William Courtleigh Jr.

William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. (March 8, 1892 – March 13, 1918) was an American silent film actor whose career was cut short after he fell victim to the 1918 flu pandemic.

William Courtleigh Jr.
Photoplay Magazine, 1917
Born
William Thomas Courtleigh Jr.

(1892-03-08)March 8, 1892
Buffalo, New York, US
DiedMarch 13, 1918(1918-03-13) (aged 26)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
OccupationActor
SpouseEthel Fleming (1915-1918; his death)
Parent
RelativesRobert Courtleigh (half-brother)

Early years

William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York was the son of William Courtleigh,[1][2] a Canadian-born American stage and screen actor. Two of his four half-brothers (Stephen and Robert) also became actors. They had careers on stage and later in television. His half-brothers were the product of his father's second marriage and considerably younger than him.[2][3][4]

Career

Like his father, Courtleigh began in stock. His film career began the year before playing Rev. Mark Stebbing in the Vitagraph film The Better Man, based on the novel by Cyrus Townsend Brady. Courtleigh appeared in at least 14 films over his brief career and was probably best remembered for playing Neal Hardin in the 1915 serial Neal of the Navy with Lillian Lorraine. Courtleigh played opposite Ann Pennington in her first two films, Susie Snowflake and The Rainbow Princess, both released in 1916. His last film, Children of Destiny, another Brady story, was released in 1920 by Weber Productions.[3]

Personal life

In July 1915, Courtleigh married actress Ethel Fleming,[5] whom he met when they were working for different companies at a studio in Long Beach, California.[6]

Death

Courtleigh died in Philadelphia on March 13, 1918, an early casualty of the worldwide flu pandemic at age 26.[2][3][4]

Partial filmography

Sources
  1. William Thomas Courtleigh Jr. - US Draft Registration, Ancestry.com scan
  2. Death Notices-The New York Times March 15, 1918; pg. 13
  3. The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel 4 May 1918 pg. 4; Ancestry.com scan
  4. William Courtleigh 1920 US Census, Ancestry.com scan
  5. "Actress Who Took Poison in Taxi Is Fast Recovering". The New York Tribune. p. 22. Retrieved March 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Romance of studio ends in marriage of filmland stars". Los Angeles Evening Express. August 16, 1915. p. 18. Retrieved March 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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