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William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was an internationally famous movie star of the silent film era. The first individually publicized leading man in America, Baggot was referred to as "King of the Movies," "The Most Photographed Man in the World" and "The Man Whose Face Is as Familiar as the Man in the Moon."
Baggot appeared in over 300 motion pictures from 1909 to 1947; wrote 18 screenplays; and directed 45 movies from 1912 to 1928, including The Lie (1912), Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (1925) and The House of Scandal (1928). He also directed William S. Hart in his most famous western, Tumbleweeds (1925).
Among his film appearances, he was best known for The Scarlet Letter (1911), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913), and Ivanhoe (1913), which was filmed on filming location in Chepstow Castle. The New York Times, Feb. 19, 1928, "Rare Old 'Stills'," p. 114.
Baggot attended Christian Brothers College High School, a prominent Catholic all-male secondary school, where he excelled at , was a star soccer and baseball player, and became captain of the soccer team. In 1894, King left St. Louis and went to Chicago, where he worked as a clerk for his uncle, Edward Baggot (1839–1903), whose business sold plumbing, gas and electric fixtures.
In 1899, he returned to St. Louis and later played on a semi-professional St. Louis soccer team and became so well known that a Catholic church amateur theatrical group added him to its cast to gain prestige. He liked acting and did well. He soon helped found another amateur theatrical group, the Players Club of St. Louis.
In the meantime, he sold tickets for the St. Louis Browns baseball team and worked as a clerk in the real estate business of his father.1900 St. Louis (Independent City), MO, U.S. Federal Census, St. Louis Ward 27, 1463 Union St., June 11, Enumeration Dist. 408, Sheet 14 A, Page 278 A, Line 32, William Bagott sic, Line 33, Harriet M. Bagott sic, Line 34, William K. Bagott sic, Son, White, Male, Nov., 1879, 20, Single, MO, Ireland, MO, Clerk in Real Estate, 0, 0, Y, Y, Y. But acting proved so interesting that he decided to become professional.
While acting in stock in St. Louis, in the summer of 1909, Baggot worked with Marguerite Clark in Peter Pan and The Golden Garter. In the two weeks that remained of the season, he played small roles in Frou Frou and Jenny, which both starred Countess Venturini. When the season closed, he was cast as supporting player with Marguerite Clark in the Schubert touring production of The Wishing Ring, which was adapted by Owen Davis from a Dorothea Deakin story. Another cast member, Cecil B. DeMille, also staged the play.
When The Wishing Ring closed in Chicago, Baggot returned to New York to join another company. Upon a chance meeting with Harry Solter, who was directing movies for Carl Laemmle at Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP), he was persuaded to go with Solter to the movie studio. Movies were then looked down on by the dramatic profession as a mere recording of stunts, but Baggot went along. He was amused at the violent gestures and jumping around of the players, taking none of it seriously. Baggot, however, became interested in the fledgling industry and later decided to give it a try and turn picture player.
In April 1910, Baggot was at home with his mother and family in St. Louis, when the U.S. census was taken there.1910 St Louis (Independent City), MO, U.S. Federal Census, St Louis Ward 26, 1463 Union Ave., April 25, Enemuration Dist. 407, Sheet 13 A, Page 35 A, Line 48, Harriet M. Baggot, Line 49, King Baggot, Son, Male, White, 30, Single, MO, Ireland - (Native Language) English, MO, Engl., Actor, Theatre, Wages, N, 0, Y, Y. He starred in at least 42 movies opposite Lawrence from 1909 to 1911. In the latter year, he starred in at least 16 movies with Mary Pickford, including Pictureland (1911). Pickford was hired to replace Lawrence after she and Solter broke their contracts, including the one-reel romance/drama Sweet Memories, which was directed by Thomas H. Ince.
Baggot also began writing screenplays and directing, all the while becoming a major star internationally. When he appeared "in person" at theatres he was mobbed at stage doors. By 1912, he was so famous that when he took the leading part in forming the prestigious Screen Club in New York, the first organization of its kind strictly for movie people, he was the natural choice for its first president.
Baggot starred as Wilfred of Ivanhoe in Ivanhoe (1913), a feature-length adventure drama that was filmed on location in England and at Chepstow Castle in Wales. He played the role of Jean Dumas in the drama Absinthe (1914), which was filmed in Paris. In his 1914 two-reel movie Shadows, Baggot directed as well as played the parts of ten different characters.
When he registered for the draft of World War I, on September 12, 1918, Baggot and his wife were living in New York City.WWI Draft Registration Card, Serial No.: 376, Name: William King Baggot, Permanent Address: Lambs Club - 130 W. 44th N.Y. City, Age 38, Birth Date: Nov. 7, 1879, Race: White, U.S. Citizen: Natural Born, Present Occupation: Motion Picture "Star," Employer's Place: Motion Picture Corp. W. 61st St. N.Y. City, N.Y., Nearest Relative: Ruth Baggot (Wife) Messeilles Hotel - 103rd St. N.Y.C., Signed: William King Baggot, Registrar's Report: Description of Registrant: Height: Tall: 5'11, Build: Medium: 185, Color of Eyes: Blue, Color of Hair: Lt. Brown, Dated: Sept. 12, 1918 New York City, N.Y. He starred in the role as Harrison Grant in the 20-part spy thriller The Eagle's Eye (1918) opposite Marguerite Snow, an adaptation of former FBI Director William J. Flynn's experiences that was produced by Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton, and as Sheldon Steele (The Hawk) in the crime film The Hawk's Trail (1919) opposite Grace Darmond.
