{{short description|English actor (1867–1934)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Alec B. Francis | image = Alex Francis.jpg | caption = Francis in 1916 | birth_name = Alec Francis Budd | birth_date = {{birth date|1867|12|2|df=yes}} | birth_place = Suffolk, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1934|7|6|1867|12|2|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], California, United States | years_active = 1906–1934 | known_for = Actor | spouse = Lucy Smith Bower (m. 1923) }}
'''Alec B. Francis''' (born '''Alec Francis Budd'''; 2 December 1867 – 6 July 1934) was an English actor, largely of the [[silent film|silent era]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VnGeCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA122|title=A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses|first=George A.|last=Katchmer|date=20 May 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476609058}}</ref> He appeared in more than 240 films between 1911 and 1934.
==Biography== Francis was born in Suffolk, England.<ref name="clac">{{cite book |last1=Ellenberger |first1=Allan R. |title=Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory |date=May 2001 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-0983-9 |page=50 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bOJCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Alec+B.+Francis%22&pg=PA50 |access-date=December 26, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> He studied law at Uppingham College in England and practiced with a legal firm in London.<ref name="obit" />
Disliking legal work, Francis joined a stock theater company for which he played bit parts, and was baggage master and property man. He eventually came under contract with a touring company headed by [[William Hunter Kendal|Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Kendall]], acting in leading roles in England, India, South Africa, and the United States.<ref name="obit" /> He also performed in vaudeville.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Alec B. Francis |journal=The Moving Picture World |date=January 3, 1914 |page=57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEs_AAAAYAAJ&q=%22Alec+B.+Francis%22&pg=PA57 |access-date=December 26, 2020}}</ref>
Francis served twice in the military, once for Britain and once for the United States. He was in India for a four-year tour of duty with the British Royal Horse Artillery, and He was a nurse with American forces during the Spanish-American War.<ref name="obit" />
Although Francis tried farming after his service as a nurse, he returned to acting and appeared in some plays, including musical productions in which he sang as a baritone. He began acting in films in 1913 and worked for [[Vitagraph Studios|Vitagraph]], [[World Film Company|World]], and other film studios.<ref name="obit" />
Francis died in Hollywood Hospital in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], [[California]], on 6 July 1934,<ref name="obit">{{cite news |title=Alec B. Francis, film actor, dead |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/101189097 |access-date=December 26, 2020 |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |date=July 7, 1934 |page=13|id={{ProQuest|101189097}} }}</ref> three days after emergency abdominal surgery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Alec B. Francis, Film Actor, Dies|work=Brooklyn Times Union|date=July 6, 1934|page=2}}</ref> His funeral was held at St. Athanasius Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, and his remains cremated.<ref>{{cite news|title=Funeral Rites for Film Pair Set For Today|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 9, 1934|page=21}}</ref> [[File:Swanson Francis Valentino 1922.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Theodora Fitzgerald and her father Captain Fitzgerald (played by [[Gloria Swanson]] and Alec B. Francis) talk to Lord Hector Bracondale ([[Rudolf Valentino]]) in a scene still for the 1922 silent drama ''Beyond the Rocks''.]]
