Edward Roseman (May 14, 1875 – September 16, 1957), sometimes identified as Edward F. Roseman, was an American actor, who worked primarily during the silent film era.

Edward Roseman
Edward Roseman in Fantômas (1920)
Born
Ernest Frederick Roseman

(1875-05-14)May 14, 1875
DiedSeptember 16, 1957(1957-09-16) (aged 82)
OccupationActor
Years active1913–1929
SpouseSophia Anderson

Biography

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The son of a pharmacist, Roseman was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, christened Ernest Frederick Roseman. His father died of tuberculosis when he was seven years old so Edward and his two siblings, Jenny May and Henry, were raised in Terre Haute by his mother, Mary Lucinda. As a young adult, Roseman worked on a railroad before succumbing to the lure of vaudeville and traveling theater stock companies, including the Margaret Bird Stock Company and those founded by playwrights Lincoln J. Carter and Wright Lorimer.

Between 1913 and 1921, Roseman was a popular actor in silent films, appearing in about 50 motion pictures during that span. Following his success in the title role of the 1920 Fox Studios horror serial, Fantômas, Roseman usually was featured in a heavy role as a villain. Cast in a part which required him to play multiple personalities, Movie Weekly magazine referred to Roseman as "The Master of Makeup." He was described as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" several years before Lon Chaney Sr. earned that moniker.

Altogether, Roseman appeared in more than 60 silent films. The House of Secrets, released in 1929, was one of his only "talkies." He also appeared on Broadway in the late twenties.

Throughout his film career, Roseman resided in New York City. Most, if not all, of the movies he made were created on the east coast. As film studios relocated to California, Roseman retired and moved, with his wife Sophia and son David, to Syracuse, New York.

He died on 16 September 1957, at age 82, after a year's illness, and is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Syracuse.[1]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ McCormick, Mike (18 August 2002). "Terre Haute native Edward Roseman motion-picture fixture in 62 films". Tribune-Star. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2006.
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