Maurice Costello

from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Artwork for Citizen KaneImage of Maurice Costello

Biography

From Wikipedia

Maurice George Costello (February 22, 1877 – October 29, 1950) was an American prominent vaudeville actor of the late 1890s and early 1900s, who later played a principal role in early American films, as both a leading man, supporting player and a director.

Costello was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrants Ellen and Thomas Costello. He appeared in his first motion picture in 1905, in which he had the honour of appearing in the first serious film to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes in the movie Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, in which Costello played the title role. He continued to work for Vitagraph, being a member of the first motion picture stock company ever formed, playing opposite Florence Turner. Among some of his best known pictures are A Tale of Two Cities, The Man Who Couldn't Beat God and For the Honor of the Family. After an absence of some years he returned to the screen. He was married to actress Mae Costello (née Altschuk). His descendants include two daughters, actresses Dolores Costello and Helene Costello, a grandson John Drew Barrymore, and a great granddaughter Drew Barrymore. He was one of the world's first leading men in early American cinema, but like a lot of other silent screen stars, he found the transition to "talkies" extremely difficult, and his leading man status was over. However, Costello was a trouper, and continued to appear in movies, often in small roles and bit parts, right up until his death in 1950.

Timeline

1944Aged 67

  • Poster for A Fig Leaf for Eve

    Nightclub Patron

  • Poster for The Climax

    Audience Member (Uncredited)

  • Poster for Practically Yours

    Senate Stenographer (uncredited)

1943Aged 66

  • Poster for Du Barry Was a Lady

    Passerby (uncredited)

1942Aged 65

  • Poster for Ride 'Em Cowboy

    Rodeo Spectator with Martin Manning (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Glass Key

    Card Player (uncredited)

1941Aged 64

  • Poster for A Man Betrayed

    Club Inferno Patron (uncredited)

  • Poster for Citizen Kane

    Extra (uncredited)

  • Poster for Lady from Louisiana

    Edwards

  • Poster for Here Comes Mr. Jordan

    Ringsider at Fight (uncredited)

1940Aged 63

  • Poster for Alice in Movieland

    Well-Wisher at Train Station (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Ghost Comes Home

    Townsman at Banquet (uncredited)

  • Poster for Johnny Apollo

    Extra (uncredited)

  • Poster for Edison, the Man

    Broker

  • Poster for All This, and Heaven Too

    Extra (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Sea Hawk

    Man Carrying Spear

  • Poster for Foreign Correspondent

    Man (uncredited)

  • Poster for Third Finger, Left Hand

    Man at Railroad Station

  • Poster for Tin Pan Alley

    (uncredited)

1939Aged 62

  • Poster for Happily Buried

    Board Member

  • Poster for It's a Wonderful World

    Guest (uncredited)

  • Poster for Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever

    Man in Audience (uncredited)

  • Poster for Five Little Peppers And How They Grew

    Hart

  • Poster for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

    Diggs (uncredited)

  • Poster for The Roaring Twenties

    Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

1938Aged 61

  • Poster for A Man to Remember

    Town Councilor (uncredited)

  • Poster for Comet Over Broadway

    Actor at Dress Rehearsal (uncredited)

1936Aged 59

  • Poster for Hollywood Boulevard

    Director in Commissary

1934Aged 57

  • Poster for Search for Beauty

    Health Acres Guest (uncredited)

1932Aged 55

  • Poster for The Movie Album

    (archive footage)

1928Aged 51

  • Poster for The Wagon Show

    Colonel Beldan

  • Poster for Eagle of the Night

    (Unknown)

1927Aged 50

  • Poster for Johnny Get Your Hair Cut

    Baxter Ryan

  • Poster for The Shamrock and the Rose

    Father O'Brien

  • Poster for Camille

    Armand's father

1926Aged 49

1925Aged 48

  • Poster for The Mad Marriage

    Walter Butler

1924Aged 47

  • Poster for Roulette

    Ben Corcoran

  • Poster for Week End Husbands

    John Keane

  • Poster for Virtuous Liars

    Josiah Wright

  • Poster for Love of Women

    Mr. Redfield

  • Poster for The Story Without a Name

    The Cripple

1923Aged 46

  • Poster for None So Blind

    Russell Mortimer

  • Poster for Man and Wife

    Caleb Perkins

  • Poster for The Glimpses of the Moon

    Fred Gillow

  • Poster for Fog Bound

    Deputy Brown

1920Aged 43

  • Poster for Deadline at Eleven

    Paul Klocke

1919Aged 42

  • Poster for The Captain's Captain

    Lawford Tapp

  • Poster for The Cambric Mask

    John Sark

  • Poster for The Tower of Jewels

    Fraser Grimstead

1916Aged 39

  • Poster for The Crown Prince's Double

    Prince Oscar / Barry Lawrence

  • Poster for The Crimson Stain Mystery

    Harold Stanley

1915Aged 38

1914Aged 37

1913Aged 36

1912Aged 35

1911Aged 34

1910Aged 33

1909Aged 32

1908Aged 31

© 2026 FilmFlow