# Rupert Julian

Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for directing Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He also directed The Cat Creeps (1930), a sound remake of The Cat and the Canary (1927), which is now considered a lost film, with only two minutes of footage remaining in the 1932 Universal comedy short film Boo!.

## Early years

Julian was born Thomas Percival Hayes in Whangaroa, New Zealand, son of John Daly Hayes (Jr) and Eliza Harriet Hayes. His father was a rancher who raised cattle and sheep.
Julian's parents had him educated in preparation for becoming a Roman Catholic priest, but he went his own way. He volunteered to serve in the British army during the Boer War, and during his two years' service he was captured twice. The first time, he was exchanged, and the second time he escaped. By the time he left the military he was a lieutenant. He also worked as a sailor, a tea salesman, and engineer of a donkey engine.

## Career

Julian became an actor when he was 16. He performed on stage in his native country and Australia before emigrating to the United States in 1911, where he started his career as an actor at the Daly Theatre in New York and touring with Tyrone Power, Sr., and then worked in silent movies. He turned to directing in 1914, often directing his wife Elsie Jane Wilson (also a director), and earned a substantial sum for his film The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the title role. This made him a star in Hollywood at the time and opened doors to larger projects with Universal Studios.
He was assigned to complete Merry-Go-Round in 1923 when director Erich von Stroheim was fired from it. In 1924, he directed Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera, but left the production shortly before it was released. The studio hired another director to complete the filming and changed the ending. Julian moved to Cecil B. DeMille's Producers Distributing Corporation for a series of films, but after directing The Cat Creeps and Love Comes Along (both in 1930), his career faded.

## Death

On 27 December 1943, Julian died at his home in Hollywood, California, at the age of 64. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, in 1943. His wife Elsie died in 1965.

