George Walsh — Blue Book of the Screen (1923) 🇺🇸

One morning about twenty-five years ago, as the sun was lighting up the New York skyscrapers, a brother was born to R. A. Walsh, now famous as a director.

Mr. Thomas Walsh and his wife, Elizabeth, named the arrival George [George Walsh], and at the christening George started on an athletic career by kicking over the chalice with his baby feet.

In a few years George grew into a sturdy school boy who raced and fought with sons of bankers and sons of bricklayers alike.

He later went to a private school in Washington, D. C., and there grew into manhood. And, growing as rapidly as he was, the desire for athletic fame led him to the gates of Georgetown University. There he made a record football kick that is still the talk of the campus. And it was there that he learned tricks of boxing that enabled him to stand off the terrific punches of Jack Dempsey in a friendly match in New York a few years ago.

After graduating at Georgetown, Walsh took a post-graduate course at Fordham University, in order to be near his now beloved athletics. There, in company with Richard Barthelmess, Dick Sutherland and Lambert Hillyer, all of motion picture fame, George spent two glorious years.

Then the wanderlust struck him and he decided to start towards the setting sun. He got only as far as California. D. W. Griffith was introduced to him and immediately cast him in Intolerance, the picture that made such stars as Wallace Reid, the famous Gish sisters [Dorothy Gish Lillian Gish], and Mae Marsh.

After that memorable picture, Walsh received news of his sister’s marriage to Willie Hoppe, world’s champion billiard player. He immediately left for the East to see the couple. There he and his brother, R. A. Walsh [Raoul Walsh], then appearing in Shakespearian repertoire, had a long vacation.

George then came West and signed an attractive Fox [William Fox] contract. He made such pictures as “The Serpent” with Theda Bara, “The Beast,” “The Meditator” and “Some Boy.” Then George and his brother made two pictures, “The Pride of New York,” and “This Is the Life.” A few months later he signed a long term Goldwyn contract.

Collection: The Blue Book of the Screen (1923)