George Arliss

August London and New York stage performer who entered films in 1921 and specialized in playing the great historical figures--such as "Disraeli" (1921 and 1929), "Alexander Hamilton" (1931), "Voltaire" (1933), and "Cardinal Richelieu" (1935)--that had made him famous in the theater. Known as "The First Gentleman of the Screen" in the 1930s, Arliss occasionally appeared with his wife, Florence Montgomery Arliss; their son Leslie was a screenwriter and director.