Raymond Hackett

Raymond Hackett July 15 1902 July 7 1958 was an American stage and film actor whose career bridged the final years of silent cinema and the rise of early sound films Born in New York City to a theatrical family he made his Broadway debut at just five years old performing as Master Raymond Hackett and quickly establishing himself as a gifted child actor Hackett transitioned to Hollywood in the late 1920s becoming a familiar face in early talkies Between 1929 and 1931 he appeared in a string of major studio productions including The Trial of Mary Dugan Madame X Our Blushing Brides and Not So Dumb His roles often cast him as earnest young men romantic leads or sympathetic supporting characters during a period when studios were rapidly adapting to sound technology By the early 1930s Hackett stepped away from film and returned to the stage where he continued to work steadily in touring productions and regional theater His personal life included marriages to actress Myra Hampton and later to silentfilm star Blanche Sweet with whom he remained until his death Raymond Hackett died in Los Angeles in 1958 at age 55