Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for directing Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He also directed The Cat Creeps (1930), a sound remake of The Cat and the Canary (1927), which is now considered a lost film, with only two minutes of footage remaining in the 1932 Universal comedy short film Boo!.
Early years Julian was born Thomas Percival Hayes in Whangaroa, New Zealand, son of John Daly Hayes (Jr) and Eliza Harriet Hayes. His father was a rancher who raised cattle and sheep.
Julian's parents had him educated in preparation for becoming a Roman Catholic priest, but he went his own way. He volunteered to serve in the British army during the Boer War, and during his two years' service he was captured twice. The first time, he was exchanged, and the second time he escaped. By the time he left the military he was a lieutenant. He also worked as a sailor, a tea salesman, and engineer of a donkey engine.
Career Julian became an actor when he was 16. He performed on stage in his native country and Australia before emigrating to the United States in 1911, where he started his career as an actor at the Daly Theatre in New York and touring with Tyrone Power, Sr., and then worked in silent movies. He turned to directing in 1914, often directing his wife Elsie Jane Wilson (also a director), and earned a substantial sum for his film The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the title role. This made him a star in Hollywood at the time and opened doors to larger projects with Universal Studios.
He was assigned to complete Merry-Go-Round in 1923 when director Erich von Stroheim was fired from it. In 1924, he directed Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera, but left the production shortly before it was released. The studio hired another director to complete the filming and changed the ending. Julian moved to Cecil B. DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation for a series of films, but after directing The Cat Creeps and Love Comes Along (both in 1930), his career faded.
Death On 27 December 1943, Julian died at his home in Hollywood, California, at the age of 64. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, in 1943. His wife Elsie died in 1965.
Filmography YearFilmActorDirectorWifeWriterProductionDistributionGenreLengthReleasedNotes 1913The Wife's DeceitRex ProdUniversalComedyShort1913-12-21 1913The Mask Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-12-14 1913The Blood Brotherhood Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-11-16 1913The Haunted Bride Rex ProdUniversalComedyShort1913-11-09 1913Two Thieves and a Cross Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-11-04 1913The Clue Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-10-30 1913Memories Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-10-16 1913Shadows of Life Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-11-09 1913His Brand Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-11-02 1913Genesis 4:9 Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-09-25 1913The Heart of a Jewess VictorUniversalDramaShort1913-08-15 1913Through Strife Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-07-13 1913The Peacemaker Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-03-23 1913Troubled Waters Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-03-09 1913His Sister Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1913-02-09 1914The Master KeyUniversalUniversalDramaserial1914-11-16 1914A Law Unto Herself Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-11-08 1914Daisies Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-09-031914Out of the DepthsRex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-08-201914The Hole in the Garden WallRex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-08-231914The Midnight VisitorRex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-08-09 1914Behind the Veil Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-08-02 1914The Pursuit of Hate Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-06-14 1914Closed Gates Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-06-07 1914Avenged Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-05-24 1914The Triumph of Mind Bison Motion PicturesUniversalDramaShort1914-05-23 1914The Career of Waterloo Peterson Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-05-10 1914An Episode Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-04-30 1914In the Days of His Youth Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-03-28 1914The Spider and Her Web Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-03-26 1914A Modern Fairy Tale Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-03-08 1914The Weaker Sister Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-03-01 1914The Merchant of VeniceUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1914-02-01 1914Woman's Burden Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-02-22 1914An Old Locket Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-02-15 1914The Coward Hater Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-02-08 1914The Leper's Coat Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-01-25 1914The Imp Abroad VictorUniversalComedyShort1914-01-12 1914A Fool and His Money Rex ProdUniversalComedyShort1914-01-04 1914The Female of the Species Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1914-01-011915The Evil of SuspicionUniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-12-281915One Hundred Years AgoUniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-12-231915The Water ClueUniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-12-181915Gilded YouthUniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-11-021915A