John St. Polis

Born: 1873-11-24

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John M. St. Polis (November 24, 1873 – October 8, 1946) was an American actor.

St. Polis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before starting his film career, he made a name for himself on the Broadway stage, most notably in the role of Frederik in the original production of The Return of Peter Grimm (1911–12) and the play's revival in 1921, both performed at the Belasco Theatre.

He appeared in 126 films between 1914 and 1943. In all of his early roles, the actor is billed as John Sainpolis. His best-known performances are as Etienne Laurier in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), and as Comte Phillipe de Chagny in The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

St. Polis successfully made the transition from silent cinema to "talkies" with one of his most praised performances as Dr. John M. Besant, the father of Norma Besant (played by Mary Pickford) in Coquette (1929).

Known For

The Unknown
The Phantom of the Opera
Transgression
A Night at the Opera
Cappy Ricks
The Untameable
Jungle Menace
Boys' Reformatory
Borderland
The Lily

Top Movie Credits

The Unknown Surgeon (uncredited)
The Phantom of the Opera Comte Philip de Chagny
Transgression Serafin, Arturo's Butler
A Night at the Opera Opera Conductor (uncredited)
Cappy Ricks Skinner (as John Sainpolis)
Jungle Menace Chandler Elliott
Boys' Reformatory Superintendent Keene
The Lily Comte de Maigny