Robert B. Mantell

Robert B. Mantell
Born
Robert Bruce Mantell

7 February 1854
Died27 June 1928(1928-06-27) (aged 74)
Other namesRobert Hudson
OccupationActor
Years active1874–1928
Spouses
Children3
Signature

Robert Bruce Mantell (7 February 1854 – 27 June 1928) was a Scottish-born stage actor who made several silent films. He used the name Robert Hudson early in his career, as his mother objected to her son becoming an actor.

Born in Scotland and raised in Dublin, he travelled to the United States in 1874, but stayed only two weeks with no theatrical success. He returned in 1878 in support of Helena Modjeska but did not stay. In 1883 he found success on Broadway supporting Fanny Davenport as her leading man in Fedora. For the remainder of his theatrical career he played Shakespeare and high class drama. He married several times, and often performed with his wives in Shakespearean productions. His last wife, Genevieve Hamper (1888–1971), was 35 years his junior.

He began acting in films in 1915, aged 61, working at Fox Studios with J. Gordon Edwards, who directed all of his films except the last. Under the Red Robe (1923) was directed by Alan Crosland and distributed through Goldwyn Pictures. As with most early Fox films, all of Mantell's films from that studio are lost. Elements of Under the Red Robe are held at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.