Monte Blue
Gerard Montgomery Blue was an American film actor who began his career as a romantic lead in the silent era; and for decades after the advent of sound, he continued to perform as a supporting player in a wide range of motion pictures.
Early life
Gerard Montgomery Bluefeather was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to an Irish mother, Orphalena Lousetta Springer, while his father William Jackson Blue was believed to be half French and part Cherokee and Osage. He had three brothers; Charles Bertram, Leroy, and William Morris. His father was a Civil War veteran, and served as a scout for Buffalo Bill.
When his father died in a railroad collision, his mother could not rear four children alone, so Blue and one of his brothers were admitted to the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home. He eventually worked his way through Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Blue grew to a height of. He played football and worked as a fireman, boilermaker, coal miner, cowpuncher, ranch hand, circus rider, lumberjack, and day laborer at the studios of D.W. Griffith.
Career
Blue had no theatrical experience when he came to the screen. His first movie was The Birth of a Nation, in which he was a stuntman and an extra. Next, he played another small part in Intolerance. He also was a stuntman or stand-in for Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree during the making of Macbeth. Gradually moving to supporting roles for both D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, Blue earned his breakthrough role as Danton in Orphans of the Storm, starring sisters Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Then, he rose to stardom as a rugged romantic lead along with top leading actresses such as Clara Bow, Gloria Swanson, and Norma Shearer. He most often acted with Marie Prevost, with whom he made several films in the mid-1920s at Warner Bros. Blue portrayed the alcoholic doctor who finds paradise in MGM's White Shadows in the South Seas. Blue became one of the few silent stars to survive the sound revolution; however, he lost his investments in the stock market crash of 1929.
He rebuilt his career as a character actor, working until his retirement from films in 1954, and he played character roles in various television series until 1960, mostly Westerns, such as Annie Oakley. From the mid-1930s, he was a contract player at Warner Bros., working in character parts and as an extra.
One of his more memorable roles was as the sheriff in Key Largo opposite Lionel Barrymore.
For his contributions to the motion pictures industry, Monte Blue received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6290 Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960.
Personal life
Blue divorced his first wife in 1923 and married Tova Jansen the following year. He had two children, Barbara Ann and Richard Monte. During the later part of his life, Blue was an active Mason and served as the advance man for the Hamid-Morton Shrine Circus. In 1963, while on business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he died after suffering a heart attack attributed to complications from influenza. He is interred next to his mother-in-law, actress Bodil Rosing, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Selected filmography
The Birth of a Nation as Minor Role The Absentee as IgnoranceThe Wild Girl from the Hills Ghosts as Bohemian in ParisThe Noon Hour as Ada's BrotherEditions de Luxe as Conny Peters - Swindler For His Pal as Jo PriceHidden Crime as Grant - the GrazerThe Family Doctor as Dr. John MontroseMartyrs of the Alamo as Defender of the Alamo The Price of Power as Minor Role The Man Behind the Curtain The Devil's Needle as Bartender Hell-to-Pay Austin as Minor Role Intolerance as The Strike LeaderThe Vagabond Prince as Peasant The Microscope Mystery as Jud as Assistant Hotel Manager Jim Bludso as Joe BowerBesty's Burglar as Victor GilpinHands Up! as Dan TracyWild and Woolly as One of Wild Bill's Men Betrayed as Pepo EsparenzaThe Man