About Charles Ashton, a British Silent Film Star
This is a tribute to a minor British Silent Film Star, Charles Ashton (1884-1968?), who appeared in twenty-two films between 1920-29, including: the first film version of The Monkey’s Paw (1923); Ibsen’s Pillars of Society (1920), and Kitty (1929), which was based on Warwick Deeping’s novel of the same name, and was one of first films to be released in both silent and sound versions.
The starting point for my research into his filmography began with the identification of the collection of film stills left to my husband. The many silent film sites and archives proved invaluable and the results will be shown here.
If you have any further information about his films or the people he worked with please do get in touch. I will be happy to update the blog with new information. Or just join in by adding comments to the posts.
As well as the main posts on Charles Ashton’s filmography, there are links to his filmography on the many silent film websites:
All Movie Guide http://www.allmovie.com/artist/charles-ashton-2570/filmography Accessed 24 February 2010
British Film Institute Film and TV database http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/25870?view=credit Accessed 24 February 2010
Complete Index to Films. http://www.citwf.com/person78176.htm Accessed 24 February 2010
Complete Index to World Film http://www.citwf.com/person78176.htm Accessed 24 February 2010
The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039195/ Accessed 24 February 2010
Silent Era’s Progressive Silent Film List http://www.google.com/search?q=charles+ashton&btnG=Google+Search&domains=www.silentera.com&sitesearch=www.silentera.com
Other sites with information on Charles Ashton’s Silent Films
Ibsen.net Ibsen Films: Pillars of Society (1920). http://ibsen.net/index.gan?id=6062&subid=0 Accessed 24 February 2010
Listal.com: The Monkey’s Paw (1923) http://www.listal.com/movie/the-monkeys-paw-1923
Anne Ramsden and Kyran Casteel
Charles Ashton and British Silent Films 
Hi, I am a researcher working on Fred Karno. Ashton appeared in his 1924 film version of Jailbirds. I am trying to find any stills or video of this film – any ideas! Would love to hear from you
Regards
Dave Crump
Dave Crump
November 6, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Dear Dave
Most of my information has come from the British Film Institute website, see http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/240997 for their details of the Jail Birds film. To find out if the BFI has a copy of the film contact Research Viewings Service http://www.bfi.org.uk/nationalarchive//access/rvs.html?q=nftva/access/rvs.html. Contact Information Services enquiry online to check if there are stills in their collection. Failing that you might find a review of the film in The Bioscope issues for 1923, which are held at the BFI Library in Stephen Street. Good luck with the research. Anne
anneramsden
November 8, 2010 at 10:54 am
Charles Ashton was born in Essex would love to know when he did for my own research on silent British actors.
Janice Healey
September 11, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Hi Janice
I have updated the About page for Charles with the birth date 1884, however, I am not sure of the date of his death other than it was around 1968.
anneramsden
September 13, 2012 at 12:00 pm
As you have noticed, I wrote about my father John Stuart recently in the Guardian. I would be interested to know if you have any material in your Charles Ashton archive that might be relevant to the book I am writing on my father and the last silent era, especially relating to We Women, Smashing Through, and Kitty.But I don’t have your e-mail address.
Jonathan Croall
Jonathan Croall
September 26, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Hello Jonathan
The only material I have are the film stills for several films of Charles’s films including We Women, there are no letters of documents unfortunately. Most of the research has come from the BFI, libraries and the Internet. Charles was invalided out of the First World War just as your father was, so they had something in common before the start of their film careers, but I am not aware of them being friends.
I do have some unidentified film stills one of which may show John Stuart which I will send to your email address. If it is him maybe you could let me know the film title. Many thanks for your interest.
anneramsden
September 28, 2012 at 10:45 am
Hello,
Bryony Dixon here from the BFI. We are putting on a programme of the W W Jacob’s titles at the Aldeburgh Cinema on 3 and 4th of May. I wonder would it be possible for us to use one or two of your images for the brochure? I have Sam’s Boy and Head of the Family but nothing for Boatswain’s Mate, Skipper’s Wooing and Will and a Way. Obviously with proper acknowledgment an maybe we can link ot your site.
Thanks
Bryony Dixon
March 6, 2013 at 11:28 am
Hi Bryony
Delighted to hear that the Aldeburgh film event will be going ahead. I can help with images of A Will and A Way film but not with Boatswain’s Mate or Skipper’s Wooing – Charles was not credited in these two films and I don’t have any stills either. Please use the available images for A Will and A Way in the brochure with acknowledgment and by all means link to the site.
Kind regards
Anne
anneramsden
March 6, 2013 at 4:42 pm