Earliest Birthdate of an Actor on Film

[RonJonSurfer]

This is a question that has been banging around in my head for a long time. I have no idea how to find the answer (translated - I'm way too lazy to find the answer).

What is the earliest date of birth (by year) of a person (actor or not) to appear in a film? Example: I noted that the actor that played Uncle Henry in the Wizard of Oz was born in 1869.

I've always been fancinated by our connections to the past. I would bet there was some 70/80 year old actor that appeared in a silent film in 1912. Imagine he or she would have been born in 1832 if 80 years old. To think that I can watch a person born in 1832 on film today is amazing to me. It might be even earlier too. I just don't really know how to research this easily.

Any ideas? You guys are always a great source for this sort of information.

Thanks, Ron

[Farin]

a very interesting subject...

the oldest film that I could think of is A Trip to the Moon (1902) which stars Georges Méliès (b. 1861), who was also the director, but I couldn't find the birthdates if all actors from it

on a similar line, do you know the earliest birthdate of a person on a photograph?

I know that eg Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (!) wife Constanze(1762 – 1842) can be seen on one

[Shawna]

I've always been fancinated by our connections to the past.

Must be why you and I get along so well. I find history incredibly fascinating.

This is really an intriguing question. I will have to look into some things - and into Martin's query, as well. Now that you guys have posed the questions, I will probably think about them until they're answered, as well.

[RonJonSurfer]

on a similar line, do you know the earliest birthdate of a person on a photograph?

I know that eg Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (!) wife Constanze(1762 – 1842) can be seen on one

That photo was great to see, thanks.

[RonJonSurfer]

Must be why you and I get along so well. I find history incredibly fascinating.

This is really an intriguing question. I will have to look into some things - and into Martin's query, as well. Now that you guys have posed the questions, I will probably think about them until they're answered, as well.

You'll note I was "fancinated", but also "fascinated"...I thought we got along so well because we are both good lookers.

[Steel2Velvet]

I know John Quincy Adams was the first US president (America's 6th) to be photographed.

[RonJonSurfer]

Born:Frederick Barkham Warde

February 23, 1851 in Wardington, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Died:February 7, 1935 (age 83) in Brooklyn, New York, USA

So, I Googled movies of 1912 and randomly selected The Life and Death of King Richard III. Was directed to IMDb and I clicked on the above actor. He was born in 1851! Imagine what he saw between 1851 and 1935.

[Steel2Velvet]

Born:Frederick Barkham Warde

February 23, 1851 in Wardington, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Died:February 7, 1935 (age 83) in Brooklyn, New York, USA

So, I Googled movies of 1912 and randomly selected The Life and Death of King Richard III. Was directed to IMDb and I clicked on the above actor. He was born in 1851! Imagine what he saw between 1851 and 1935.

Not nearly as much incremental progress as someone born 1960 and living until now.

[Shawna]

Not nearly as much incremental progress as someone born 1960 and living until now.

crap. Missed it by two years.

[Island Don]

The oldest actor I know to have been on the Silent Sceeem was C.Aubrey Smith. Born 7/21/1863.

[RonJonSurfer]

I'm amazed that this topic is over 5 years old and still getting some play. Thanks Island Don. I also miss seeing some of the folks that responded previously.

[trickymicky]

I was just thinking about the same thing RonJon and before coming here I had done some research and came across an actor who appeared in an early film version of Oliver Twist.

SEE RANK

Hudson Liston (1841–1929)

Actor

Hudson Liston was born in 1841 in Belfast, Ireland, UK. He was an actor, known for Leave It to Cissy (1916), Oliver Twist (1912) and Love's Pilgrimage to America (1916). He was married to Millie Liston. He died on September 15, 1929 in Amityville, Long Island, New York, USA.  See full bio »

Born:

 1841  in Belfast, Ireland, UK

Died:

 September 15, 1929  (age 88) in Amityville, Long Island, New York, USA

[Greylox]

Pop Taylor  ....1828!   http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853014/

This is the oldest with a picture I could find 1844  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076800/

[Dennis A Pope]

Though not a movie (in the true sense) "Roundhay Garden Scene" which is the oldest piece of surviving film has Sarah and Joseph Whitley, Both of whom are listed as being born in 1816/1817. For the oldest person ever to be still photographed, my money has to go with "Conrad Heyer". He was over a hundred when he was photographed in 1852 (born in 1749). He was a Revolutionary war veteran. (Isn't THAT awesome!)

Edited September 11, 2018 by Dennis A Pope
More info found

[Jeri LedBetter]

Found this on Wikipedia:

Matt B. Snyder (March 22, 1835 – January 17, 1917^[1]) was an American stage and silent screen actor and a Civil War veteran.

There is a picture in his bio of him in in Salomy Jane (1914)

[RobH]

While he wasn’t an actor, I believe the earliest-born public person on film was Pope Leo XIII b.1810

 

Barring a few home videos from the first years of the twentieth century of people who were over 100 and possibly born on the 1700s.

 

Rob