Spottiswoode Aitken

For the rugby league footballer of the 1900s for England, and Oldham, see Frank Spottiswoode
Frank Spottiswoode Aitken (16 April 1868 – 26 February 1933) was a Scottish actor of the silent era. He was perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Cameron in The Birth of a Nation (1915).

Early years

Aitken was born 16 April 1868 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Acting

In his book, The King of the Movies: Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin, Joseph P. Eckhardt wrote that Aitken was "trained as a Shakespearean actor, with many years of experience under his belt." His film debut came in 1911. He eventually appeared in 81 feature films between 1914 and 1927.

Business

Aitken was one of the first actors to settle in Los Angeles when the film industry was still at its strongest in New York. He invested most of his earnings in property, buying up orange groves around what would become Hollywood.

Personal life

Aitken was involved in a controversy in 1922 when, after suing his wife for divorce for alleged infidelity, she countersued. A United Press news story reported that she was "alleging her husband had coerced her into living with Hay Weinstein, wealthy Santa Barbaran, so that he could extort money from Weinstein."

The couple had three children: Francis Spottiswoode Aitken Jr., Francis Aitken and Margaret Shirley Aitken.

Death

Aitken died 24 February 1933 in Los Angeles, California. He was 64 years old.

Partial filmography