Ernest Torrence

Ernest Torrence was a Scottish actor who made his name in Hollywood as a tall, imposing presence, often cast as cold-eyed villains. He grew up in Edinburgh and studied at the Stuttgart Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Music in London before touring with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in productions that included The Emerald Isle (1901). He settled in New York in 1911 and worked on the Broadway stage, where Modest Suzanne in 1912 and The Night Boat in 1920 caught the attention of early Hollywood filmmakers. His film career began in earnest with the scheming Luke Hatburn in Tol'able David (1921). Further roles followed in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), Peter Pan (1924) as Captain Hook, Mantrap (1926), The King of Kings (1927) as Peter, Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) and Fighting Caravans (1931). He appeared in 49 films over twelve years, silent and sound.