George Nichols (actor and director)

George Nichols
Nichols in ad for The Flirt (1922)
BornOctober 28, 1864
Rockford, Illinois, US
DiedSeptember 20, 1927(1927-09-20) (aged 62)
Hollywood, California, US
Occupation(s)Actor, film director
Years active1908–1927
SpouseViola Alberti (1896-his death)

George Nichols, sometimes credited in films as George O. Nicholls (October 28, 1864 – September 20, 1927), was an American actor and film director.[1][2] He is perhaps best remembered for his work at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios.

Nichols was born in Rockford, Illinois. He made 221 known film appearances from 1908 up to his death in 1927. He also directed 103 films between 1911 and 1916. Along with Henry "Pathe" Lehrman, Nichols became an arch-enemy of Charlie Chaplin very early on in Chaplin's film career, as Chaplin was dissatisfied with Nichols' way of directing and comic ideas while both worked at Keystone in 1914. In his autobiography, Chaplin recalled a dispute between himself and Nichols during the shooting of a film in which Chaplin appeared.[3]

While working at Keystone, 'Pops', as he was known, was often cast as father to Mabel Normand.

  1. ^ "George Nichols: Early Sennett Director". October 3, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  2. ^ Katchmer, George A. (September 22, 2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. ISBN 9781476609058. Retrieved June 22, 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Chaplin, Charles (1964): My Autobiography. Penguin Books. 2003 reprint. p. 149.