==Selected filmography== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * ''[[Waiting at the Church (1906 film)|Waiting at the Church]]'' (1906, Short) – Con Artist Suitor (uncredited) * ''[[The Military Air-Scout]]'' (1911, Short) – Commander Arthur – Marie's Father * ''[[A Reformed Santa Claus]]'' (1911, Short) * ''[[Saved from the Titanic]]'' (1912, Short) – Father * ''[[Robin Hood (1912 film)|Robin Hood]]'' (1912, Short) – Sheriff of Nottingham * ''[[The Man of the Hour (1914 film)|The Man of the Hour]]'' (1914) – George Garrison * ''When Broadway Was a Trail'' (1914) – Standish Hope * ''[[The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England]]'' (1914) – The Earl of Bateson * ''Lola'' (1914) – Dr. Barnhelun * ''The Pit'' (1914) – Cressler * ''[[Alias Jimmy Valentine (1915 film)|Alias Jimmy Valentine]]'' (1915) – Bill Avery * ''The Arrival of Perpetua'' (1915) – Hastings Curzon * ''The Model'' (1915) – Hugh Seymour * ''[[After Dark (1915 American film)|After Dark]]'' (1915) – Capt. Frank Dalton, Old Tom * ''The Impostor'' (1915) – Noel Ferrers * ''[[The Ballet Girl (1916 film)|The Ballet Girl]]'' (1916) – Jerry Vergoe * ''[[Fruits of Desire]]'' (1916) – Jeremiah Quimby * ''[[The Yellow Passport]]'' (1916) – Myron Abram * ''[[The Pawn of Fate]]'' (1916) – Abbé Paul * ''[[Human Driftwood]]'' (1916) – Father Harrigan * ''Tangled Fates'' (1916) – Mr. Rogers * ''The Perils of Divorce'' (1916) – Craig * ''Miss Petticoats'' (1916) – Worth Courtleigh * ''[[A Woman's Way (1916 film)|A Woman's Way]]'' (1916) – General John Stanton * ''[[Husband and Wife (1916 film)|Husband and Wife]]'' (1916) – James Watson * ''[[The Gilded Cage (1916 film)|The Gilded Cage]]'' (1916) – King Comus * ''[[The Heart of a Hero]]'' (1916) – Col. Knowlton * ''All Man'' (1916) – John Maynard * ''[[A Hungry Heart]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Cinderella Man (film)|The Cinderella Man]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Family Honor (1917 film)|The Family Honor]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Page Mystery]]'' (1917) * ''[[Forget Me Not (1917 film)|Forget Me Not]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Auction Block (1917 film)|The Auction Block]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Venus Model]]'' (1918) * ''[[The Marionettes (film)|The Marionettes]]'' (1918) * ''[[The Glorious Adventure (1918 film)|The Glorious Adventure]]'' (1918) * ''[[Thirty a Week]]'' (1918) * ''[[The Face in the Dark]]'' (1918) * ''[[Day Dreams (1919 film)|Day Dreams]]'' (1919) * ''[[Her Code of Honor]]'' (1919) * ''[[Spotlight Sadie]]'' (1919) * ''[[The Probation Wife]]'' (1919) * ''[[Lord and Lady Algy (film)|Lord and Lady Algy]]'' (1919) * ''[[When Doctors Disagree]]'' (1919) * ''[[The World and Its Woman]]'' (1919) * ''[[The City of Comrades]]'' (1919) * ''[[Heartsease (film)|Heartsease]]'' (1919) * ''[[Flame of the Desert]]'' (1919) * ''[[The Pest (1919 film)|The Pest]]'' (1919) * ''[[The Butterfly Man]]'' (1920) * ''[[The Paliser Case]]'' (1920) * ''[[Earthbound (1920 film)|Earthbound]]'' (1920) * ''[[Godless Men]]'' (1920) * ''[[The Great Moment (1921 film)|The Great Moment]]'' (1921) * ''[[A Voice in the Dark (film)|A Voice in the Dark]]'' (1921) * ''[[Courage (1921 film)|Courage]]'' (1921) * ''[[North of the Rio Grande]]'' (1922) * ''[[Beyond the Rocks (film)|Beyond the Rocks]]'' (1922) * ''[[The Forgotten Law]]'' (1922) * ''[[Is Divorce a Failure?]