William Elliott

Biography

Boston, 4 December 1885: William Elliott drew his first breath in a city of clamor and cobblestones, and the stagestruck boy would trade those cobbles for boards of a different sort. By 1915 he had stepped in front of the camera twice in quick succession—first as the conflicted lead of The Model, then as the idealist at the heart of Comrade John—performances that announced a face made for the flickering new art form. Eight years later he resurfaced in Stephen Steps Out, reminding audiences that his easy charm had not dulled. Off-screen, he shared his life with two leading women: Augusta Belasco and, later, French actress Louise Lagrange. The curtain fell for good on 5 February 1932 in New York City, but the celluloid keeps Elliott forever mid-stride, forever young.