Barton Hepburn

Barton Hepburn
Hepburn in Hi Diddle Diddle (1943)
Born(1906-02-28)February 28, 1906
DiedOctober 9, 1955(1955-10-09) (aged 49)
OccupationActor
Years active1929–1950
Parent(s)Charles Fisher Hepburn
Alice Smith Hepburn
RelativesA. Barton Hepburn (grandfather)

Barton Hepburn (February 28, 1906 – October 9, 1955) was an American actor who specialized in drama and comedy.

Early life

Hepburn was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was heir to a New York banking fortune. He was a son of Charles Fisher Hepburn (1878–1923),[1] and Alice (née Smith) Hepburn (1881–1914), a daughter of Horatio Alden Smith.[2] His paternal grandfather, Alonzo Barton Hepburn, was a founder of Chase National Bank and Comptroller of the Currency under Presidents Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland.[3]

Career

He was spotted as a stage actor in Los Angeles by the screen director Cecil B. DeMille.[4] He starred in a 1929 production, Painted Faces, an early film with sound. This didn't result in huge success for Hepburn and he returned to the theatre, with a number of appearances on Broadway, until the 1940s when he appeared in a number of films, such as Hi Diddle Diddle (1943), The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944), and A Song for Miss Julie (1945).

Personal life

Hepburn, who never married, died at his home in Beverly Hills on October 9, 1955. In his will, he left most of his estate to charities catering to "sick or disabled" children. He bequeathed $100,000 to his sister, Jane Hepburn; and $25,000 each to a nephew and niece, James Foster Clark, Jr., and Alice Hepburn Clark, and $10,000 to Father Flanagan's Boys Town in Nebraska.[5]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ "C. F. HEPBURN DIES AFTER FIRE IN ROOM; Son of Late New York Banker Is Fatally Injured in Cleve- land Club" (PDF). The New York Times. September 19, 1923. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  2. ^ Bulletin of Smith College. Smith College. 1922. p. 22. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  3. ^ "A. BARTON HEPBURN DIES FROM SHOCK; Banker, 75, Unable to Withstand Injuries Received When Hit by Fifth Avenue Bus.LONG CHASE NATIONAL HEAD Lawyer and Teacher, His Benefactions of $3,000,000 Include $2,000,000 to Colleges and Libraries. Mourned in Financial District. Descended from Noted Scotch Family. Turns from Law to Lumber. Becomes Head of Chase National". The New York Times. January 26, 1922. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "A. BARTON HEPBURN 2D TO TAKE SCREEN TESTS; Heir, With Sister, to $20,000,000, Is in Hollywood With Griffith to Determine His Career" (PDF). The New York Times. May 13, 1927. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  5. ^ "Actor's Will Aids Hospitals". The New York Times. October 16, 1955. Retrieved May 15, 2020.