Henry Brazeale Walthall was an American stage and film actor who began his career in the early 20th century. Born on March 16, 1878, he was active in the entertainment industry for nearly four decades. Walthall's early success came with his role as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915).
Before his film career, Walthall won a role in the play Under Southern Skies by Charlotte Blair Parker in 1901. He performed in the play for three years, both in New York and on tour. With the company of Henry Miller, Walthall gained recognition on Broadway in plays such as Pippa Passes, The Only Way, and William Vaughn Moody's The Great Divide (1906–08).
Walthall's transition to film began in 1909 at Biograph Studios in New York, where he played a leading role in the film A Convict's Sacrifice. This film, directed by D. W. Griffith, marked the beginning of Walthall's long-standing relationship with the director. As the film industry grew, Griffith emerged as a prominent director, and Walthall became a mainstay of his company, frequently working alongside other Griffith regulars.
Walthall's career continued to flourish, with notable roles in films such as The Plastic Age (1925),The Scarlet Letter (1926),and A Tale of Two Cities (1935). He also appeared in John Ford's 1934 film Judge Priest, starring Will Rogers, and the 1936 film The Devil-Doll.
In the 1930s, Walthall continued to work in films, enjoying a golden period of his career. He was gravely ill during his final film, China Clipper (1936),and died shortly after, on June 17, 1936.
