James Keteltas Hackett | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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James Keteltas Hackett

James Keteltas Hackett, expatriate actor (b at Wolfe I, Ont 6 Sept 1869; d at Paris, France 8 Nov 1926). A handsome, swashbuckling, matinee idol, he made his name as the romantic hero of such 1890s' hits as The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau.

Hackett, James Keteltas

James Keteltas Hackett, expatriate actor (b at Wolfe I, Ont 6 Sept 1869; d at Paris, France 8 Nov 1926). A handsome, swashbuckling, matinee idol, he made his name as the romantic hero of such 1890s' hits as The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau. He made his professional debut in 1892 in Philadelphia where he was amateur duelling champion. He toured to Halifax and Saint John in 1893 and opened his own theatre in New York in 1905. Aspiring to serious roles, he mounted with an inherited fortune New York productions of Othello (1914) and Macbeth (1916), remembered for their advanced scenic design. In 1920 Macbeth was taken successfully to London and Paris. He was awarded the French Legion of Honour.