Discuss Phillips Holmes
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Another of Hollywood's ill-fated young stars; died age 35
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on July 31, 2020 at 11:14 PM
Phillips Holmes (1907-1942) was a major young actor (sometimes the star) of early talkies who I've seen and liked in a number of Pre-Code-era films. He most famously starred in the 1931 original screen version of An American Tragedy (that was, in 1951, remade as A Place in the Sun starring Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, and Elizabeth Taylor). The height of Holmes' cinematic career was 1930 through 1934. After that, things pretty much fizzled out, and the remainder of his run was no big deal.
At any rate, Phillips Holmes was - a bit subsequent to his heyday - another from within Hollywood's ranks to die young and tragically: At age 35, having joined the Royal Canadian Air Force early in WWII, he was killed in a mid-air collision in northwest Ontario, Canada, on 12 August 1942.
It's wonderful that young talent, even after they're gone, can live on forever on film/video/digital.
RIP, Phillips. Fans of early sound films still remember and appreciate you.
Video pictorial memoriam: "Movie Legends - Phillips Holmes"
Please check out the following list of titles and celebrities I've created TMDb threads for: https://www.themoviedb.org/list/118052
Reply by QuitePleasant
on August 1, 2020 at 10:15 AM
Very nice tribute!
Phillips certainly makes his screen presence known through outstanding supporting performances in films which you aptly cite, as well as in co-starring vehicles, in features ranging from Criminal Code (1930) to Chatterbox (1936), and definitely in high-profile portrayals, such as Pip in 1934's adaptation of Dickens' Great Expectations.
He certainly commands screen attention right up there with the best of them, as the daughter's fiance in the star-studded Dinner at Eight (1933), and that's no small task, considering quite a few major celebrities' steering the picture.
Yes, very tragic demise at a young age and otherwise healthy life for Phillips although, as you correctly mention, his capable contributions to the entertainment industry and War effort perpetuate his commendable legacy.