C.J. Williams

Biography

Born 23 July 1858 in New York, C.J. Williams spent his life on the city’s stages and screens, guiding both actors and cameras. Behind the lens he shaped the 1915 comedy The Funny Side of Jealousy, the same year he unveiled Crooky; four years later he steered the farcical Wild Oats to completion. Between shoots he stepped in front of the camera, lending his own face to the stories he loved. Off-set he shared his life with Ida Williams, his steadfast partner. He drew his final breath in his hometown on 26 January 1945, leaving behind a slim but spirited reel of early American screen humor.