David Torrence Biography

Fast Facts

• Received his education in both England and Germany
• Was the second born out of eleven children, and the first of his siblings to move to California to pursue acting
• Buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, Calif
• Originally intended to find his fortune as a cow puncher in the Midwest
• Quote: "[on Ernest Torrence] "You know, Ernest has not followed our Scotch custom in the least․ He was an immediate success․ While I, in all accordance with precedence, have climbed slowly․""
• Had an extensive Broadway career between 1900 and 1921
• Known for his appearances in such classic silent films as "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "The Prisoner of Zenda," often playing stern-faced villains
• His motto was "Take your work seriously, but not yourself․"
• Tried to retire to a ranch in Mexico after his first few films, but after World War I he returned to Hollywood
• Was featured in articles in "Classic Images" and "Motion Picture World․"