As a director, he gave Marie Prevost her first starring role in the romantic comedy Kissed (1922). Baggot directed Mary Philbin and William Haines in the romance The Gaiety Girl (1924).
He formed his own production company, King Baggot Productions, and produced and directed The Home Maker (1925), a drama starring Clive Brook and Alice Joyce about the reversal of traditional roles between a husband and wife, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 1925, "Brook Lauds Character in 'Home Maker," p. 28. which was released through Universal. That same year, Baggot directed William S. Hart in his most famous western, Tumbleweeds, a drama about the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.
His alcoholism and problems with certain studio executives eventually ended Baggot's directing career. He turned to playing character roles, bit parts and even jobs as an extra, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 24, 1935, "Former Stars Flock to Ranks of Extras," p. A 1. and appeared in scores of movies in that capacity through the 1930s and 1940s, including Mississippi (1935).
Baggot played the uncredited role as a policeman on the street in Bad Sister (1931), which starred Conrad Nagel and Sidney Fox, with Bette Davis in her first movie role. He had the role as Henry Field, a movie director, in the Monogram Pictures drama Police Court (1932) co-starring Henry B. Walthall, which told the story of a has-been alcoholic actor (Walthall) trying to make a comeback. In 1933, Baggot and former leading lady Florence Lawrence, Paul Panzer and another former great star of the silent era, Francis Ford, were given bit parts in what would be former co-star Mary Pickford's last movie, Secrets.
In her Los Angeles Times gossip column on March 1, 1946, Hedda Hopper wrote, "King Baggot, who used to be one of our top directors, is working as an extra in The Show-Off. Los Angeles Times, Mar. 18, 1946, "Hedda Hopper --- Looking At Hollywood," p. 9. While living at the Aberdeen Hotel in Venice, California, Baggot made his final movie appearance in the uncredited part of a bank employee in the comedy My Brother Talks to Horses (1947) starring Butch Jenkins and Peter Lawford. Illness then forced his retirement.
King Baggot died at age 68 from a stroke at a sanatorium in Los Angeles.California Death Index, Name: King Baggot, Birth Date: 11-07-1879, Father's Last: Baggot, Sex: Male, Birth Place, Missouri, Death Place: Los Angeles (19), Death Date: 07-11-1948, SSN: 563-09-0139, Age: 68 yrs. Los Angeles Times, Jul. 12, 1948, "King Baggot, Early Day Idol of Films, Dies," p. 12. The New York Times, Jul. 13, 1948, Hollywood, Jul. 12 (AP), "King Baggott, 68, Early Film Star --- Leading Man of Silent Era Dies—In Industry Since '09, He Also Was a Director," p. 27. His funeral service was conducted in the chapel of Pierce Brothers Hollywood Mortuary at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 15, 1948. Los Angeles Times, Jul. 15, 1948, "Obituary --- King Baggot," p. A 15. He is interred in Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles.
For his contributions to the film industry, Baggot received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. His star is located at 6312 Hollywood Boulevard.
| 1910 | The Time-Lock Safe | The Father | Short | |
| 1911 | Sweet Memories | Edward Jackson | Short | |
| 1911 | The Scarlet Letter | Reverend Dimmesdale | Short | |
| 1911 | Pictureland | Pablo | Short | |
| 1911 | Tracked | Roger Densmore | Short | |
| 1912 | The Lie | Captain Robert Evans | Short | |
| 1912 | The Man from the West | Steve Jackson - The Man from the West | Short | |
| 1912 | A Cave Man Wooing | George - The 'Sissy' Hero | Short | |
| 1912 | The Romance of an Old Maid | Frank Rogers - a Widower | Short | |
| 1912 | Up Against It | Amos Bentley | Short | |
| 1913 | Gold Is Not All | Karl - the Composer | Short | |
| 1913 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde | Short | |
| 1913 | Ivanhoe | Wilfred of Ivanhoe | ||
| 1914 | Absinthe | Jean Dumas | ||
| 1914 | The Old Guard | |||
| 1915 | The Corsican Brothers | Louis de Franchi / Fabien de Franchi | Short | |
| 1915 | The Marble Heart | Raphael / Phidias | ||
| 1915 | The Suburban | Donald Gordon | ||
| 1916 | Half a Rogue | Richard Warrington | ||
| 1916 | The Man from Nowhere | James Herron | ||
| 1918 | The Eagle's Eye | Harrison Grant | ||
| 1918 | Kildare of Storm | Basil Kildare | ||
| 1919 | The Hawk's Trail | Sheldon Steele (The Hawk) | serial | |
| 1919 | The Man Who Stayed at Home | Christopher Brent | ||
| 1920 | The Thirtieth Piece of Silver | Tyler Cole | ||
| 1920 | The Cheater | Lord Asgarby | ||
| 1921 | The Girl in the Taxi | Maj. Frederick Smith | ||
| 1923 | The Thrill Chaser | Cameo appearance | ||
| 1932 | Police Court | Henry Field | ||
| 1935 | Mississippi | Gambler | Uncredited | |
| 1939 | Stronger Than Desire | Juror | Uncredited | |
| 1941 | Come Live with Me | Doorman | ||
| 1942 | Jackass Mail | Old Miner | Uncredited |
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