1920.
12. "Wilda Long Loved Her New Mate, 'Tis Said; Turfman's Fists Pull Secrecy From Her Lengthy Romance". New York Daily News. April 24, 1926. p. 4. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
13. "Robert Schable". The Los Angeles Times. July 6, 1947. p. 9A

External links

• Robert Schable at IMDb
• Robert Schable at the Internet Broadway Database
• kinotv.com