Volume III: Biographies

SULLIVAN, Frederick R. *

Director, actor (1913-1917)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Frederick R. Sullivan was an important director with Thanhouser during the 1913-1917 period.

Biographical Notes: Frederick ("Fred") Richard Sullivan was born in London, England on July 18, 1872 and was educated at St. Paul's (London) and Rugby, and in California. He was a nephew of Sir Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. Early in his career he spent six years as a newspaperman in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City. He went on the stage in 1897, and in 1911 became a director and producer, producing The Two Mr. Weatherbees, The Candy Man, In the Bishop's Carriage, The Truth Tellers, The Reckoning, and other plays. On stage he directed Blanche Walsh, Blanche Bates, Rose Coghlan, Effie Shannon, John Mason, Herbert Kelcey, and other notables, working with Liebler, with Klaw & Erlanger, and others. At one time he was a leading comedian and director of the Stainach-Hards Stock Company in Mount Vernon, New York, a town contiguous to New Rochelle. He was married to Catherine Webb, an actress who at one time was with Thanhouser.

Frederick R. Sullivan joined Reliance on February 24, 1913, possibly marking the beginning of his screen career, and remained there for a few months, until early summer. He then went in the capacity of a director to the International Film Company for a brief time in the summer of 1913. Around the same period, he planned to open an office for film production, with John L. Folsom as his partner, in the Shubert Building in New York City. This idea apparently fell short of expectations, for by autumn 1913 he moved to Thanhouser, where he eventually directed the Diplomatic Free Lance series, the first 10 episodes of Zudora, and numerous other films. He was an actor in at least one Thanhouser film, The Campaign Manageress, in which he took the part of a bystander. The trade papers noted that for a period of six months, ending in the spring of 1915, he was away from Thanhouser gaining "needed rest and travel."

Reel Life, issue of April 17, 1915, contained the following notice: "Many important additions have been made recently to the Thanhouser staff. Among these are Lorraine Huling, George Foster Platt, and Frederick Sullivan.... Frederick Sullivan's appearance at New Rochelle is really a re-engagement, for, until a few months ago, he was a producer of Thanhouser films. Previous to that he was with the Reliance forces, and his extensive stage experience is distinctly in support of the present Thanhouser policy. He has a reputation for producing films that have a 'punch' and is an acquisition to the Thanhouser staff, who will be of the greatest value to Mr. Thanhouser in carrying out the large plans he has made."

He remained active with Thanhouser until the final year of the studio's activities and was working in New Rochelle in 1917. Later, he worked with other studios in many films through the mid-1930s. Frederick R. Sullivan died of heart trouble on July 24, 1937 in Los Angeles, California.

Note: His first name sometimes appeared as "Frederic" in publicity, and in at least one letter he wrote on Thanhouser Film Corporation stationery he penned his name as Frederic Sullivan. However, in most Thanhouser publicity his first name was given as Frederick.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1913: The Campaign Manageress (Princess 11-11-1913)

1914: A Leak in the Foreign Office (2-17-1914), The Cat's Paw (3-17-1914), A Debut in the Secret Service (4-7-1914), His Reward (Princess 4-24-1914), Gold (9-15-1914)

1914-1915 Serial: Zudora

1915: The Country Girl (6-15-1915), Crossed Wires (6-29-1915), When the Fleet Sailed (8-3-1915), Mr. Meeson's Will (11-6-1915)

1916: The Phantom Witness (1-19-1916), The Spirit of the Game (2-9-1916), Master Shakespeare, Strolling Player (4-20-1916), The Fugitive (8-13-1916), The Fear of Poverty (9-10-1916), Saint, Devil and Woman (9-25-1916), The Pillory (10-8-1916), Divorce and the Daughter (12-3-1916)

1917: Her Life and His (2-18-1917), When Love Was Blind (4-15-1917)

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