Volume III: Biographies

CARLETON, Lloyd B.

Director (1909-1910)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Lloyd B. Carleton was one of two directors at the Thanhouser studio at the inception of activities in 1909.

Biographical Notes: Born in New York City in 1872, Lloyd B. Carleton (stage name for Carleton B. Little) was educated in the same city at Columbia College. He followed a stage career, which eventually included work with Maude Adams, and as a director for the Hunter-Bradford stock company, the George Fawcett stock company, and others, including a long stint in many productions with Frohman. It was Frohman who suggested the name change from Carleton B. Little to Lloyd B. Carleton. In 1908, on just one day's notice from Frohman he sailed for Australia to produce Peter Pan.

Lloyd B. Carleton's film career began with Edwin Thanhouser, who hired him at the beginning of the film-making enterprise. With Barry O'Neil, he was one of the Thanhouser Company's first two directors in late 1909 and 1910. He stayed with Thanhouser for just a short time, after which he went to work for American Biograph, for whom he appeared as an actor in the role of the bailiff in Sweet Charity (produced in September 1910 and released November 10th of the same year).

Later, he went to Lubin, where he spent most of his time from 1911 to 1914. An article in The Moving Picture World, June 1, 1912, told of his ability: "One of the most important directors of the several Lubin stock companies is Lloyd B. Carleton, a man of wide experience both in dramatics, literature, and travel. The director of a production is seldom known or heard of, his name is never in print, and yet he is the maker of the picture, of the show to be offered to the public. Carleton is the master of stage mysticism...."

In the autumn of 1914, he joined the Box Office Attractions Company (Fox), with his first release there being The Walls of Jericho. At one time he was also with Selig. In the autumn of 1915 he joined Universal. In 1916 he lived at 5846 Carlton Way, Hollywood, California. Among his 1916 Universal films were The Morals of Hilda, Dr. Neighbor, The Way of the World, Two Men of Sandy Bar, Two Mothers, Her Husband's Faith, No. 16 Martin Place, and The Human Gamble. Other picture credits include Sunken Village, Two Roses, Michael Strogoff, The Idler, Their Sinful Influence, Way of the World, Yoke of Gold, Black Friday, and Road of Destiny.

Directories published 1916-1918 noted that he was 5'10" tall and weighed 230 pounds. Lloyd B. Carleton remained in films through the 1920s, and died at his home at 250 West 88th Street in New York City on August 8, 1933. Following services at the Funeral Church, Broadway and 66th Street, interment was in the Little family plot in Trinity Cemetery, West 155th Street. He was survived by two brothers, John T. Little and Dr. Arthur R. Little, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1910: The Actor's Children (3-15-1910), St. Elmo (3-22-1910), She's Done It Again (3-29-1910)

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