## Filmography

◆   Filmography of Rupert Julian   ◆ :
| Year | Film | Production | Distribution | Genre | Length | Released |
| 1913 | The Wife's Deceit | Rex Prod | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1913-12-21 |
| 1913 | The Mask | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-12-14 |
| 1913 | The Blood Brotherhood | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-11-16 |
| 1913 | The Haunted Bride | Rex Prod | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1913-11-09 |
| 1913 | Two Thieves and a Cross | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-11-04 |
| 1913 | The Clue | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-10-30 |
| 1913 | Memories | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-10-16 |
| 1913 | Shadows of Life | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-11-09 |
| 1913 | His Brand | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-11-02 |
| 1913 | Genesis 4:9 | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-09-25 |
| 1913 | The Heart of a Jewess | Victor | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-08-15 |
| 1913 | Through Strife | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-07-13 |
| 1913 | The Peacemaker | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-03-23 |
| 1913 | Troubled Waters | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-03-09 |
| 1913 | His Sister | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1913-02-09 |
| 1914 | The Master Key | Universal | Universal | Drama | serial | 1914-11-16 |
| 1914 | A Law Unto Herself | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-11-08 |
| 1914 | Daisies | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-09-03 |
| 1914 | Out of the Depths | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-08-20 |
| 1914 | The Hole in the Garden Wall | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-08-23 |
| 1914 | The Midnight Visitor | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-08-09 |
| 1914 | Behind the Veil | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-08-02 |
| 1914 | The Pursuit of Hate | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-06-14 |
| 1914 | Closed Gates | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-06-07 |
| 1914 | Avenged | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-05-24 |
| 1914 | The Triumph of Mind | Bison Motion Pictures | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-05-23 |
| 1914 | The Career of Waterloo Peterson | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-05-10 |
| 1914 | An Episode | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-04-30 |
| 1914 | In the Days of His Youth | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-03-28 |
| 1914 | The Spider and Her Web | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-03-26 |
| 1914 | A Modern Fairy Tale | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-03-08 |
| 1914 | The Weaker Sister | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-03-01 |
| 1914 | The Merchant of Venice | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1914-02-01 |
| 1914 | Woman's Burden | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-02-22 |
| 1914 | An Old Locket | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-02-15 |
| 1914 | The Coward Hater | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-02-08 |
| 1914 | The Leper's Coat | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-01-25 |
| 1914 | The Imp Abroad | Victor | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1914-01-12 |
| 1914 | A Fool and His Money | Rex Prod | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1914-01-04 |
| 1914 | The Female of the Species | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1914-01-01 |
| 1915 | The Evil of Suspicion | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-12-28 |
| 1915 | One Hundred Years Ago | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-12-23 |
| 1915 | The Water Clue | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-12-18 |
| 1915 | Gilded Youth | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-11-02 |
| 1915 | A White Feather Volunteer | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-11-04 |
| 1915 | The Wolf's Den | Navajo Films | Asso Film Sales | Western | Short | 1915-10-09 |
| 1915 | Jewel | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1915-08-30 |
| 1915 | A Cigarette - That's All | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-08-10 |
| 1915 | Scandal | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1915-07-19 |
| 1915 | Where the Trail Led | Balboa Prod | Pathé | Western | Short | 1915-07-19 |
| 1915 | The Pretty Sister of Jose | Famous Players | Paramount Pictures | Drama | Feature | 1915-05-31 |
| 1915 | The Heritage of a Century | Paragon Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-04-05 |
| 1915 | The Lone Star Rush | Climax Company | Alliance Films | Drama | Feature | 1915-03-05 |
| 1915 | A Voice from the Sea | Paragon Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-03-27 |
| 1915 | The Hawk and the Hermit | Paragon Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-03-22 |
| 1915 | The Bond of Friendship | Alhambra Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-03-13 |
| 1915 | Fate's Vengeance | Paragon Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-03-08 |
| 1915 | A Tale of the Hills | Paragon Films | Kriterion Film | Drama | Short | 1915-02-22 |
| 1915 | A Small Town Girl | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1915-01-17 |
| 1916 | The Gilded Life | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-12-29 |
| 1916 | The Right to Be Happy | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1916-12-25 |
| 1916 | The Celebrated Stielow Case | Argosy Pictures | | Drama | Feature | 1916-12-02 |
| 1916 | The Bugler of Algiers | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1916-11-27 |
| 1916 | The Evil Women Do | Bluebird | Universal | Comedy | Feature | 1916-09-26 |
| 1916 | Bettina Loved a Soldier | Bluebird | Universal | Comedy | Feature | 1916-08-14 |
| 1916 | Little Boy Blue | Victor Film | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1916-06-14 |
| 1916 | The Human Cactus | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-06-29 |
| 1916 | The Turn of the Wheel | Paragon Films | Mutual Film | Drama | Short | 1916-11-13 |
| 1916 | Romance at Random | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-06-18 |
| 1916 | The False Gems | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-06-11 |
| 1916 | The Fur Trimmed Coat | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-05-30 |
| 1916 | Naked Hearts | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1916-05-10 |
| 1916 | The Marriage of Arthur | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-05-07 |
| 1916 | The Eyes of Fear | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-04-06 |
| 1916 | The Desperado | Universal | Universal | Western | Short | 1916-03-22 |
| 1916 | The Blackmailer | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-03-05 |
| 1916 | John Pellet's Dream | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-02-24 |
| 1916 | As Fate Decides | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-02-16 |
| 1916 | Arthur's Last Fling | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-02-13 |
| 1916 | The Dumb Girl of Portici | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1916-04-04 |
| 1916 | The Red Lie | Universal | Universal | Drama | Short | 1916-01-27 |
| 1916 | The Underworld | Universal | Universal | Comedy | Short | 1916-01-15 |
| 1917 | The Circus of Life | Butterfly | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-06-04 |
| 1917 | The Desire of the Moth | Bluebird | Universal | Western | Feature | 1917-10-22 |
| 1917 | The Mysterious Mr. Tiller | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-09-17 |
| 1917 | The Door Between | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-11-18 |
| 1917 | Mother O' Mine | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-09-02 |
| 1917 | A Kentucky Cinderella | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-06-25 |
| 1917 | The Gift Girl | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-03-26 |
| 1917 | The Boyhood He Forgot | Rex Prod | Universal | Drama | Short | 1917-03-24 |
| 1917 | Alone in the World | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Short | 1917-01-02 |
| 1917 | The Savage | Bluebird | Universal | Western | Feature | 1917-11-19 |
| 1917 | My Little Boy | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1917-12-17 |
| 1918 | Hands Down | Bluebird | Universal | Western | Feature | 1918-02-11 |
| 1918 | Midnight Madness | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1918-06-08 |
| 1918 | Fires of Youth | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1918-08-26 |
| 1918 | The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin | Jewel | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1918-03-19 |
| 1918 | Hungry Eyes | Bluebird | Universal | Western | Feature | 1918-02-11 |
| 1919 | The Fire Flingers | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1919-04-21 |
| 1919 | Creaking Stairs | Universal | Universal | Horror | Feature | 1919-02-10 |
| 1919 | The Millionaire Pirate | Bluebird | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1919-02-10 |
| 1919 | The Sleeping Lion | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1919-06-23 |
| 1920 | The Honey Bee | American Film | Pathé | Drama | Feature | 1920-04-01 |
| 1922 | The Girl Who Ran Wild | Universal | Universal | Western | Feature | 1922-10-09 |
| 1923 | The Midnight Guest | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1923-03-17 |
| 1923 | Merry-Go-Round | Universal | Universal | Drama | Feature | 1923-09-03 |
| 1924 | Love and Glory | Universal | Universal | Western | Feature | 1924-12-07 |
| 1925 | Hell's Highroad | DeMille Pictures | Producers Distributing | Drama | Feature | 1925-10-18 |
| 1925 | Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ | MGM | MGM | Drama | Feature | 1927-10-08 |
| 1925 | The Phantom of the Opera | Jewel | Universal | Horror | Feature | 1925-11-15 |
| 1926 | Three Faces East | Cinema Corp | Producers Dist Corp | Drama | Feature | 1926-02-03 |
| 1926 | Silence | DeMille Pictures | Producers Dist | Drama | Feature | 1926-04-25 |
| 1927 | The Yankee Clipper | DeMille Pictures | Producers Dist | Drama | Feature | 1927-05-07 |
| 1927 | The Country Doctor | DeMille Pictures | Pathé | Drama | Feature | 1927-08-22 |
| 1928 | The Leopard Lady | DeMille Pictures | Pathé | Drama | Feature | 1928-01-22 |
| 1928 | Walking Back | DeMille Pictures | Pathé | Drama | Feature | 1928-05-21 |
| 1930 | Love Comes Along | RKO | RKO | Drama | Feature | 1930-01-05 |
| 1930 | The Cat Creeps | Universal | Universal | Horror | Feature | 1930-11-10 |
| Rupert Julian acted in these 95 films  Rupert Julian directed these 60 films  Rupert and Elsie Julian participated in these 28 films  Rupert Julian participated in the writing of these 20 films ||||||||||||