Richard Robert Elliott (October 9, 1879 – November 15, 1951) was an American character actor who appeared in 102 Hollywood films and television shows from 1916 to 1951.
Life and career
He was born Richard Robert Elliott[citation needed] in 1879 in Columbus, Ohio. Most of his main roles were in the silent era, in the sound era he mostly performed in supporting roles and bit parts. On the stage he originated the Sergeant O’Hara character opposite Jeanne Eagels in somerset Maugham’s play Rain (1922).
Active in films from 1916, Elliott played Detective Crosby in the 1928 feature Lights of New York, the first all-talking sound film. One of his most notable roles was that of a Yankee officer playing cards with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) in the film Gone With the Wind. The officer says of Rhett, “It’s hard to be strict with a man who loses money so pleasantly.”
Personal life
Robert Elliott was married to Ruth Thorp (1889–1971) from 1920 until his death in 1951, aged 72, in Los Angeles, California.
Selected filmography
The Kiss of Hate (1916) – Sergius Orzoff
Notorious Gallagher (1916) – Robert Ewing
The Child of Destiny (1916) – Bob Stange
Miss Petticoats (1916) – Rev. Ralph Harding
Life’s Shadows (1916) – Rodney Thorndyke
Greed (1917) – Richard Cole
Motherhood (1917) – Albert
Mrs. Balfame (1917) – Dwight Rush
The Debt (1917)
The Mirror (1917) – Bob Merrill
The Dazzling Miss Davison (1917) – Gerard Buckland
Mary Moreland (1917) – Thomas Maughm
Thou Shalt Not Steal (1917) – Roger Benton
The Seven Deadly Sins (1917) – Richard Coe (Greed)
Joan of Plattsburg (1918) – Capt. Lane
Resurrection (1918) – Prince Nekludov
When Men Betray (1918) – Raymond Edwards
For the Freedom of the East (1918) – Robert Kenyon
The Spirit of Lafayette (1919) – Lieutenant Richard Stanton
Unknown Love (1919) – Captain Jack Tims
A Woman There Was (1919) – Pulke
Checkers (1919) – Kendal
L’apache (1919) – Otis Mayne
The Empire of Diamonds (1920) – Matthew Versigny
The Money Maniac (1921) – Didier Bouchard
A Virgin Paradise (1921) – Bob Alan
Lonely Heart (1921)
Fair Lady (1922) – Norvin Blake
Without Fear (1922) – John Miles
A Pasteboard Crown (1922) – Stewart Thrall
The Broken Silence (1922) – Bruce Cameron
Man and Wife (1923) – Dr. Howard Fleming
Obey Your Husband (1928) – Mr. Kennedy
Happiness Ahead (1928) – Detective
Lights of New York (1928) – Detective Crosby
Romance of the Underworld (1928) – Edwin Burke
The Lone Wolf’s Daughter (1929) – Ethier
Protection (1929) – Wallace Crockett
The Valiant (1929) – Minor Role (uncredited)
Thunderbolt (1929) – Prison Chaplain
Hide-Out (1930) – William Burke
The Divorcee (1930) – Bill Baldwin
Kathleen Mavourneen (1930) – Dan Moriarity
Sweet Mama (1930) – Mack
Men of the North (1930) – Sergeant Mooney
The Doorway to Hell (1930) – O’Grady
Captain Thunder (1930) – Morgan
The Finger Points (1931) – City Editor Frank Carter
The Maltese Falcon (1931) – Detective Lt. Dundy
The Star Witness (1931) – Deputy Williams (uncredited)
Murder at Midnight (1931) – Inspector Taylor
Five Star Final (1931) – Brannegan
The Ruling Voice (1931) – A Reformer (uncredited)
Behind Stone Walls (1932) – District Attorney John Manson Clay
Midnight Patrol (1932) – Howard Brady
White Eagle (1932) – Capt. Blake
The Phantom of Crestwood (1932) – Police Detective
Madison Square Garden (1932) – Honest John Miller
Self Defense (1932) – Dan Simmons
The Crime of the Century (1933) – Police Capt. Timothy Riley
The Woman Who Dared (1933) – Attorney
The Return of Casey Jones (1933) – Casey Jones
Heroes for Sale (1933) – ‘Red’ Squad Policeman #1
Twin Husbands (1933) – Sergeant Kerrigan
Lady Killer (1933) – Brannigan
Gambling Lady (1934) – Graves
Looking for Trouble (1934) – Police Captain Flynn
Port of Lost Dreams (1934) – Lt. Andersen
Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934) – Inspector ‘Mac’ McKinney
The World Accuses (1934) – Lt. Ryan
Death Flies East (1935) – Griffith (uncredited)
Times Square Lady (1935) – ‘Brick’ Culver
Circumstantial Evidence (1935) – Detective Brown (uncredited)
Black Sheep (1935) – Detective Clancy (uncredited)
I’d Give My Life (1936) – Powell (uncredited)
Trade Winds (1938) – Captain George Faulkiner
Disbarred (1939) – L.M. Curron (uncredited)
Made for Each Other (1939) – Airport Operations Manager (uncredited)
The Saint Strikes Back (1939) – Chief Inspector Webster
Should a Girl Marry? (1939) – Warden
Mickey the Kid (1939) – FBI Agent Farrow
I Stole a Million (1939) – Peterson
The Roaring Twenties (1939) – First Detective
Gone with the Wind (1939) – Yankee Major
Invisible Stripes (1939) – Arresting Officer (uncredited)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) – Minor Role (uncredited)
Half a Sinner (1940) – Officer Kelly
‘Til We Meet Again (1940) – Detective (uncredited)
The Ghost Breakers (1940) – Lieutenant Murray (uncredited)
Flowing Gold (1940) – Mac, Highway Patrolman (uncredited)
White Eagle (1941) – Carlson (uncredited)
Captain Tugboat Annie (1945) – Detective Franklin
Chick Carter, Detective (1946) – Dan Rankin
The Devil’s Playground (1946) – Judge Morton (final film role)
External Links
Actor Robert Elliott – Wikipedia
