Volume III: Biographies

GLICKMAN, Ellis F. *

Actor, director (1914-1915)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Ellis F. Glickman was an actor on an occasional basis with Thanhouser in 1914 and 1915. His first appearance was in Repentance.

Biographical Notes: Ellis Glickman, born in Zsitomir, Russia in 1869, was known as a Jewish character actor on the stage. He began his career on the stage with Jacob Adler in London in 1887. After some disappointments, he decided to come to America, which he did in 1888. In the United States he made his debut in Troy, New York, in Goldfarden's comedy, Kuni-Lemels. He then went on tour in Yiddish plays, and in 1890 was well received in Chicago.

In 1894 he organized the first Yiddish stock company in Chicago, in Metropolitan Hall. Success was his, and in two years he moved to the larger Lyceum Theatre, where he remained until 1903, when he toured the United States. He had the misfortune to be in San Francisco in April 1906 during the great earthquake and fire and lost his possessions in the conflagration. Glickman returned to Chicago, where he leased the International Theatre, remaining there for several years. His much-publicized experiment using nine girl ushers, in place of the customary males, failed when he asked one what she would do to aid the patrons in case of fire in the theatre, and she replied, "I'd run like hell."

In 1909 he was seen in the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, at the People's Theatre in New York City, a role he had made famous in Chicago. The New York Morning Telegraph reported: "The commonly accepted idea that Shylock was a miser is repudiated by Glickman, who presents a human Jew merely - a man who betrays the frailties of human nature like other men, but who does not number among his vices that of avarice."

The New York Dramatic Mirror, May 27, 1914, told of his debut with Thanhouser: "Charles J. Hite, president of the Thanhouser Film Corporation, has made it possible for Ellis F. Glickman, the Jewish character actor, to be seen in silent drama. There has just been produced at the New Rochelle studio a four-reel picture by Mr. Glickman, called The Last Concert. Mr. Glickman has played more than 800 character parts on the speaking stage, being at one time leading man for Bertha Kalich. The Last Concert is Mr. Glickman's second appearance in the silent drama, his previous story being Repentance. Minnie Berlin plays opposite Mr. Glickman, being supportive in a cast headed by Nolan Gane, Thanhouser's juvenile." The Last Concert was not released until nearly a year later, on May 3, 1915. In January 1915 he managed three theatres in Chicago. Ellis F. Glickman died of heart disease in Chicago, Illinois on October 3, 1931.

Note: His surname was listed erroneously as "Gleichman" in certain publicity, including that for Repentance. This may have been due to the similarity of his last name with that of Philip Gleichman (co-founder of World Special Films Corporation, circa 1913, and World Film Corporation, 1914.) Further, in certain Thanhouser publicity for Repentance his name was advertised as "William" Glickman. For example, the following note appeared in Reel Life, April 4, 1914: "The noted foreign actor, William Glickman, heads the cast - his first appearance in a moving picture...." The Motion Picture Magazine often referred to him as Glechman (for example, in the issues of December 1914 and February 1915).

Thanhouser Filmography:

1914: Repentance (3-31-1914)

1915: The Last Concert (5-3-1915)

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