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William Gillette

Actor / Screenwriter / Writer / Theatre Director / Playwright | * 07/24/1853 († 83, 04/29/1937) | Hartford (United States of America (USA))
William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage-manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 1916 silent film. Gillette's most significant contributions to the theater were in devising realistic stage settings and special sound and lighting effects, and as an actor in putting forth what he called the "Illusion of the First Time". His portrayal of Holmes helped create the modern image of the detective. His use of the deerstalker cap (which first appeared in some Strand illustrations by Sidney Paget) and the curved pipe became enduring symbols of the character. He assumed the role on stage more than 1,300 times over thirty years, starred in the silent motion picture based on his Holmes play, and voiced the character twice on radio. His first Civil War drama Held by the Enemy (1886) was a major step toward modern theater, in that it abandoned many of the crude devices of 19th-century melodrama and introduced realism into the sets, costumes, props, and sound effects. It was produ... ()
Photo of William Gillette
Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Comedies | Crime

Known for these Movies & Shows

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Movies with William Gillette as Actor(1)

as Sherlock Holmes1916 Sherlock Holmes

Movies with William Gillette as Crew(8)

Writing/Theatre Play2013 Too Much Johnson
Writing/Theatre Play1977 Secret Service
Writing/Theatre Play1939 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Writing/Theatre Play1931 Secret Service
Writing/Writer1920 Held by the Enemy
Writing/Theatre Play1919 Secret Service
Writing/Theatre Play1919 Too Much Johnson
Writing/Theatre Play1916 Sherlock Holmes

Full Name: William Gillette
Born: Sunday, 07/24 1853 (July) in Hartford (United States of America (USA))
Died: Thursday, 04/29 1937 (April) in Hartford (aged: 83)
Zodiac sign: Leo (Chinese zodiac sign: Ox)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Member of: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Siblings: Edward H. Gillette
Father: Francis Gillette
Mother: Eliza Daggett Hooker Gillette
William Gillette frequently works together with these people:
Orson Welles (5x, Actor)
Beulah Marie Dix (3x, Crew)
John Berry (3x, Crew)
John Houseman (2x, Actor)
Donald Crisp (2x, Actor)
Clarence Geldart (2x, Actor)
Lillian Leighton (2x, Actress)
Wanda Hawley (2x, Actress)
Robert Cain (2x, Actor)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:621660, Added: 10/21/2018, Last updated: 03/14/2024