Robert Ames

 Robert Ames was born in Hartford CT on March 23, 1889 to Louis Mason Ames, an insurance company accountant, and Mary Elma Downing, a voice coach. Ames started as a clerk in the box office of Parson's Theater. He was brought to the attention of actor Henry Miller and was cast in "The Great Divide" by William Vaughn Moody which lead to eleven seasons with Miller's company then eight seasons with Jessie Bonstelle's stock company and three with the Municipal Stock Company. He starred opposite Ruth Chatterton on Broadway in "Come Out of the Kitchen" in 1916 and was successful in numerous leading roles into the mid 1920s and a short stint in vaudeville after moving to Hollywood in the mid-1920s.

He had made a short film in 1919, "Thee Stormy Petrel", and a feature in 1920, "What Women Wantt", and he decided to pursue a film career but returned east for occaisional stage roles. Ames, at this point, had been married three times; to Alice L. Gerry from May 29, 1908-November 10, 1916 producing two children, to socialite Frances Goodrich May 13, 1917-July 23, 1923, to actress Vivienne Segal July 30. 1923-June 28, 1926, and he married Helen Muriel Oakes on February 10, 1927 and they would divorce November 10, 1930. He made four movies in 1925 and 1926,"Without Mercy"; Cecil B. De Mille's crime drama "The Wedding Song" opposite Leatrice Joy; a spy drama, opposite Jetta Goudal, "Three Faces East"; and at Paramount, with Pola Negri and Noah Beery, "The Crown of Lies".

It's not known what he did until 1929 but I expect it was theater work. In 1929 he was in a short directed by Lionel Barrymore at MGM, "Confession" then he was fourth billed after James Kirkwood, Mary Brian and John Loder in a British thriller filmed in Hollywood, "Black Waters". He is wrongly convicted of murder in in Willard Mack's drama, "The Voice of the City" at MGM and was cast opposite Gloria Swanson in her hit talkie debut, "The Trespasser" directed by Edmund Goulding. "Nix On Dames" starred Mae Clarke and Robert Ames with William Harrigan about acrobats in a love triangle but it's a Lost Film. At Pathe, he starred with Constance Bennett and Regis Tooney in Edward H. Griffith's "Rich People" and he was fourth billed at MGM in the silent version of Marion Davies' "Marianne" directed by Robert Z. Leonard. He was Vilma Banky"s love interest in her last film. "A Lady to Love" with Edward G. Robinson and directed by Victor Sjostrom at MGM. He was in "Double Cross Roads" with Lila Lee, and in "Not Damaged" with Lois Moran before being directed again by Edward H. Griffith in the film adaptation of Phillip Barry's hit Broadway play, "Holiday" starring Ann Harding and Mary Astor with Hedda Hopper and Edward Everett Horton. Harding was Oscar nominated for her performance. "War Nurse" starring Robert Montgomery and Anita Page and Evelyn Brent's "Madonna of the Streets followed. "Millie" is among the films Ames is best remembered for starring Helen Twelvetrees, James Hall, Lilyan Tashman, John Halliday, and Joan Blondell. "Behind Office Doors" stars Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez and "Three Who Loved" stars Betty Compson and Conrad Nagel, are both enjoyable. Horace Jackson adapted Donald Ogden Stewart's play, "Rebound" and Edward H. Griffith directed Ina Claire in one of her few film with middling success. Again with Mary Astor, this time in "Smart Woman" directed by Grefory La Cava, with John Halliday which is very good which can't be said of "Rich Man's Folly, a peculiar movie based on Dicken's "Dombey and Son", starring George Bancroft and Frances Dee. Once again, Ames plays a husband neglectful of his wife, this time it's Ruth Chatterton who turns to Paul Lukas in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

Ames was not married but he was romantically linked with actress Ina Claire and he had also been struggling with alcoholism. In November of 1931, he traveled to New York City to visit family for Thanksgiving and prepare for a film he was going to make for Paramount. He was staying at the Hotel Delmonico and he was taking a non-narcotic medication for alcohol withdrawal delirium. He was found dead on November 27, 1931. An autopsy found no trace of alcohol or any other drug but he was in the early stages of heart disease. Official cause was attributed to delirium tremon brought on by sudden abstainance of alcohol. He was interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford CT. He was 42.