Biography
Gaunt British actor Percy Marmont was the
George Brent of the silent era; though not a particularly commanding screen presence in himself, Marmont was the much-in-demand leading man of such dynamic 1920s actresses as
Ethel Barrymore,
Geraldine Farrar,
Clara Bow and
Nita Naldi. Marmont launched his theatrical career in London at age 17, then worked with touring companies in Liverpool and South Africa. While in the latter country he made his first film appearance in 1913's The Voertrekkers; his second movie was the Australian The Monk and the Woman (1916). Then it was on to New York, where he made his American film bow opposite popular leading-lady
Elsie Ferguson in
Rose of the World (1917). Resettling in Hollywood, Marmont starred in his favorite film, a 1922 adaptation of the stage hit
If Winter Comes. All told, he appeared in over 50 silent films then enjoyed a thriving career as a character actor in British talkies. He also starred in the London stage versions of such American long-runners as
Witness for the Prosecution,
The Philadelphia Story and
The Little Foxes. Percy Marmont retired at the age of 85; he died 9 years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide