Sydney Ayres

Daniel Sydney Ayres was born on August 28, 1879, in New York City, and went on to build careers in both stage performance and silent film. He died on September 9, 1916, in Oakland, from multiple sclerosis, at the age of 37.

Ayres began his stage career no later than 1902, working as a theater actor for a number of years. His Broadway work included an appearance in 1904 in A Texas Ranger.

His career expanded into silent film, where he worked as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Beginning in 1913, he frequently took on acting and directing responsibilities on the same productions simultaneously. Among his acting credits were Blackbeard in 1911, Trapped in a Forest Fire in 1913, and a number of 1914 titles including Destinies Fulfilled, The Story of the Olive, The Navy Aviator, Does It End Right?, True Western Hearts, The Coming of the Padres, The Call of the Traumerei, and At the Potter's Wheel.

His directing output was concentrated largely in 1914 and included The Rose of San Juan in 1913 followed by Billy's Rival, The Story of the Olive, The Navy Aviator, The Oath of Pierre, Nature's Touch, Cameo of the Yellowstone, Feast and Famine, The Painted Lady's Child, A Man's Way, Does It End Right?, Their Worldly Goods, The Cocoon and the Butterfly, His Faith in Humanity, The Taming of Sunnybrook Nell, Jail Birds, In the Open, Sir Galahad of Twilight, and Redbird Wins. He also received writing credits on Business Versus Love and Break, Break, Break, both from 1914.