Eric Mayne

Dublin-born Eric Mayne was educated at Westminster and Durham in England and spent almost thirty years on the stage in both London and his native Ireland. He had a penchant for Shakespearean roles and in later years lectured in Shakespeare at the Los Angeles University College. Mayne, with his imposing six-foot frame and beard, was tailor-made for the silent screen and invariably cast as a heavy or comic foil. After arriving in Hollywood, he became an immensely prolific, sought-after character player. He co-starred in Oscar Apfel's adventure film The Oakdale Affair (1919), opposite Evelyn Greeley. In Rudolph Valentino's The Conquering Power (1921), he enjoyed high billing as Victor Grandet and was a memorable Dr. Saulsbourg in Harold Lloyd's knock-about comedy Dr. Jack (1922), the sort of role later played by Sig Ruman. Eric's name was high up in the credits again in the John Ford-directed Cameo Kirby (1923) as Colonel Randall, and there were many more roles to follow. Mayne's career