Riley Chamberlin
Birth : 1854-11-07, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Death : 1917-01-24
History
Riley Chamberlin was an American silent film actor. He began acting in films at the age of 57, and starred in over 100 films until his death five years later at the age of 62.
Meeks, the butler
To her aunt's dismay, Prudence isn't interested in society life. She'd rather listen to the butler's tall tales of being a pirate. Nixed from a boat trip, she rents a schooner, recruits a crew and raises the jolly roger.
The Wicked Wicket Wonder
Released under Thanhouser's "Falstaff" comedy brand, in this film two rival lovers face off at croquet. One wins out because of his honesty, or rather, Clarence gets it wrong because he cheats at croquet.
Simon Southwick
A good example of the clever light comedy Thanhouser produced for its Falstaff label, while other studios cranked out broad slapstick comedies. Harry Benham and Mignon Anderson were versatile and popular Thanhouser stars, here showing considerable skill in light comedy, a genre that invites plenty of satirical social observation such as the burgeoning beauty-salon industry here. Cinema technique shows much more intricate editing and freer use of closeups than just a year or two earlier.
The Butler
The Colonel, for many years, has lived in the past, reverencing the lost cause of the Confederacy and hating all Northerners. When his daughter, Rose, named for her mother, falls in love with a New England youth, he haughtily refuses his consent. Rose and John Hewins run away and are married.
The Sheriff
The greenhouse proprietor did not take any heart in his work, for he firmly believed he was destined to be a great painter. The result was he neglected business for his easel and customers gradually fell off until the inevitable happened, he went into bankruptcy. His wife, who had faith in her husband's ability with the brush and a deep and abiding love for him, supported the household by her skill as a dressmaker. One day, unexpected good fortune came to the couple, a distant relative of the wife's died and left her $1,000 in his will. The woman made all sorts of plans, but finally decided that she would pay off the mortgage on their little home. Then she noticed for the first time that her husband had left the room, and following him she demanded to know what was wrong. At first he would not tell her, but he finally explained that he wanted the money himself, for it would pay for the art course in Paris.
Film realization of the Biblical story of Joseph, played here by future director James Cruze.
A young girl, who had talent as a violinist, came to New York determined to win fame on the concert stage. She found the field overcrowded, but accepted an engagement as violin soloist in a cabaret restaurant. She was pretty and her playing pleased the patrons of the place. One evening a roughly dressed man came into the restaurant. His attire was in sharp contrast to the foppish men in evening dress who were languidly eating their meals. When the young violinist made her appearance the countryman showed by his manner that she had made a deep impression upon him.
An Office Clerk
A dapper sergeant in the army won the love of a pretty young stenographer, and they had planned that as soon as his term of enlistment was up he would enter private life and marry her. The girl was employed by a firm who had offices in one of the tallest of New York's skyscrapers, and her sweetheart saw her there. She took him to her favorite observatory, the roof of the building, where he obtained a magnificent and uninterrupted view of the greatest city in the world. He, on his part, took his sweetheart to the army maneuvers, where she witnessed with delight the well drilled troops, but would not confess that there was one man among them who could not compare with the one of her choice. She was particularly interested in the signal corps, however, and at odd times the sergeant instructed her in the code until she had become fairly proficient in it.
The Grandfather
The young farmer's wife had one trial, her husband's father. He was old and peevish, and so racked and crippled by illness that he could not walk a step. The woman declared that something must be done and on numerous occasions pleaded with her husband to send the old man to the poor house. The farmer long, resisted, but at last he yielded and the woman drove away triumphantly, to make her arrangements at the alms house. The old man knew what was contemplated. Helpless and friendless he sat in his chair, and prayed for death. Who could blame him? The wife, as has been stated, was on her way to the alms house.
The Professor
If you were a studious man, accustomed to burning the midnight oil, wouldn't it annoy you if each night at 12 precisely, the ghost of a melancholy maiden appeared, weeping and lamenting? A certain professor was bothered this way. He was not afraid of ghosts and could have endured one whose specialty was silent haunting. He found, however, that the weeping maiden was a nuisance, and prevented him from concentrating. So he decided, ungallant though his conduct might be deemed, to get rid of her.
He was a hard-headed old business man and very mercenary, so when he received a letter from a debtor in a little country town asking for more time in which to pay the amount he owed, he decided to show no mercy. But on the way to the home of his debtors he had an accident. He slipped and fell from a cliff upon a projecting ledge below. He was thinking less of the money than of the chances of prolonging his life when he heard someone call him, and looking up he saw a girl standing on the cliff.
Clerk
A messenger boy is wrongfully accused of stealing bonds worth $20,000. Luckily, a film crew is shooting a moving picture on the same street. The boy's accuser has the police convinced, until...
Henry McGuire
The course of true love was running very smoothly until the girl became interested in the cause of votes for women. Her fiancé did not approve of it. There was a quarrel, and the engagement ring was haughtily returned. The young woman not only stubbornly refused to make up, but decided to become a really truly militant suffragette.
Mage Balthasar
Following a bright wandering star, three magi from the East travel to Bethlehem of Judea to meet a very special newborn baby. Meanwhile, King Herod, driven by a hideous prophecy, orders him to be found and murdered.
Brains / The Middle-Aged Scientist
Among the suitors of a wealthy widow was a middle aged scientist, and while the woman was glad to regard him as a friend, she did not see how she could ever accept him as a husband. The widow was a great lover of athletics, and one day dragged the professor to witness a meet. As they were about to return, an effort was made to rob the widow, and only because of the bravery of one of the young athletes, was the crook captured and the pocketbook recovered. In a few days it dawned upon the professor that while he might be a big potato in the field of science, he was only a small lemon in the garden of love.
The Gardner / Narrator
Over the years, an old gardener observes a romance develop between a young boy and girl. 20 years after they break up over a misunderstanding, the old man is instrumental in bringing them back together again.
Ex-Congressman Gray, The Girl's Father
The old man had political ambitions and a beautiful daughter. He uttered no protest when a bright young lawyer captured the latter, but when the same individual landed the congressional nomination upon which the elder had confidently counted, there was trouble. Enraged at his defeat, the old man summarily broke the engagement and sent his daughter back to a boarding school.
Undine's Uncle Kuhlborn
In the days long ago when knights were brave and venturesome, enchanted forests grew and mythical creatures lived among us.