Nick Cogley
Cogley (May 4, 1869 – May 20, 1936) was an American actor, director and writer of the silent films. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1909 and 1934.
Nick Cogley

Goldwyn Pictures Corporation · Shadowland (Sep. 1919 - Feb. 1920) on the Internet Archive · Public domain
- Name
- Nick Cogley
- Birth Name
- Nickolas P.
- Born
- May 4, 1869
- Birthplace
- New York, New York, US
- Died
- 20 May 1936
- Place of death
- Santa Monica, California, US
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- actor · screenwriter · film director
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Cogley (May 4, 1869 – May 20, 1936) was an American actor, director and writer of the silent films. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1909 and 1934.
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Note VALÉORINE
Nick Cogley (1869–1936) was an actor, film director and screenwriter, of American nationality. The actor was born in New York City and died in Santa Monica. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q3339725 · wikipedia · Nick Cogley
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Nick Cogley • Birth Name — Nickolas P. J. Cogley • Born — May 4, 1869 • Birthplace — New York, New York, US • Died — 20 May 1936 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, US • Years Active — 1909–1934
Biography
Biography
Cogley was born in New York, New York. He attended St. Francis Xavier College in New York. Cogley appeared in blackface in some of his roles. For example, in the Civil War film The Coward (1915) he played "A Negro Servant," and in Toby's Bow (1919) he portrayed the black servant "Uncle Toby" that gives the film its name. The use of blackface was not unusual in American silent films, and did not disappear until the 1930s when public sensibilities regarding race began to change and blackface became increasingly associated with racism and bigotry. On stage, Cogley acted at New York's Lyceum Theatre for 25 years. He died in Santa Monica, California, following surgery.
Partial filmography
Partial filmography
• The Sanitarium (1910) • The New Superintendent (1911) • The Count of Monte Cristo (1912) • Mabel's New Hero (1913) • The Paymaster's Son (1913) • A Noise from the Deep (1913) • The Bangville Police (1913) • That Ragtime Band (1913) • Murphy's I.O.U. (1913) • The Gangsters (1913) • Passions, He Had Three (1913) • Help! Help! Hydrophobia! (1913) • Peeping Pete (1913) • A Bandit (1913) • The Gypsy Queen (1913) • Mother's Boy (1913) • Two Old Tars (1913) • The Woman Haters (1913) • In the Clutches of the Gang (1914) • Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914) as Keystone Cop Desk Sergeant (uncredited) • Love, Loot and Crash (1915) • The Coward (1915) • A La Cabaret (1916) • Hearts and Sparks (1916) • A Dash of Courage (1916) • His Bread and Butter (1916) • Stars and Bars (1917) • Madam Who? (1918) • Maid o' the Storm (1918) • Inside the Lines (1918) • Sis Hopkins (1919) • Toby's Bow (1919) • Jes' Call Me Jim (1920) • Guile of Women (1921) • Beating the Game (1921) • The Old Nest (1921) as Uncle Ned • An Unwilling Hero as • One Clear Call (1922) • The Marriage Chance (1922) • Restless Souls (1922) • Desire (1923) • Crinoline and Romance (1923) • The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924) • Hey! Hey! Cowboy (1927) • The Missing Link (1927) • The Heart of Maryland (1927) • In Old Kentucky (1927) • Abie's Irish Rose (1928) • Treason (1933) • Cross Fire (1933)

Still from the American silent drama film Toby's Bow (1919) with Tom Moore and Nick Cogley, from page 65 of the January 1920 Shadowland. Cogley played "Uncle Toby" in blackface. The use of white actors in blackface for black film characters did not end until the 1930s.
Goldwyn Pictures Corporation · Shadowland (Sep. 1919 - Feb. 1920) on the Internet Archive

Still from the American drama film The Old Nest (1921) with Mary Alden, from page 47 of the July 23, 1921 Exhibitors Herald.
Goldwyn Pictures Corporation · Exhibitors Herald (Jul. - Sep. 1921) on the Internet Archive
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1936
Nick Cogley died at Santa Monica.
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New York City.
Birth place
Santa Monica.
Death place
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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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.Walker, Brent E. Mack Sennett's Fun Factory: A History and Filmography of His Studio and His Keystone and Mack Sennett Comedies, with Biographies of Players and Personnel. McFarland Inc. 494. 2010. 9780786457076.
- 2.Katchmer, George A. A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. 67. 2009. 9781476609058.
- 3.John Kenrick, Blackface and Old Wounds. Musicals101.com. Accessed online November 2, 2013.
References
Citations
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reference work
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Secondary witness
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 15 August 2026.
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