McKee Rankin | |
|---|---|
 circa 1870s | |
| Born | Arthur McKee Rankin February 6, 1841 Sandwich, Ontario Canada |
| Died | April 17, 1914 (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York (Westchester County) |
| Other names | George Henley |
| Occupation(s) | actor, manager |
| Years active | 1861–1911 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Gladys Rankin Phyllis Rankin Doris Rankin |
Arthur McKee Rankin (1841[1]–1914) was a Canadian born American stage actor and manager. He was the son of a member of the Canadian Parliament. After a dispute with his father he left home to become an actor. He made his stage debut in Rochester, New York in 1861 using the name George Henley.[2] In 1863 he was seen at Wood's Theatre in Cincinnati in the play The Stranger as The Count.[3] During this time he was engaged by Mrs. John Drew at her Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia.[4] Rankin, a Canadian, had no role or participation in the American Civil War. In 1866 he appeared at the Olympic Theatre in London run by Mrs. John Wood. Rankin increasingly became popular in the melodramas of the period and in 1867 was in a play called The Hunchback. In 1870 he appeared with Lydia Thompson in Mosquito and was a leading man from 1873 to 1875 at the famous Union Square Theatre. Having married Elizabeth Blanchard better known as Kitty they acted together in the 1870s appearing in the smash hit play The Two Orphans in 1874. He collaborated with playwright Frederick G. Maeder on several plays, among them The Runaway Wife and The Canuck.[5]
- ^ American and British Theatrical Biography p.772 c.1979 by J.P. Wearing ISBN 0-8108-1201-0
- ^ Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912–1976; vol. 4 Q-Z p.1,984 ; compiled from editions originally published annually by John Parker. 1976 edition by Gale Research Company
- ^ Famous Actors and Actresses on the American Stage Documents of American Theater History Volume 2 page 943 K-Z by William C. Young ISBN 0-8352-0821-4
- ^ ...Famous Actors; Young p.944
- ^ "Playwright Maeder Seriously Ill". Philadelphia Times. April 9, 1891. p. 1.