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Leo D. Maloney

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Leo Daniel Maloney
Maloney in 1915
BornJanuary 4, 1888
DiedNovember 2, 1929(1929-11-02) (aged 41)
EducationSanta Clara College
OccupationsActor, film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active1911–1929

Leo Daniel Maloney (January 4, 1888 November 2, 1929) was an American film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter of the silent era.[1][2]

Early life

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Leo Daniel Maloney was born on January 4, 1888, in San Jose, California.[3][4][5] Some sources state, however, that he was born in Santa Rosa, California.[4] He attended Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University).[3]

Career

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He built the "Leo Maloney Studio" in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1911 and 1929, and he directed 47 films between 1914 and 1929. He appeared in many Western films by Selig Company (also known as Selig Polyscope Company).[6] His last silent westerns were released by Pathé Exchange.

Leo Maloney's final film was the first independently made talking western, Overland Bound (1929). It was distributed by W. Ray Johnston's Rayart Pictures, later to become better known as Monogram Pictures. Maloney was at a party in Manhattan to celebrate the completion of Overland Bound when he suffered a fatal stroke. His death was probed by police and may have been due to chronic alcoholism.[4][5]

Leo D. Maloney in 1923 poster art

Filmography

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References

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  1. Tetley, Rhea-Frances (November 1, 2004). Lake Arrowhead. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738529189. Retrieved May 2, 2019 via Google Books.
  2. Katchmer, George A. (May 20, 2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. ISBN 9781476609058. Retrieved May 2, 2019 via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 Corneau, Ernest N. (1969). The Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars. Christopher Publishing House. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-8158-0124-5.
  4. 1 2 3 Vazzana, Eugene Michael (1995). Silent Film Necrology: Births and Deaths of Over 9000 Performers, Directors, Producers, and Other Filmmakers of the Silent Era, Through 1993. McFarland. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7864-0132-1.
  5. 1 2 "Death of Film Director Probed by N.Y. Police". Modesto News-Herald. November 2, 1929. Retrieved May 2, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. Justice, Fred C.; Smith, Tom R. (1914). Who's who in the Film World: Being Biographies with Photographic Reproductions of Prominent Men and Women who Through Their Genius and Untiring Energy Have Contributed So Greatly Toward the Upbuilding of the Moving Picture Industry. Film World Publishing Company. p. 152.
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