{{Short description|Acting family}} The '''Watson Family''' are an American family of nine sibling actors who are known as "the first family of Hollywood”. They were initially active as child actors in silent motion picture films.

As of 2026, Garry Watson, the eighth Watson sibling, is the only living sibling.<ref name="TgraphBilly">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/03/24/billy-watson-child-actor-dating-back-silent-era-appeared-brothers/|title=Billy Watson, child actor dating back to the silent era who appeared with his brothers|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=London|date=March 24, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2022}}</ref> Since the death of Mildred Kornman, he is considered the last living credited actor of the silent film era.<ref name="ETV">{{cite news |title='Our Gang' Actress, '40s Fashion Model Mildred Kornman Dies at 97 |url=https://extratv.com/2022/08/21/our-gang-actress-mildred-kornman-dies-at-97/ |access-date=22 August 2022 |publisher=Extra TV |date=21 August 2022}}</ref>

==Biography== When Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, located just 600 feet from the Watson family home, required child actors for films, the father Canadian American J. C "Coy" Watson Sr. provided his children for casting. The Watson children worked with many big stars in the early Hollywood era, such as James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Fred Astaire, Shirley Temple, Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. All six Watson brothers worked as press, newsreel and television photographers during their adult careers.<ref name="LAT2009">{{cite news|last=Nelson|first=Valerie J.|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-coy-watson17-2009mar17,0,7619604.story|title=Coy Watson Jr. dies at 96; one of nine silent-era sibling actors|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 17, 2009|access-date=March 26, 2022}}</ref>

One of the siblings, Delmar Watson, stated in the ''Los Angeles Times'' in 1968, "The studio knew we had kids of all sizes, so when they needed a kid for one of their pictures, they grabbed one of us, and soon we were all working steadily".<ref name="LATimesObit"/>

==Legacy== The family members were collectively honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6674 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California on April 22, 1999. Billy, Garry, and Louise were interviewed in July, 2017 about their experiences in Hollywood.<ref name="express2017">[https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/825385/Hollywood-stars-Watson-children-film-history Hollywood's first family: The children stars of the silent movies]</ref><ref name="StarShines">Pool, Bob. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-23-me-30091-story.html "Star Shines Brightly for Hollywood's First Family"], ''The Los Angeles Times'', April 23, 1999. Metro Part B Metro Desk, pg. 1.</ref>

==The Watson Family's relatives (parents, grandparents and uncles)== {{expand section|date=September 2022}}

The Watson family's grandfather, James Watson, was a photographer who took photos of Buffalo Bill on Broadway in 1904.<ref name="LATimesObit" />

His son, J.C. (James Caughey) "Coy" Watson Sr. (born Ontario, Canada, April 14, 1890 – May 23, 1968), was a journeyman plasterer, who became a horse breaker for cowboy star Buck Jones and rented mounts to stars Hoot Gibson and Tom Mix, before getting into the special effects department, and became notable for designing The Flying Carpet that Douglas Fairbanks rode in the 1924 film ''The Thief of Bagdad'',<ref name="LATimesObit" /> he married Golda Gladdis Wimer (1893–1979) on September 23, 1910.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=1044178|name=J.C. Watson}}</ref> Their nine children went on to act in over 1,000 films, starting out as toddlers and child stars.

The eldest of the siblings, Coy Watson Jr., authored the book ''The Keystone Kid''.<ref name="LAT2009" />

The Watson's uncle George Watson was the first full time photographer for the Los Angeles Mirror and opened "Acme Studio Pictures"<ref name="LATimesObit" />

==The Watson Family siblings== {|class="wikitable" |- !Name !Birth name !Date of birth !Date of death !Actor's details |- | Coy Watson Jr. || James Caughey Watson Jr. || November 16, 1912 || March 14, 2009 (aged 96)<ref name="LAT2009" /> || His acting career started at 9 months old in Keystone Cops comedies in the 1913 silent film "The Prince of Silence". |- | Vivian Watson Wyatt{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} || Vivian Evangeline Watson || February 19, 1915 || December 18, 1994 (aged 79) || |- | Gloria Watson Dean{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} || Gloria Amy Watson || July 4, 1917 || June 1, 1997 (aged 79) || |- | Louise Watson Roberts{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} || Mamie Louise Watson || November 22, 1919 || June 5, 2018 (aged 98) || Debuted at age 8 in ''Taxi 13''. Her last role was in 1997. |- | Harry Watson || Harry Railton Watson || August 31, 1921 || June 8, 2001 (aged 79) || |- | Billy Watson || William Richard Watson || December 25, 1923 || February 17, 2022 (aged 98) || <ref name="TgraphBilly" /> |- | Delmar Watson || David Delmar Watson || July 1, 1926 || October 26, 2008 (aged 82) || Appeared in over 300 films as a youth including Heidi starring Shirley Temple and with three of his brothers in the film ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' from the 1940s worked as a new photographer, and worked with the Coast Guard as a cameraman during World War II<ref name="LATimesObit">Nelson, Valerie J. [https://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-me-watson28-2008oct28,0,3581624.story "Delmar Watson, child actor turned news photographer, dies at 82"]</ref> |- style="background:#9f9;" | Garry Watson || Garry Armand Watson || {{birth_date and age| September 27, 1928}} || Living<ref name="TgraphBilly" /> || Debuted at age 1 in the 1929 film ''Drag'' and is the last living actor from the Hollywood silent film era.<ref name="ETV"/> |- | Bobs Watson || Robert Ball Watson || November 11, 1930 || July 27, 1999 (aged 68) ||Probably best known for his role as "Pee Wee" in the 1938 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film ''Boys Town'' |}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Watson family