William Russell

From Wikipedia William Russell April 12 1884 February 18 1929 born William Francis Lerche was an American actor director producer and screenwriter He appeared in over two hundred silent era motion pictures between 1910 and 1929 directing five of them in 1916 and producing two through his own production company in 1918 and 1925 Russell began his screen career in New York with the Biograph Company where he worked for nine months before signing with the Thanhouser Company He was also part of the company of players for the American Film Manufacturing Company and their Flying A Studios in Santa Barbara In 1917 he and actress Charlotte Burton were married They divorced in 1921 He and actress Helen Ferguson were married on June 21 1925 at the Wilshire Boulevard Congregational Church after a sixyear romance William Russell died at age 44 from pneumonia at Hollywood Hospital in Los Angeles