About

Known credits:
66
Birthday:
1882-01-11
Place of birth:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Website:
N/A

Milton Sills

Overview

From Wikipedia

Milton George Gustavus Sills (January 12, 1882 – September 15, 1930) was an American stage and film actor of the early twentieth century.

Sills was born in Chicago, Illinois into a wealthy family. He was the son of William Henry Sills, a successful mineral dealer, and Josephine Antoinette Troost Sills, an heiress from a prosperous banking family.

Upon completing high school, Sills was offered a one-year scholarship to the University of Chicago, where he studied psychology and philosophy. After graduating, he was offered a position at the university as a researcher and within several years worked his way up to become a professor at the school.

In 1905, stage actor Donald Robertson visited the school to lecture on author and playwright Henrik Ibsen and suggested to Sills that he try his hand at acting. On a whim, Sills agreed and left his prestigious teaching career to embark on a stint in acting. Sills joined Robertson's stock theater company and began touring the country.

In 1914, Sills decided to conquer the new medium of motion pictures. He made his film debut the same year in the big-budget drama The Pit for the World Film Company and was signed to a contract with film producer William A. Brady. The film was enormously successful, and Sills made three more films for the company, including another huge box-office draw The Deep Purple opposite silent screen star Clara Kimball Young. By the late 1910s, Sills had reached leading man status and parted ways with World Film, taking the then unusual path of freelancing as an actor.

By the early 1920s, Sills was enjoying a highly successful acting career and working for such prominent film studios as MGM, Paramount Pictures, and Pathé Exchange. He was often paired with the most popular leading ladies of the era, including: Geraldine Farrar, Gloria Swanson and Viola Dana.

His greatest public and commercial successes came with the now lost Flaming Youth (1923) opposite Colleen Moore, and the enormous box-office hit The Sea Hawk (1924).

Sills made two sound pictures, showing that he had an excellent voice. Many may have forgotten that Sills had extensive stage training before embarking on his career before the cameras. Sills died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1930 while playing tennis with his wife at his Santa Barbara, California home at the age of 48. He was interred at the Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago, Illinois.

Known for

Acting
1961 The Legend of Rudolph Valentino Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
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1930 The Sea Wolf Actor 'Wolf' Larsen N/A
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1930 Man Trouble Actor Mac 59
Average
1929 Love and the Devil Actor 58
Average
1929 His Captive Woman Actor 59
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1928 The Crash Actor Jim Flannagan N/A
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1928 The Barker Actor Nifty Miller N/A
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1928 The Hawk's Nest Actor The Hawk/John Finchley N/A
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1928 Burning Daylight Actor Elam 'Burning Daylight' Harnish 59
Average
1928 The Circus: Premiere Actor Self 59
Average
1927 The Valley of the Giants Actor Bryce Cardigan N/A
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1927 Hard-Boiled Haggerty Actor Hard-Boiled Haggerty N/A
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1927 Framed Actor Etienne Hilaire N/A
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1927 The Sea Tiger Actor Justin Ramos N/A
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1926 The Silent Lover Actor Count Pierre Tornal N/A
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1926 Paradise Actor Tony N/A
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1926 Men of Steel Actor Jan Bokak N/A
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1926 Puppets Actor Nicola Riccobini N/A
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1925 The Knockout Actor Sandy Donlin N/A
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1925 The Making of O'Malley Actor O'Malley N/A
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1925 As Man Desires Actor Major John Craig 58
Average
1924 Madonna of the Streets Actor Reverend John Morton N/A
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1924 The Sea Hawk Actor Sir Oliver Tressilian 59
Average
1924 Flowing Gold Actor Calvin Gray N/A
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1924 A Lady of Quality Actor Gerald Mertoun, Duke of Osmonde N/A
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1923 Flaming Youth Actor Cary Scott 58
Average
1923 Adam's Rib Actor Michael Ramsay 58
Average
1923 The Spoilers Actor Roy Glennister N/A
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1923 Legally Dead Actor Will Campbell / George Brown N/A
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1923 Souls for Sale Actor Self - Celebrity Actor (uncredited) 59
Average
1923 The Isle of Lost Ships Actor Frank Howard N/A
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1923 What a Wife Learned Actor Rudolph Martin N/A
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1923 The Last Hour Actor Steve Cline N/A
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1922 The Forgotten Law Actor Richard Jarnette 58
Average
1922 Seeing Stars Actor Self 58
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1922 Burning Sands Actor Daniel Lane N/A
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1922 Skin Deep Actor Bud Doyle N/A
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1922 A Trip to Paramountown Actor Self 58
Average
1922 The Woman Who Walked Alone Actor Clement Gaunt N/A
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1922 One Clear Call Actor Dr. Alan Hamilton N/A
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1921 Miss Lulu Bett Actor Neil Cornish 58
Average
1921 The Great Moment Actor Bayard Delaval N/A
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1921 At the End of the World Actor Gordon Deane N/A
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1921 The Faith Healer Actor Michaelis N/A
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1920 The Furnace Actor Keene Mordaunt N/A
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1920 The Street Called Straight Actor Peter Devenant N/A
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1919 Eyes of Youth Actor Louis Anthony 59
Average
1919 The Woman Thou Gavest Me Actor Conrad N/A
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1919 The Hushed Hour Actor Luke Appleton N/A
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1919 The Stronger Vow Actor Juan Estudillo N/A
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1919 Satan Junior Actor Paul Worden N/A
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1918 The Hell Cat Actor Sheriff Jack Webb N/A
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1918 The Claw Actor Major Anthony Kinsella N/A
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1918 The Yellow Ticket Actor Julian Rolfe N/A
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1917 Married in Name Only Actor Robert Worthing N/A
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1917 Making Monkey Business Actor The Flea N/A
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1917 The Honor System Actor Joseph Stanton N/A
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1917 Patria Actor Capt. Donald Parr 59
Average
1915 The Woman Who Lied Actor Jack Stanley N/A
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1915 Under Southern Skies Actor Burleigh Mavor N/A
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1915 The Taming of Mary Actor Harry Benton N/A
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1915 The Arrival of Perpetua Actor Thaddeus Curzon N/A
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1914 The Pit Actor Corthell N/A
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Writing
1926 Men of Steel Writing Writer N/A
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1925 A Lover's Oath Writing Writer 58
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Editing
1925 A Lover's Oath Editing Editor 58
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