Hobart Henley
Hobart Henley (born Hess Manassah Henle; November 23, 1887 – May 22, 1964) was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He was involved in over 60 films either as an actor or director or both from 1914 to 1934.
Also recorded as Hobert Henley
Hobart Henley

Motion Picture Magazine · Motion Picture Magazine (August, 1915) Vol. X No.7, New York · Public domain
- Born
- 1887. · Louisville.
- Died
- 1964. · Beverly Hills.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- film director, screenwriter and actor.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Hobart Henley (born Hess Manassah Henle; November 23, 1887 – May 22, 1964) was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He was involved in over 60 films either as an actor or director or both from 1914 to 1934.
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Note VALÉORINE
Hobart Henley (1887–1964) was an American actor, film actor and film director, among other activities. Born in Louisville, the actor died in Beverly Hills. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q732366 · wikipedia · Hobart Henley
In this article
Early life
Early life
Henley was born Hess Manassah Henle in Louisville, Kentucky, to Samuel Henle, a German immigrant and retailer, and his wife Clementine. His family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Henley graduated from the University of Cincinnati.
Career
Career
Henley began his career as a stage actor, then moved to acting in silent films. He began dual duties of directing and acting in such films as The Gay Old Dog for Pathé in 1919. He continued directing films, many of which were star's debuts like Bette Davis in the Bad Sister (1931) with Humphrey Bogart, as well as those of Reginald Denny, Jimmy Durante, and Will Rogers. He started his own production company and later worked for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. He directed top stars, including Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Maurice Chevalier. He retired in 1936.
Personal life
Personal life
He was married twice, first in 1920 to Corinne Barker, and later he married Louisiana native Dorothy March. He and March had two sons, David, and Hobart Jr. (deceased age 14). Henley died in Beverly Hills, California, aged 76, and he is interred at Chapel of the Pines Crematory, Los Angeles.

Advertisement promoting future films to be directed by Hobart Henley for Selznick Pictures, on page 5 of the April 17, 1920 Exhibitors Herald.
Selznick Pictures Corporation / Select Pictures · Exhibitors Herald (Apr. - Jun. 1920) on the Internet Archive
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Louisville.
Birth place
Beverly Hills.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Photoplay Magazine Publishing Company. Photoplay: The Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines. 1915.
- 2.Lowrey, Carolyn. The First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen. Moffat, Yard. 1920.
- 3.Ward, Richard Lewis. When the Cock Crows: A History of the Pathé Exchange. SIU Press. 2016. 978-0-8093-3496-4.
- 4.Motion Picture News. 1919.
- 5.Hobart Henley Biography.
- 6.Slide, Anthony. The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry. Routledge. 2014-02-25. 978-1-135-92554-3.
- 7.1931, 9 Oct Hobart Henley. Modesto News-Herald. 9. 1931-10-09.
- 8.Blum, Daniel. Daniel Blum's Screen World 1965. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. 1966. 978-0-8196-0306-7.
- 9.Aaker, Everett. George Raft: The Films. McFarland. 2013-04-19. 978-0-7864-6646-7.
- 10.1920, 27 Jul Corinne Riely Barker. The Oregon Daily Journal. 12. 1920-07-27.
- 11.Hobart Henley, 68, Early Moviemaker. The New York Times. 1964-05-23. 0362-4331.
- 12.Hobart Henley.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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