Arnold Daly (October 22, 1875 â€" January 13, 1927) was an American
actor, playwright, and producer. He was the father of actress and
Algonquin Round Table personality Blyth Daly.He was born Peter
Christopher Arnold Daly in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Irish
parents Joseph J. Daly and Mary Arnold. His father was an importer of
wood for use in cabinet construction. After being expelled from four
public schools, he finally left parochial school following the death
of his father in 1886. He made his first appearance as an actor in The
Jolly Squire, 1892.During his career he claimed credit for a hundred
plays, although many were either adapted from foreign plays or written
by his brother Joseph. He was noted for introducing the early Shaw
plays to American audiences, including Candida, Mrs. Warren's
Profession and You Can Never Tell. The play Mrs. Warren's Profession
was closed after a single showing by the authorities due to its
depiction of a prostitute. Shaw was noted for his extremely detailed
stage directions, which some actors found overly prescriptive. Daly
said "I have acted out every one of Mr. Shaw's stage directions to the
letter, as far as I am able, with one exception, and that is where
Marchbanks goes 'trotting' across the stage to the fireplace. I'm too
heavy to trot as Shaw meant. Three years ago I could have done it, and
now perhaps I might do it three nights in six. But I don't dare risk
it."With the advent of silent film, Daly became a matinee idol.
Between 1914 and 1915, he portrayed the detective Craig Kennedy in
three Pearl White serials. He produced and co-directed three
Ashton-Kirk films, while also portraying the lead role. Daly was also
in the cast of The Port of Missing Men (1914), Idols (1916), My Own
United States (1918), For Another Woman (1924) and In Borrowed Plumes
(1926). In 1916, he produced The King's Game.
actor, playwright, and producer. He was the father of actress and
Algonquin Round Table personality Blyth Daly.He was born Peter
Christopher Arnold Daly in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Irish
parents Joseph J. Daly and Mary Arnold. His father was an importer of
wood for use in cabinet construction. After being expelled from four
public schools, he finally left parochial school following the death
of his father in 1886. He made his first appearance as an actor in The
Jolly Squire, 1892.During his career he claimed credit for a hundred
plays, although many were either adapted from foreign plays or written
by his brother Joseph. He was noted for introducing the early Shaw
plays to American audiences, including Candida, Mrs. Warren's
Profession and You Can Never Tell. The play Mrs. Warren's Profession
was closed after a single showing by the authorities due to its
depiction of a prostitute. Shaw was noted for his extremely detailed
stage directions, which some actors found overly prescriptive. Daly
said "I have acted out every one of Mr. Shaw's stage directions to the
letter, as far as I am able, with one exception, and that is where
Marchbanks goes 'trotting' across the stage to the fireplace. I'm too
heavy to trot as Shaw meant. Three years ago I could have done it, and
now perhaps I might do it three nights in six. But I don't dare risk
it."With the advent of silent film, Daly became a matinee idol.
Between 1914 and 1915, he portrayed the detective Craig Kennedy in
three Pearl White serials. He produced and co-directed three
Ashton-Kirk films, while also portraying the lead role. Daly was also
in the cast of The Port of Missing Men (1914), Idols (1916), My Own
United States (1918), For Another Woman (1924) and In Borrowed Plumes
(1926). In 1916, he produced The King's Game.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.