(Young noblewoman Lorna befriends John Ridd, a farmer's so...)
Young noblewoman Lorna befriends John Ridd, a farmer's son, and a youthful infatuation immediately blossoms. John witnesses Lorna's coach attacked by the notorious outlaw clan, the Doones, but the boy is helpless to prevent her abduction. Lorna is raised by the outlaws under the protection of the gang's leader, Sir Ensor Doone, who has developed a fondness for the beautiful girl. The years pass and when Sir Ensor dies, a young scoundrel, Carver Doone, intends to take Lorna for his wife by force. John Ridd, still smitten with Lorna after all the passing years, arms himself to the teeth, and rides into the Doone stronghold on a suicide mission, determined to save his lady love or die.
Based on the classic English novel by R.D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone features fine cinematography, stirring performances and is a first-class production throughout. It was a breakthrough role for beautiful Madge Bellamy, followed by a series of notable performances in The Iron Horse (1924), Mother Knows Best (1928) and White Zombie (1932). Her career in films was already over, but scandal rocketed her back into the headlines when she shot her married lover, millionaire A. Stanford Murphy in 1943. Handsome co-star John Bowers, who fights to save himself from drowning several times in Lorna Doone, ironically committed suicide by drowning when his career waned, and is said to be the inspiration for the tragic character of Norman Maine in A Star Is Born.
James Francis Keenan was an American actor, better known as Frank Keenan. He was also notable as a stage director, producer, and writer.
Background
James Francis Keenan was born on April 8, 1858 in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, the son of Owen Keenan, an Irish immigrant, and his wife, born Frances Kelly in Maine. His father failed in business in Dubuque, removed to Boston, where he worked for three years as a bookkeeper, then bought a farm in Iowa, where Frank first tried to plow at the age of eleven. His father took over a large railroad grading contract, but through the absconding of an official, he again faced bankruptcy and once more returned to Boston.
Education
Frank Keenan acquired his education at Boston College.
Career
Keenan was sent out as a traveling salesman at the age of seventeen and two years later set up his own cigar store, but this was not successful. He had joined the Young Men's Catholic Association of Boston College and the McCullough & Kean Dramatic Association and was more interested in the latter than in business. The manager of a small professional stock company saw him act one evening and made him an offer, with the result that Keenan made his professional debut with that company as Archibald Carlyle in East Lynne at Richmond, Maine, in 1880. The company soon disbanded, and Keenan then spent some time playing various roles with the Boston Museum Stock Company. After several years of ups and downs, he gained valuable experience under James A. Herne and made his first noteworthy success in Herne's Hearts of Oak.
He played leads in McKenna's Flirtations, A Texas Steer, and many other comedies in the eighties and nineties, and succeeded Sol Smith Russell in the leading roles in A Poor Relation, Peaceful Valley, and The Honorable John Grigsby. He played Garretson in The Capitol in 1895, and when The Christian was produced in 1898, he staged the mob scene and played the part of Brother Paul, later taking over the male lead, John Storm.
He devoted considerable time to directing about this period, staging The King's Musketeers, Such a Little Queen, and other productions. Early in 1905 he experimented with the Parisian idea of three one-act plays in one evening, but the novelty did not seem to appeal to American audiences. Keenan's rugged, deeply lined face as he reached middle life lent itself particularly well to character parts, and of these he played a great number and variety. He appeared in On the Eve, 1909; in The Heights, 1910, and as Cassius with Faversham in Julius Caesar, 1912. In 1914 he was cast for the leading part in Yosemite, and in 1920-1921 he played the title role in St. John Ervine's John Ferguson, which opened in Chicago.
Afterward he toured the country with it. He was particularly popular as a "road star, " being known in every town of consequence between the two oceans. He played the lead in Rip Van Winkle in San Francisco in 1921, and in Peter Weston, opening in New York in 1923. But meanwhile the multiple-reel motion pictures had come into being and in 1915 Keenan was attracted to the films, his first appearance being in the part of a Southern gentleman in a Civil War drama, The Coward. During the last thirteen years of his life he devoted most of his time to motion pictures, with occasional incursions into vaudeville and brief returns to the legitimate stage.
Achievements
Keenan was well-known as the stage and film actor during the silent-film era. He acted in such hits as "The Capitol" and "A Poor Relative". He was tremendously successful as Jack Rance, the gambler, in Belasco's notable play, "The Girl of the Golden West", opening in 1905, and as General Warren in "The Warrens of Virginia", 1907.
(Young noblewoman Lorna befriends John Ridd, a farmer's so...)
Connections
Keenan's first wife, Katherine Agnes Long, of St. John, New Brunswick, was an actress in the Boston Museum Stock Company in Keenan's youth, and he married her while they were playing together there. Of the two daughters born of this union, one married the comedian, Ed Wynn. Keenan's second wife was Margaret White, from whom he was divorced in 1927; his third wife was Leah May, who survived him.
