Griffith, Raymond, -1957

Silent film star Raymond Griffith was born on January 23, 1895 in Boston, Massachusetts to Mary Guichard and James Griffith. The Griffith family were involved in local theater and Raymond made his debut on the stage at a year old. At the age of fifteen, Griffith joined the United States Navy, where he served for over two years. Upon his discharge, he began working in theater, eventually working for Mack Sennett and later Marshall Neilan. Most of his work is lost, but he is most known for his roles in The Night Club (1925), Trent's Last Case (1929), and Fort Winks (1925). Additionally, Griffith starred in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), his last film. However, he continued to work as a producer and screenwriter until 1940, including contributing on Howard Hughes' Sky Devils (1932).

Griffith married a fellow actor, Bertha Mann, on January 8, 1928, whom he met after a play in New York, New York on Broadway ten years prior. They carried on a long distance relationship, until their marriage. The couple had two children, Michael Griffith in 1931 and Raymond Griffith Jr., who was stillborn on June 6, 1929. Additionally, the adopted another child, Patricia, whose parents died in an automobile accident. While attending a dinner on November 25, 1957, Griffith choked on his meal and died of asphyxiation.

Sources:

Genealogy files about "Raymond Griffith." Accessed on December 1, 2021 on FamilySearch.org.

Bruce, Calvert. "Raymond Griffith: Silk Hat Comedian". CLASSIC IMAGES, February, 2005. https://www.silentfilmstillarchive.com/raymond.htm.