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Oscar Apfel | |
|---|---|
 Photo of Apfel fromThe First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen (1920) | |
| Born | (1878-01-17)January 17, 1878 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 1938(1938-03-21) (aged 60) Hollywood, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1913–1938 |
Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927.
Apfel was born inCleveland, Ohio. After a number of years in commerce, he decided to adopt the stage as a profession.[1] He secured his first professional engagement in 1900, in his hometown. He rose rapidly and soon held a position as director and producer, and was at the time noted as being the youngest stage director in America.[1] He spent 11 years on the stage on Broadway, then joined theEdison Manufacturing Company. Apfel first directed forThomas A. Edison, Inc. in 1911–12,[2] where he made the innovative short filmThe Passer-By (1912). He also did some experimental work at Edison's laboratory in Orange, on the Edison Talking Pictures devices.[1]
When Apfel left the Edison company, he joinedReliance-Majestic Studios, remaining with them 18 months.[1] In 1913, he became one of two main directors for theJesse Laskyn Feature Play Company, the other beingCecil B. DeMille. All the first Lasky pictures were produced under his direction. Among these were the notable successesThe Squaw Man,Brewster's Millions,The Master Mind,The Only Son,The Ghost Breaker,The Man on the Box,The Circus Man, andCameo Kirby.[1]
Apfel's directorial collaboration with DeMille was a crucial element in the development of DeMille's filmmaking technique.
In late 1914, Apfel left the Lasky Company and directed for various companies into the 1920s. His first move was to the producing staff of theWilliam Fox Corporation, where he directed a series of pictures in whichWilliam Farnum starred. Some of these wereA Soldier's Oath,Fighting Blood,The End of the Trail,The Battle of Hearts, andA Man of Sorrow.[1]
For the Paralta Company, where Apfel went after leaving the Fox Corporation, he produced Peter Kyne'sA Man's a Man andThe Turn of a Card in whichJ. Warren Kerrigan starred.[1]
Ravished Armenia (1919) (also known asAuction of Souls), a public-awareness picture for the Armenian Relief Committee, was Apfel's work. This production commanded wide attention and attracted great crowds at the special showings, which took place at the Plaza and other prominent hotels. The sympathetic interest evoked by its revelations helped in materially adding to the large sums that were subscribed to this cause.[1]
A series of pictures for theWorld Film Corporation, starring Kitty Gordon, Montague Love, June Elvidge, Louise Huff, andEvelyn Greeley, was also among Apfel's successful productions.[1]
After many years as a director, he gradually returned to acting. On March 21, 1938, Apfel died in Hollywood from a heart attack.[3]
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