from Painted Post as Slim CarterThe Ship of Doom as Martin ShawThe Red, Red Heart as Billy PorterRiders of the Night as 'The Killer' JedM'Liss as Mexican Joe DominguezThe Only Road as Pedro LupoHands Up Till I Come Back to You as American DoughboyJohanna Enlists as Pvt. VibbardThe Romance of Tarzan as JuanThe Eyes of Mystery * The Goddess of Lost Lake The Squaw Man as HappyRomance and Arabella as Harry AtteridgePettigrew's Girl as Pvt. William PettigrewRustling a Bride as Nick McCredieTold in the Hills as KalitanIn Mizzoura as Sam FowlerEverywoman as LoveToo Much Johnson as Billy LounsberryThe Thirteenth Commandment as Bayard KipA Cumberland Romance as Sherd RainesSomething to Think About as Jim DirkThe Jucklins as Bill HawesThe Kentuckians as Boone StallardA Perfect Crime as Wally GriggsA Broken Doll as Tommy DawesMoonlight and Honeysuckle as Ted MusgroveThe Affairs of Anatol as Abner ElliottOrphans of the Storm as DantonPeacock Alley as Elmer HarmonMy Old Kentucky Home as Richard GoodloeBroadway Rose as Tom DarcyThe Tents of Allah as Chiddar Ben-EkBrass as Philip BaldwinMain Street as Dr. Will KennicottThe Purple Highway as Edgar Prentice, aka Edgar CraigDefying Destiny as Jack FentonLucretia Lombard as Stephen WinshipThe Marriage Circle as Dr. Franz BraunLoving Lies as Captain Dan stoverMademoiselle Midnight as Owen Burke / Jerry BrentHow to Educate a Wife as Ernest ToddDaughters of Pleasure as Kent MerrillRevelation as Paul GranvilleBeing Respectable as Charles CarpenterHer Marriage Vow as Bob HiltonThe Lover of Camille as Jean Gaspard DeburauThe Dark Swan as Lewis DikeRecompense as Peter GrahamKiss Me Again as Gaston FleuryThe Limited Mail as Bob Wilson / Bob SnobsonRed Hot Tires as Al JonesHogan's Alley as Lefty O'BrienThe Man Upstairs as Geoffrey WestOther Women's Husbands as Dick LambertSo This Is Paris as Dr. Paul GiraudAcross the Pacific as MonteWolf's Clothing as Barry BalineThe Brute as Easy Going Martin SondesBitter Apples as John WyncoteThe Black Diamond Express as Dan FosterThe Bush Leaguer as Buchanan 'Specs' WhiteOne Round Hogan as Robert Emmett HoganBrass Knuckles as Zac HarrisonAcross the Atlantic as Hugh ClaytonWhite Shadows in the South Seas as Dr. Matthew LloydConquest as Donald OvertonThe Greyhound Limited as MonteNo Defense as Monte CollinsFrom Headquarters as Happy SmithSkin Deep as Joe DaleyThe Show of Shows as Condemned Man Tiger Rose as DevlinIsle of Escape as Dave WadeThose Who Dance as Dan HoganThe Flood as David BruceThe Big Gamble as Policeman The Stoker as Dick MartinOfficer Thirteen as Tom BurkeHer Forgotten Past as Donald ThorneThe Thundering Herd as SmileyThe Intruder as John BrandtCome On, Marines! as Lt. AllenThe Last Round-Up as Jack KellsWagon Wheels as Kenneth MurdockStudent Tour as Jeff Kane - Bobby's Brother and Coach of the CrewThe Lives of a Bengal Lancer as Hamzulla KhanOn Probation as Al MurrayG Men as Fingerprint ExpertSocial Error as Dean CarterThe Test as Pepite LaJoieTrails of the Wild as Mountie Larry DoyleWanderer of the Wasteland as Guerd LareyHot Off the Press Nevada as Clem DillonDesert Gold as Chetley 'Chet' KasedonTreachery Rides the Range as Colonel DrummondUndersea Kingdom as Unga KhanPrison Shadows as Bert McNameeMary of Scotland as MessengerRide, Ranger, Ride as Duval, aka Chief TaviboThe Plainsman as Indian Song of the Gringo as SheriffA Million to One as John Kent Sr.Secret Agent X-9 as Baron Michael KarstenThe Outcasts of Poker Flat as Indian JimRootin' Tootin' Rhythm as Joe StaffordHigh, Wide and Handsome as Oil Man Souls at Sea as MateSky Racket as Benjamin ArnoldThunder Trail as Jeff GravesA Damsel in Distress as Bit Role Born to the West as Bart HammondAmateur Crook as CroneThe Big Broadcast of 1938 as Passenger Cocoanut Grove as Minor Role The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok as Mr. CameronRebellious Daughters as Charlie - alias Clint HoustonSpawn of the North as Cannery Official The Mysterious Rider as Cap FolsomKing of Alcatraz as OfficerTouchdown, Army as Pilot Illegal Traffic as Captain MoranHawk