Robert Edeson

Robert Edeson (June 3, 1868 – March 24, 1931) was an American stage and film actor born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of actor and manager George R. Edeson. Before establishing himself as a performer, he worked as treasurer of the Park Theatre in Brooklyn. He first acted in New York in 1887 in a production of Fascination and made his Broadway debut in Marriage in 1896, beginning a stage career that would span more than two decades.

Among his notable Broadway credits, Edeson starred in Fine Feathers and Ranson's Folly and appeared in Love's Lightning, Mamma's Affair, and The World We Live In. In 1901 he originated the role of Edward Warden in Clyde Fitch's The Climbers. The World We Live In, which ran in 1922, marked his final appearance on Broadway. In addition to his stage work, Edeson performed in vaudeville.

His film career began in earnest in 1914 when Cecil B. DeMille directed him in The Call of the North, in which he played Ned Stewart. He went on to appear in a substantial number of silent films over the following two decades. In 1922 he stepped into Erich von Stroheim's Foolish Wives, replacing Rudolph Christians, who had died of pneumonia during production. To avoid visual inconsistency with footage of Christians already shot, Edeson kept his back to the camera throughout his scenes. That same year he appeared in The Prisoner of Zenda as Colonel Zapta. In 1923 he played Inspector Redding in The Ten Commandments, and in 1927 he portrayed Matthew the Apostle in The King of Kings. His final film was Aloha, released in 1931.

Edeson died on March 24, 1931, at his home in Hollywood at the age of 62. His third wife was the former Aida Banker.