Charles Sydney Ainsworth (Charles Sydney Ainsworth)

Charles Sydney Ainsworth

Actor. Born Charles Sydney Ainsworth in England (he used his middle name as his first name throughout his life), he came to the United States in 1877. During the Spanish-American War, he enlisted in the United States Army, and served as a Private in Company G, 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. After serving in Cuba, he was discharged, and began acting in the theatre in 1899. His break into show business came when a director needed someone with military experience to march a group of men on stage in the play “Arizona, which opened at the Grand Opera House in Seattle, Washington, on March 31, 1902. His part in the play became a responsible position and he eventually moved into the hero’s role in the road company play. Besides that production, some of his other stage performances include the works “Soldiers of Fortune”, “The Fortune Hunter”, “Strongheart” and the Broadway production of “The Wizard of Oz”. He acted with Lionel Barrymore and had a supporting role with the well known stage actress Maude Adams in J.M. Barrie’s, “The Little Minister”. He then moved into the motion picture business around 1909 when he made his first appearance in silent films. He worked with the Essanay Company in uptown Chicago, Illinois for four years and made about two to three silent films per week, but does not receive credit until the 1911 movie, “Mr. Wise, Investigator”. Moving to Beverly Hills, California, he became a member of the Goldwin stock company of actors. Standing 5’1” and balding at the time, he was cast mainly as patronizingly haughty villains. He appeared with Will Rogers in the films “Boys Will Be Boys” (1921) and “Poor Relation” (1921), and with Tom Moore in the film “Hold Your Horses” (1921). His last film was with young actor, Ramon Navarro in “Mr. Barnes of New York” (1922). He died the day before the release of “Mr. Barnes of New York”, at the Park Hotel, across from the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, after an illness of one year. His ill health was attributed to the yellow fever sickness that he acquired while in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. (bio by: Number1)  Note: Date of Burial: 24-May-1926, Military: Span-Amer, Race: White,,, Father: W.H. Ainsworth, Mother: J.W. Clugston Death Place: Madison, WI, Birth Place: England, Cause:, Occupation: Actor

Born

  • December, 21, 1873

Died

  • May, 05, 1922
  • USA

Cemetery

  • Forest Hill Cemetery
  • Wisconsin
  • USA

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