Jonathan Croall writes of his silent film star father, John Stuart

John Stuart, favourite matinee idol of the twenties and star in four of Charles Ashton’s silent films, was the subject of a recent Guardian article by his son and biographer, Jonathan Croall (Guardian (Saturday, 11 February 2012, p. 5).    John Stuart was 43 when Jonathan  was born.  Jonathan recalls him as “a passive presence about the home, very much dominated by my strong-willed mother, his third wife.  He was amiable and kind, inspiring affection, but he was also lazy and weak, and emotionally reserved.”  Stuart’s reserved nature was more than likely due to his experiences at the front line in France during World War I.  He had enlisted at 19 and during the war he lost most of his comrades and then was released with “trench fever”.  He was once thought the equivalent of Ivor Novello in charm and good looks.  Jonathan owns most of the films his father made and is currently writing a book about the screen idols of the 1920s including John Stuart.

Croall, Jonathan (2012). Silenced by the trenches. Guardian, 11 February 2012, p 5.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/11/john-stuart-actor-silent-film-star?INTCMP=SRCH Accessed 20 February 2012.

Also, Libby Purves interviewed Jonathan Croall about his father in the BBC Radio 4’s Midweek programme on 15 February 2012, which is available to listen for a limited period from the BBC website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01by7br  Accessed 20 February 2012.

John Stuart’s films with Charles Ashton

Alex St George in Kitty (1929)

Richard Bristol in Smashing Through (1928)

Michael in The Woman Juror (1926)

Michael Rivven in We Women (1925)