John St. Polis

November 24, 1873 — New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John M. St. Polis (November 24, 1873 – October 8, 1946) was an American actor.

St. Polis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before starting his film career, he made a name for himself on the Broadway stage, most notably in the role of Frederik in the original production of The Return of Peter Grimm (1911–12) and the play's revival in 1921, both performed at the Belasco Theatre.

He appeared in 126 films between 1914 and 1943. In all of his early roles, the actor is billed as John Sainpolis. His best-known performances are as Etienne Laurier in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), and as Comte Phillipe de Chagny in The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

St. Polis successfully made the transition from silent cinema to "talkies" with one of his most praised performances as Dr. John M. Besant, the father of Norma Besant (played by Mary Pickford) in Coquette (1929).

Movie

The Phantom of the Opera

1925

Movie

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

1921

Movie

The Criminal Code

1931

Movie

Coquette

1929

Movie

Mr. Wong, Detective

1938

Movie

Shadows

1922

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The Shadow Strikes

1937

Movie

Why Be Good?

1929