Edward N. Hoyt

The New Rochelle Pioneer, February 20, 1915, carried this sketch by John William Kellette: “Edward N. Hoyt is about ready to celebrate his thirty-fourth year on the great American stage, although for a few years past he’s been a silent entertainer, having drifted during that time to the screen. He is now with Thanhouser after an apprenticeship with Rex, Edison, Biograph, Pathé, Kalem, Imp and Reliance, and he is now doing the best work of his picture career with the ‘T-Co.’ trademark.

“It was in 1883 that ‘Eddie’ went with Joseph Proctor; ’85 found him with McVicker’s Stock Company, Chicago; ’86 with Frederick Warde, the great Shakespearean actor, father to our own ‘Ernie’ C. Warde, of Thanhouser; with Louis James and Marie Wainwright, a couple of years; he again drifted to the Warde standard, where he remained until 1889. Then he listened to Louis James again, and for two seasons he traveled with the James outfit. James H. Wallick got him for ’91-’92 and at the end of the season he went went with Charles B. Hanford. From the Hanford banner subsequent years found him with Frank Mayo, ’93-94; Robert B. Mantell, ’94-95; Walker Whiteside, ’95; Margaret Mather, ’95-96, Robert Mantell, ’96-97; Robert Downing, ’97-98; Vinicus, in Quo Vadis?, ’99-1900; Mercutio, in Romeo and Juliet, ’02-03; Jacques in As You Like It, ’03-04; starred as Hamlet, 1904 to 1906; was with the incomparable Madame Modjeska, ’06-’07; played the titular role in Ingomar, the Barbarian, ’07-’08, and was Mephisto in Rosabel Morrison’s Faust, 1908-09. And I guess that’s some record, what?

“Yet, Mr. Hoyt, seeing the future of pictures, from the viewpoint of a star for art’s sake alone, went to the clicking Pathés for a well-earned respite from the wanderlust. He was born near Auburn, N.Y. and was educated in the public schools and Normal Business College to Brooklyn, and is now a full-fledged New Rochellean. His first picture was A Prophet Without Honor, and the Rex Company, now allied with the Universal, produced it. He lives at Hazelhurst Park, has dreamy brown eyes, luxuriant black hair, is 5 ft. 9 in. toward the blue canopy and weighs 154. He confesses to be ‘somewhat’ married, and the writer can vouch for it that Mrs. Hoyt is an estimable woman. She works in pictures, too, but more about her later. ‘Eddie’ has put over some good stuff in pictures, and he has a long way to go yet.”

By November 1915 Edward N. Hoyt had resigned from Thanhouser and signed with Equitable. In 1916 a directory noted that he was 5’9” tall, weighed 154 pounds, and had gray hair but was “quite bald,” and had dark brown eyes. His hobbies were literature and elocution. At the time his home address was 1793 Montgomery Avenue, New York City. Several years later, he appeared in The Struggle Everlasting (Harry Rapf, High Art Productions for Arrow Film, April 1918).

Note: His first name was sometimes listed as Edwin in publicity. Film historian Billy H. Doyle suggests that Edward N. Hoyt may be the same person as Edwin Hoyt, who was born in 1862 and who died on January 21, 1923.