King Baggot began in films in 1909, was a major star from 1910 to 1916, and gained renown as a director in the 1920s and as a character actor in the 1930s and 1940s. But most notably, he was the first publicized leading man in America. In his two-reel
Shadows
--this was a first in film history--he played ten different characters and also directed. He founded the Screen Club, the first and most prestigious club strictly for film personnel, and became a star in England with
Ivanhoe
and in France with
Absinthe.
As a director, he worked on
Kissed,
in which Marie Prevost had her first starring role. He also directed
The Home Maker,
a social drama that daringly explored role reversal between a husband and wife, and
Tumbleweeds,
now considered a classic among westerns.
This work is a biography from early childhood until his death in 1948. And it is a filmography documenting every known film in which he took part: cast and production credits, release date, length, Library of Congress registration number, places where the film can be found today, and other information.