Donald Crisp

Donald Crisp was born George William Crisp at the family home in Bow, London. Donald's parents were James Crisp and Elizabeth Crisp, his birth was registered by his mother on 4th September 1882. Donald's sisters were Elizabeth, Ann, Alice (known as Louisa) and Eliza and his brothers were James, John and Mark. Family memories state that Donald's brother-in-law James Needham (Louisa's husband) lent/gave Donald the fare to USA. The family have a photo of Donald which he sent to 'Jimmy' and signed.

During the Boer War (1899-1902), Crisp crossed paths with a young Winston Churchill in the early days of his of political career. With the First World War (1914-1918), Crisp returned to England to serve in the army intelligence section. By the Second World War (1939-1945), Crisp served with the United States Army Reserves, rising to the rank of Colonel.

By 1910, he had become interested in pursuing a career in theater and began working as a stage manager for the renowned entertainer, composer, playwright and director George M. Cohan. During this period, he met and became friends with a stage actor named D.W. Griffith. His first films were made with Griffith by Biograph Company in New Jersey. When Griffith went to seek his fortune in Hollywood in 1912, Crisp accompanied him.

He appeared in two films adapted from Eleanor Atkinson's 1912 novel "Greyfriars Bobby": Challenge to Lassie (1949) and Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961).

He worked as an assistant to D.W. Griffith for several years in Hollywood, which fostered a passion in him to become a director in his own right. He directed over 70 films, his final directorial effort being Runaway Bride (1930) starring Mary Astor. Reportedly, Crisp gave up directing partly because it had become extremely wearisome as he was so often called upon--and sometimes forced--to do favors for studio chiefs by agreeing to employ their relatives in his films.

He appeared with Henry O'Neill in eleven films: The Key (1934), Oil for the Lamps of China (1935), The White Angel (1936), The Great O'Malley (1937), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938), Jezebel (1938), Juarez (1939), Sons of Liberty (1939), Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) and Knute Rockne All American (1940).

He appeared in three Best Picture Academy Award winners: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and How Green Was My Valley (1941). He also appeared in two other Best Picture nominees: Jezebel (1938) and Wuthering Heights (1939).

At the time of his Oscar win, he had been at work on The Gay Sisters (1942). During his acceptance speech, he claimed that in the week leading up to the Oscar ceremony, Barbara Stanwyck had forced him to practice accepting his award by handing him every lamp and statue on the set.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1628 Vine Street in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

His final screen role was as Grandpa Spencer opposite Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara in Spencer's Mountain (1963). This film, adapted from the novel by Earl Hamner Jr.., was the basis for the popular television series The Waltons (1972).

He passed away on May 25, 1974, two months away from what would have been his 92nd birthday on July 27.