William P.S. Earle
William Pitt Striker Earle (December 28, 1882 – November 30, 1972) was an American director of the silent film era. He attended Columbia University and worked for a time as a photographer before breaking into the movie business by sneaking onto the lot of Vitagraph Company of America to observe how directors worked. After a few days of this, Earle approached the studio president and was given his first movie to direct, For the Honor of the Crew, a short about a crew race at Columbia University.
Also recorded as William Earle · William Pitt Striker Earle · William S. Earle · William P. S. Earle
William P.S. Earle

Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research · Public domain
- Name
- William Pitt Striker Earle
- Born
- 28 December 1882
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Died
- 30 November 1972
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Film director
- Spouse
- Valerie Damon De Blois (m. 1905;div. 1915) Blanche Earle (m. 1952; her death) Evangeline Russell (m. 1966; her death)
- Nationality
- United States.
- Education
- Columbia University.
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Documentary summary
William Pitt Striker Earle (December 28, 1882 – November 30, 1972) was an American director of the silent film era. He attended Columbia University and worked for a time as a photographer before breaking into the movie business by sneaking onto the lot of Vitagraph Company of America to observe how directors worked. After a few days of this, Earle approached the studio president and was given his first movie to direct, For the Honor of the Crew, a short about a crew race at Columbia University.
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Note VALÉORINE
William P.S. Earle (1882–1972) was a film director and screenwriter, of American nationality. The film director was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles. William P.S. Earle was educated at Columbia University.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 28 September 2026
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wikidata · Q4020116 · wikipedia · William P. S. Earle
In this article
Biography
Biography
He subsequently directed a number of features and shorts for Vitagraph. Later he worked with producer David O. Earle founded his own, short-lived production company called Amex Production Corporation with J. Joffe, and shot the final two films of his career in Mexico.

Still from the American drama film The Law Decides (1916), on page 246 of the June 1916 Cine-Mundial (American Spanish language magazine).
Vitagraph Company of America · Cine-Mundial (Jan. - Dec. 1916) on the Internet Archive

Outside a cinema (Eckel theater in Syracuse) showing "Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation"
Motography · [1]
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Pitt Striker Earle • Born — 28 December 1882 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 30 November 1972 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Burial Place — Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale • Occupation — Film director • Years Active — 1915–1926 • Spouse — Valerie Damon De Blois (m. 1905;div. 1915) Blanche Earle (m. 1952; her death) Evangeline Russell (m. 1966; her death) • Father — Ferdinand P. Earle
Personal life
Personal life
Earle was born in New York City. He was the son of Ferdinand P. Earle, a hotelier and military officer. He married Valerie Damon De Blois in 1905. They divorced in 1915. He next married English actress Blanche Taylor, who later went by the name "Bonnie Earle", and was with him until her death in 1952. Earle's last wife was former actress Evangeline Russell Blackton, the widow of Vitagraph executive J. Stuart Blackton. She died in 1966. His daughter Valerie married economist Henry Hazlitt in 1929.
Feature filmography
Feature filmography
• The Law Decides co-directed with Marguerite Bertsch (1916) • The Scarlet Runner co-directed with Wally Van (1916) • Whom the Gods Destroy co-directed with J. Stuart Blackton, Herbert Brenon (1916) • The Courage of Silence (1917) • Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation co-directed with J. Stuart Blackton (1917) • Within the Law (1917) • Mary Jane's Pa co-directed with Charles Brabin (1917) • I Will Repay (1917) • Who Goes There? (1917) • His Own People (1917) • The Wooing of Princess Pat (1918) • Little Miss No-Account (1918) • The Little Runaway (1918) • Heredity (1918) • T'Other Dear Charmer (1918) • The Love Hunger (1919) • The Better Wife (1919) • The Lone Wolf's Daughter (1919) • The Broken Melody (1919) • The Woman Game (1920) • Whispers (1920) • The Dangerous Paradise (1920) • The Road of Ambition (1920) • Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby (1921) • Gilded Lies (1921) • The Last Door (1921) • The Way of a Maid (1921) • Love's Masquerade (1922) • Destiny's Isle (1922) • The Dancer of the Nile (1923) • Tras las bambalinas del bataclan (1925) • Milagros de la Guadalupana (1926)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1972
William P.S. Earle died on 30 November 1972.
Places
Named by the record
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New York City.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4020116: William P.S. Earle
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “William P. S. Earle”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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.Shields, David S. Still: American Silent Motion Picture Photography. University of Chicago Press. 223. 2013. 978-0-226-01343-5.
- 2.Garcia Riera, Emilio. Breve historia del cine mexicano : primer siglo, 1897-1997. Ediciones Mapa. 69. 1998.
- 3.New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Obituaries. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. 34. 2. 145. April 1903.
- 4.Wife Sues W.P.S. Earle. The New York Times. 5. June 29, 1915.
- 5.Actress of Silent Films. The Kansas City Times. 10. January 23, 1952.
- 6.Former Star of Silent Films Dies. Pasadena Independent. 14. February 24, 1966.
- 7.https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A15F93954167A93C2A8178ED85F4D8285F9
References
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Secondary witness
Further particulars
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Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings William Earle, William Pitt Striker Earle, William S. Earle, William P. Earle and W.P.S. He was the child of Ferdinand P. He married Blanche Earle and Evangeline Russell. The identifiers under which William P.S. Earle may be traced in institutional catalogues.
Identity and origins
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 17 August 2026.
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