William Robert Daly

William Robert Daly was an actor and director of silent films in the U.S.

With Leatrice Joy in Down Home (1920)

He was a "stage director" at 19 years-old.[1] He directed the 1914 film adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin featuring the first lead role for an African Americam actor in a feature film for white audiences. Sam Lucas, who had played Uncle Tom in theatrical productions, played the part.[2]

Daly portrayed the villain in the 1912 film The Kid and the Sleuth.[3] He worked as a producer with William Selig in 1916.[4] For Selig's 1916 film At Piney Risge, Daly directed and produced. It was an adaption by Gilson Willets David K Higgins' theater production and Daly "escorted a company of players to the heart of the Tenn mtns where true scenes of mtneer life were filmed."[5]

He served on the board of The Screen Club and was photographed among its members in 1912.[6] In 1915 he was a director for the Dramatic Book film company in Santa Barabara.[7] He is pictured in a movie still lobby card from the 1922 film Pardon My Nerve.[8]

Fritzi Brunette was his third wife.

Filmography

Director

• Percy Learns to Waltz (1912)
• The Lie (1912), co-directing credit with King Baggot
• The Bridal Room (1912)
• Uncle Tom's Cabin (1914)[9]
• Unto Those Who Sin (1916)[10]
• His Brother's Keeper (1916)[11]
• At Piney Ridge (1916)[5]

Actor

• The Scarlet Letter (1911)
• The Dream (1911)
• A Cave Man Wooing (1912)
• Up Against It (1912)
• The Lid and the Sleuth (1912)[3]
• Back of the Shadow (1915), short)[12]
• Down Home (1920), as Joe Pelot (credited as Robert Daly)
• Action (1921) as J. Plimsoll
• The Roof Tree (1921)
• Her Night of Nights (1922), as Pop Mahone
• Confidence (film) (1922)[9]
• A Dangerous Game (1922)
• Pardon My Nerve (1922)[8]
• Cross Wires (1923)[13] as Pat Murphy
• Sawdust (1923)[14] as 'Speck' Dawson
• The Wild Party (1923)
• Trifling with Honor (1923), as The Kid's Father
• Held to Answer (1923), as The Organist (as Robert Daly)
• Ride for Your Life (1924), as Dan Donnegan
• Camille of the Barbary Coast (1925), as Chauncey Hilburn

Executive producer

• Traffic in Souls (1913)

Producer

• At Piney Ridge (1916)[5]

References

1. "Motography". March 9, 1916 – via Google Books.
2. "2012 National Film Registry". www.cbsnews.com.
3. Wlaschin, Ken (October 21, 2009). "Silent Mystery and Detective Movies: A Comprehensive Filmography". McFarland – via Google Books.
4. "Motography". March 9, 1916 – via Google Books.
5. "Southern Mountaineers Filmography | Special Collections at Belk Library". collections.library.appstate.edu.
6. "Motion Picture News". Motion Picture News Incorporated. May 2, 1912 – via Google Books.
7. "Daily Tribune 21 March 1915 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov.
8. "Pardon My Nerve!, US lobbycard, from left: William Robert Daly,..." Getty Images.
9. "William Robert Daly". BFI.
10. "Motography". May 2, 1916 – via Google Books.
11. "Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, leaflets, contributions to newspapers or periodicals, etc.; lectures, sermons, addresses for oral delivery; dramatic compositions; maps; motion pictures". U.S. Government Printing Office. May 2, 1916 – via Google Books.
12. Movie stills
13. Munden, Kenneth White; Institute, American Film (May 2, 1997). "The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States". University of California Press – via Google Books.
14. Nash, Jay Robert; Connelly, Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (January 9, 1988). "Motion Picture Guide Silent Film 1910-1936". Cinebooks – via Google Books.