Vintage original 5 x 6.5 in. double-weight photograph of silent film star BERT LYTELL. Depicted in an interior shot holding a cigar, this photograph was signed in black ink by Bert Lytell (Sincerely - Bert Lytell). It is in fine+ condition with a 1 in. diagonal crease on the bottom right corner and light signs of wear on the tips of the other corners. It has a light curl along the top and bottom edges, so it does not lie completely flat. Silent Cinema Inc. (the seller here) guarantees the authenticity of Bert Lytel's signature.
Bertram Lytell (February 24, 1885 – September 28, 1954) was
an American actor in theater and film during the silent film era and early talkies.
He starred in romantic, melodrama, and adventure films. Lytell's acting debut came with the Columbia Stock Company
in Newark, New Jersey, when he was 17 years old. He went on to appear with
stock theater companies in Boston, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and
Rochester, in addition to heading his own stock troupes in Albany, New York,
and San Francisco. He appeared with Marie Dressler in her 1914 Broadway play, A Mix-Up. He also performed in vaudeville in the 1920s with the one-act play, The
Valiant.
In 1917, Lytell made his film debut, starring as Michael Lanyard in The Lone Wolf. He subsequently made four Lone Wolf sequels, ending with The Last of the Lone Wolf (1930). He also starred as Boston Blackie in Boston Blackie's Little Pal (1918) and Blackie's Redemption (1919). On old-time radio, Lytell had the title role in Alias Jimmy Valentine – a role he had played in the 1920 film of the same name, and was host of Bert Lytell Dramas and Stage Door Canteen. His younger brother, Wilfred Lytell (1891–1954) also became a stage and screen actor. Bert Lytell married the silent film actress Claire Windsor in 1925 and they divorced in 1927. Like many other silent screen stars, Lytell's career collapsed after the advent of talking pictures. He worked on NBC daytime shows in the early 1950s while he was Shepherd (President) of the actors club The Lambs from 1947 to 1952. Lytell was named an Immortal Lamb. Lytell died in New York City, aged 69. |