of the Wilderness as Yellow WeaselTom Sawyer, Detective as Sheriff WalkerDodge City as John BarlowFrontier Pony Express as CherokeeJuarez as Lerdo de TajadaUnion Pacific as Indian Port of Hate as HammondOur Leading Citizen as FrankGeronimo as InterpreterDays of Jesse James as Train PassengerRoad to Singapore as High Priest Mystery Sea Raider as Captain NorbergA Little Bit of Heaven as Uncle PatYoung Bill Hickok as Marshal EvansNorth West Mounted Police as Indian Texas Rangers Ride Again as Pablo Slide AlongArkansas Judge as Phil JohnsonThe Great Train Robbery as The SuperScattergood Pulls the Strings as Ben MottRiders of Death Valley as Rance DavisSunset in Wyoming as Jim HayesCitadel of Crime as Minor Role Bad Man of Deadwood as Sheriff JordanKing of the Texas Rangers as Tom J. King Sr. New York Town as McAuliffe Sullivan's Travels as Policeman in Slums Law of the Timber as Hodge MasonPacific Blackout as Colonel Treat 'Em Rough as Police CaptainNorth to the Klondike as John BurkeThe Remarkable Andrew as Policeman Reap the Wild Wind as Officer at Tea Klondike Fury as Flight DispatcherMy Favorite Blonde as Policeman at Union Hall The Great Man's Lady as Man #2 - Hoyt City Secret Enemies as Hugo Mehl - the DoormanThe Palm Beach Story as Mike the Doorman Across the Pacific as Dan MortonThe Forest Rangers as Hotel Clerk I Married a Witch as Doorman The Hidden Hand as Matthews, the Undertaker Road to Morocco as Kasim's Aide Gentleman Jim as Gambler in "Lucky Guy" Casablanca as American The Hard Way as Man in Audience Truck Busters as Scrappy O'BrienEdge of Darkness as Petersen Mission to Moscow as Heckler Action in the North Atlantic as Seaman Pilot No. 5 as Bus Station Official Thank Your Lucky Stars as Bartender in Errol Flynn Number Northern Pursuit as JeanPassage to Marseille as Second Mate The Adventures of Mark Twain as Captain of 'Queen of Dixie' The Mask of Dimitrios as Abdul DhrisJanie as Policeman The Conspirators as Jennings The Horn Blows at Midnight as The Chef Escape in the Desert as Sheriff Danger Signal as Policeman in Car Saratoga Trunk as Fireman on Train San Antonio as Cleve AndrewsCinderella Jones as JailerA Stolen Life as Mr. Lippencott Her Kind of Man as Lake Janie Gets Married as Drapery Man Two Guys from Milwaukee as Broadcast Director Shadow of a Woman as MikeNever Say Goodbye as Policeman Humoresque as Moving Man The Time, the Place and the Girl as Stage Manager The Man I Love as Cop The Unfaithful as Businessman with Hunter That Way with Women as MacPhersonBells of San Fernando as Governor Don Sebastian FernandoStallion Road as Horse Rancher Possessed as NorrisCheyenne as TimberlineLife with Father as The PolicemanMy Wild Irish Rose as Replacement Barman Speed to Spare as Bit Role Silver River as 'Buck' ChevigeeThe Big Punch as Police Lt. Ryan Key Largo as Sheriff Ben WadeTwo Guys from Texas as Pete NashJohnny Belinda as Ben Adventures of Don Juan as Turnkey Flaxy Martin as Joe, DetectiveSouth of St. Louis as Capt. JeffreyHomicide as Sheriff GeorgeThe Younger Brothers as Deputy JoeColorado Territory as U.S. Marshal Look for the Silver Lining as St. Clair - Actor in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' The Fountainhead as Gas Station Executive Ranger of Cherokee Strip as Chief HunterThe Big Wheel as Deacon JonesMontana as Charlie Penrose The Blonde Bandit as Police Chief RamseyBackfire as Detective Sgt. Pluther Colt.45 as Townsman The Iroquois Trail as Chief SagamoreThis Side of the Law as The SheriffDallas as Tarrant County Sheriff Three Desperate Men as Marshal Pete ColemanSnake River Desperadoes as Jim HaverlyWarpath as First EmigrantGold Raiders as John SawyerThe Sea Hornet as Lt. DrakeRose of Cimarron as Lone EagleThe Story of Will Rogers as Oklahoma Delegate Hangman's Knot as MaxwellThe System as Man at Hearing The Last Posse as Uncle Will Kane Ride, Vaquero! as Bartender The Boy from Oklahoma as Townsman Apache as GeronimoAdventures of the Texas Kid: Border Ambush as SheriffWagon Train as Chief Thundercloud, episode: The Clara Beauchamp Story