Fred Niblo — Blue Book of the Screen (1923) 🇺🇸
The sovereign state of Nebraska has not sent forth a large number of theatrical stars, but the limited number which adventured into the world more than made up for the lack of numbers.
Fred Niblo is a striking example. He began life in York, Neb., seemingly for the purpose of breaking all travel records. For he starred or produced his own plays in every English-speaking country of the globe during the long period of 25 years.
His first adventure was a financial venture with George M. Cohan, when the latter became an independent producer. Mr. Niblo then took a rover’s chance in musical comedy, dramatic productions or comedies, whichever happened along.
He wrote and starred in a number of successful stage plays. He will be remembered in such lively productions as Hit-the-Trail-Holliday and The Fortune Hunter.
An adventurer and soldier of fortune in his younger days, Mr. Niblo invaded sacred precincts in India and China, has appeared by command before royalty on the continent, chatted with cannibals in the Solomon Islands, won the confidence of Zulus and lived in their villages for weeks, slept in the tent of an Arab sheik in the desert fastnesses of Nubia, has been carried on the shoulders of stalwart savages through the swamps of Uganda, has risked a term in Siberia to take the only moving pictures ever made within the walls of the sacred Kremlin in Moscow, has attended fourteen bullfights in Spain at which the King was present, has photographed the late Czar, Czarina and Czarevitch in St. Petersburg, has made his home in England, France and many South American countries, and has photographed the innermost recesses of the African jungle.
With this highly colored experience behind him, it is little wonder that Mr. Niblo turned to the direction of motion pictures with success. He made sixteen Enid Bennett releases for Ince [Thomas H. Ince]; then followed such productions as Mother o’ Mine and “Daughters of Joy.”
Douglas Fairbanks [Douglas Fairbanks Sr.] next secured his services, and Niblo directed The Mark of Zorro and The Three Musketeers for that star.
He followed these notable productions with the Valentino [Rudolph Valentino] special, Blood and Sand, which stands out as one of the biggest and most vivid photodramas of the screen.
Mr. Niblo’s most recent production is The Famous Mrs. Fair for Metro release. “Captain Applejack” will follow.
Mr. Niblo’s mother was born in France, and was a brilliant and highly educated woman, as well as a rare linguist. His father, a captain in the Civil War, was wounded at Gettysburg.
Mr. Niblo married his first film star, Enid Bennett. They live near the Los Angeles film colony in a handsome home.
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Fred Niblo directed a scene in a small town that called out the entire population.
Portrait by Hoover • Los Angeles
Collection: The Blue Book of the Screen (1923)