White Feather VolunteerUniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-11-04 1915The Wolf's Den Navajo FilmsAsso Film SalesWesternShort1915-10-09 1915JewelUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1915-08-30 1915A Cigarette - That's All UniversalUniversalDramaShort1915-08-10 1915ScandalUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1915-07-191915Where the Trail LedBalboa ProdPathéWesternShort1915-07-19 1915The Pretty Sister of JoseFamous PlayersParamount PicturesDramaFeature1915-05-31 1915The Heritage of a Century Paragon FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-04-05 1915The Lone Star RushClimax CompanyAlliance FilmsDramaFeature1915-03-05 1915A Voice from the Sea Paragon FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-03-27 1915The Hawk and the Hermit Paragon FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-03-22 1915The Bond of Friendship Alhambra FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-03-13 1915Fate's Vengeance Paragon FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-03-08 1915A Tale of the Hills Paragon FilmsKriterion FilmDramaShort1915-02-22 1915A Small Town Girl Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1915-01-17 1916The Gilded Life Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1916-12-291916The Right to Be HappyBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1916-12-25 1916The Celebrated Stielow CaseArgosy PicturesDramaFeature1916-12-021916The Bugler of AlgiersBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1916-11-271916The Evil Women DoBluebirdUniversalComedyFeature1916-09-261916Bettina Loved a SoldierBluebirdUniversalComedyFeature1916-08-141916Little Boy BlueVictor FilmUniversalComedyShort1916-06-141916The Human CactusUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-06-291916The Turn of the WheelParagon FilmsMutual FilmDramaShort1916-11-131916Romance at RandomUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-06-181916The False GemsUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-06-111916The Fur Trimmed CoatUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-05-301916Naked HeartsBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1916-05-101916The Marriage of ArthurUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-05-071916The Eyes of FearUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-04-061916The DesperadoUniversalUniversalWesternShort1916-03-221916The BlackmailerUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-03-051916John Pellet's DreamUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-02-241916As Fate DecidesUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-02-161916Arthur's Last FlingUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-02-13 1916The Dumb Girl of PorticiUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1916-04-041916The Red LieUniversalUniversalDramaShort1916-01-271916The UnderworldUniversalUniversalComedyShort1916-01-151917The Circus of LifeButterflyUniversalDramaFeature1917-06-041917The Desire of the MothBluebirdUniversalWesternFeature1917-10-221917The Mysterious Mr. TillerBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-09-171917The Door BetweenBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-11-181917Mother O' MineBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-09-021917A Kentucky CinderellaBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-06-251917The Gift GirlBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-03-26 1917The Boyhood He Forgot Rex ProdUniversalDramaShort1917-03-24 1917Alone in the World BluebirdUniversalDramaShort1917-01-021917The SavageBluebirdUniversalWesternFeature1917-11-191917My Little BoyBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1917-12-171918Hands DownBluebirdUniversalWesternFeature1918-02-111918Midnight MadnessBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1918-06-081918Fires of YouthBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1918-08-261918The Kaiser, the Beast of BerlinJewelUniversalDramaFeature1918-03-191918Hungry EyesBluebirdUniversalWesternFeature1918-02-111919The Fire FlingersUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1919-04-211919Creaking StairsUniversalUniversalHorrorFeature1919-02-101919The Millionaire PirateBluebirdUniversalDramaFeature1919-02-101919The Sleeping LionUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1919-06-231920The Honey BeeAmerican FilmPathéDramaFeature1920-04-011922The Girl Who Ran WildUniversalUniversalWesternFeature1922-10-091923The Midnight GuestUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1923-03-171923Merry-Go-RoundUniversalUniversalDramaFeature1923-09-031924Love and GloryUniversalUniversalWesternFeature1924-12-071925Hell's HighroadDeMille PicturesProducers DistributingDramaFeature1925-10-18 1925Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ MGMMGMDramaFeature1927-10-081925The Phantom of the OperaJewelUniversalHorrorFeature1925-11-151926Three Faces EastCinema CorpProducers Dist CorpDramaFeature1926-02-031926SilenceDeMille PicturesProducers DistDramaFeature1926-04-251927The Yankee ClipperDeMille PicturesProducers DistDramaFeature1927-05-071927The Country DoctorDeMille PicturesPathéDramaFeature1927-08-221928The Leopard LadyDeMille PicturesPathéDramaFeature1928-01-221928Walking BackDeMille PicturesPathéDramaFeature1928-05-211930Love Comes AlongRKORKODramaFeature1930-01-051930The Cat CreepsUniversalUniversalHorrorFeature1930-11-10
References
External links
rupertjulian.com Site for research into Rupert Julian and his wife, Elsie Jane Wilson, by Robert Catto NZ On Screen biography by Robert Catto Radio New Zealand Saturday Morning Interview with Robert Catto discussing Rupert Julian