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Spider and the Rose]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Drivin' Fool]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Last Hour (1923 film)|The Last Hour]]'' (1923) * ''[[A Gentleman of Leisure (1923 film)|A Gentleman of Leisure]]'' (1923) * ''[[Mary of the Movies]]'' (1923) – cameo * ''[[Three Wise Fools (1923 film)|Three Wise Fools]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Gold Diggers (1923 film)|The Gold Diggers]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Eternal Three]]'' (1923) * ''[[Beau Brummel (1924 film)|Beau Brummel]]'' (1924) * ''[[Listen Lester (film)|Listen Lester]]'' (1924) * ''[[The Tenth Woman]]'' (1924) * ''[[A Fool's Awakening]]'' (1924) * ''[[Do It Now (film)|Do It Now]]'' (1924) * ''[[Capital Punishment (film)|Capital Punishment]]'' (1925) * ''[[A Thief in Paradise (1925 film)|A Thief in Paradise]]'' (1925) * ''[[Waking Up the Town]]'' (1925) * ''[[Soiled (film)|Soiled]]'' (1925) * ''[[Champion of Lost Causes]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Mad Whirl]]'' (1925) * ''[[Charley's Aunt (1925 film)|Charley's Aunt]]'' (1925) * ''[[Man and Maid]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Coast of Folly]]'' (1925) * ''[[Where the Worst Begins]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Circle (1925 film)|The Circle]]'' (1925) * ''[[Thank You (1925 film)|Thank You]]'' (1925) * ''[[Rose of the World (1925 film)|Rose of the World]]'' (1925) * ''[[Wandering Footsteps]]'' (1925) * ''[[Outwitted (1925 film)|Outwitted]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Reckless Sex]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Yankee Señor]]'' (1926) * ''[[Transcontinental Limited]]'' (1926) * ''[[High Steppers]]'' (1926) * ''[[Tramp, Tramp, Tramp]]'' (1926) * ''[[Pals First]]'' (1926) * ''[[3 Bad Men]]'' (1926) * ''[[Forever After (film)|Forever After]]'' (1926) * ''[[The Return of Peter Grimm (1926 film)|The Return of Peter Grimm]]'' (1926) * ''[[Camille (1926 feature film)|Camille]]'' (1926) * ''[[The Tender Hour]]'' (1927) * ''[[Sally in Our Alley (1927 film)|Sally in Our Alley]]'' (1927) * ''[[The Little Snob]]'' (1928) * ''[[The Lion and the Mouse (1928 film)|The Lion and the Mouse]]'' (1928) * ''[[Life's Mockery]]'' (1928) * ''[[The Terror (1928 film)|The Terror]]'' (1928) * ''[[The Shepherd of the Hills (1928 film)|The Shepherd of the Hills]]'' (1928) * ''[[Evangeline (1929 film)|Evangeline]]'' (1929) * ''[[Evidence (1929 film)|Evidence]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Sacred Flame (1929 film)|The Sacred Flame]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Mississippi Gambler (1929 film)|The Mississippi Gambler]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Bishop Murder Case (film)|The Bishop Murder Case]]'' (1930) * ''[[The Case of Sergeant Grischa (film)|The Case of Sergeant Grischa]]'' (1930) * ''[[Murder Will Out (1930 film)|Murder Will Out]]'' (1930) * ''[[Outward Bound (film)|Outward Bound]]'' (1930) * ''[[Feet First]]'' (1930) * ''[[Captain Applejack]]'' (1931) * ''[[Stout Hearts and Willing Hands]]'' (1931) * ''[[Mata Hari (1931 film)|Mata Hari]]'' (1931) as Major Caron * ''[[Arrowsmith (film)|Arrowsmith]]'' (1931) * ''[[The Last Mile (1932 film)|The Last Mile]]'' (1932) * ''[[Alias Mary Smith]]'' (1932) * ''[[The Last Man (1932 film)|The Last Man]]'' (1932) * ''[[Oliver Twist (1933 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' (1933) * ''[[Looking Forward (1933 film)|Looking Forward]]'' (1933) * ''[[His Private Secretary]]'' (1933) * ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1933 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' (1933) * ''[[The Mystery of Mr. X]]'' (1934) {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name|id=0290066|name=Alec B. Francis}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Alec B.}} [[Category:1867 births]] [[Category:1934 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century English male actors]] [[Category:English male film actors]] [[Category:English male silent film actors]] [[Category:English expatriate male actors in the United States]] [[Category:Male actors from London]] [[Category:People from Paddington]] [[Category:Actors from the City of Westminster]]