John R. Cumpson
John R. Cumpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Raymond Cumpson August 30, 1866 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 1913 (aged 46) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | John Compson John R. Cumpson Mr. Cumpson |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1901–1913 |
| Spouses | Carrie Craft (m.1898–1900, her death) |
John R. Cumpson (August 30, 1866 – March 15, 1913) was an American stage and film actor. On Broadway, he appeared in Up York State in 1901. With regard to his screen career, Cumpson appeared in at least 124 films between 1905 and 1912. A 1910 newspaper item described him as "the famous Swedish dialect comedian."
Silent film star Florence Lawrence enjoyed working often with Cumpson at the Biograph Company in 1908 and 1909, although later, in an interview with Photoplay, she described him as essentially a humorless comedian:
"Mr. Cumpson was the most serious comedian I have ever known. Nothing was ever funny to him, and he never tried to be funny....When all the rest of the company would laugh at something he had said or did, he would become indignant, thinking we were making fun of him."
Cumpson died of pneumonia and diabetes at Washington Heights Hospital in New York City. He was survived by a brother and two sisters.