John Winthrop Noble (born Winfield Fernley Kutz; June 24, 1880 – September 10, 1946) was an American film director and screenwriter during the silent era.

John W. Noble
Noble in 1917
Born
Winfield Fernley Kutz

(1880-06-24)June 24, 1880
DiedSeptember 10, 1946(1946-09-10) (aged 66)
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, US
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
Years active1910–1927
SpouseIva Barbour

Career

edit

John Winthrop Noble was the professional name of Winfield Fernley Kutz (sometimes given as Fernley Winfield Kutz), born June 24, 1880, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.[1][a][b] He worked in various capacities with the Thanhouser Company from 1910 to 1912, assisting director Lucius J. Henderson and appearing in films including The Baseball Bug (1911) and The Poacher (1912). He worked briefly for Solax Studios, formed the short-lived Ryno Film Company with Clarkson Potter Ryttenberg in 1913, and directed films for the Ramo Company. In December 1913 he joined the staff of D. W. Griffith and became a director for the Mutual Film Corporation. Noble also worked for studios including the B. A. Rolfe Company (1914–16), Biograph Studios, Universal Pictures, Metro Pictures and Goldwyn Pictures.[2]

Called and later credited as Jack Noble,[3][4] he was known as Fernley Kutz at the time of his death September 10, 1946, at his home in Pottstown.[5]

Filmography

edit
Ad for The Right of Way (1915)
Niles Welch and Zena Keefe in Shame (1917)
Ad for Footlights and Shadows (1920)
Year Title Notes
1911 The Baseball Bug
1914 The Three of Us [6]
1915 Black Fear Also screenwriter[6]
1915 The High Road [6]
1915 Fighting Bob [6]
1915 One Million Dollars [6]
1916 The Bigger Man [6]
1916 The Right of Way [6]
1916 The Brand of Cowardice [6]
1916 Man and His Soul [6]
1916 The Red Mouse [6]
1916 A Million a Minute [6]
1916 Romeo and Juliet Also screenwriter[6]
1916 The Awakening of Helena Richie Also screenwriter[6]
1916 The Wall Between [6]
1917 The Call of Her People [6]
1917 Shame Also screenwriter[6]
1917 The Power of Decision [6]
1917 A Magdalene of the Hills [6]
1917 Sunshine Alley [6]
1917 The Beautiful Lie [6]
1918 The Birth of a Race Also producer, screenwriter[6]
1918 My Own United States [6]
1919 The Gray Towers Mystery Also screenwriter[6]
1919 The Golden Shower [6]
1920 The Song of the Soul Also screenwriter[6]
1920 Footlights and Shadows [6]
1922 Cardigan [6]
1924 His Darker Self [6]
1926 Lightning Reporter Also screenwriter[3]
1927 Burning Gold [3]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Noble's December 1924 passport application states that "Fernley Winfield Kutz [is] professionally known as John Winthrop Noble". His birthplace is given as Pottstown, Pennsylvania.[1]
  2. ^ Some sources state that John W. Noble was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, and omit his birth name—information derived from Noble's biography on page 194 of the 1919 Motion Picture Studio Directory.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series; Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; Roll # 2688; Volume #: Roll 2688 – Certificates: 501350–501899, 29 Dec 1924 – 31 Dec 1924. Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795–1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  2. ^ a b Bowers, Q. David (1995). "John W. Noble". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  3. ^ a b c "Jack Noble". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
  4. ^ "Jack Noble Goes Mutual". The Moving Picture World. December 27, 1913. p. 1556. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  5. ^ "Final Curtain". Billboard. September 21, 1946. p. 43. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "John W. Noble". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
edit