Ernest Truex appeared at Elitch as a member of the supporting cast in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, which featured Tyrone Power and Edith Crane. Truex was born in Rich Hill, Missouri in 1889, where he made his first appearance as a child prodigy in 1894. He later lived in Denver and was among the supporting actors at the Elitch Theatre, appearing during the 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907* seasons.
Ernest Truex began his career of “walk-ons” at Elitch while he was still a student at East High School (where his classmates included Douglas Fairbanks, Paul Whiteman, Harold Lloyd and playwright Mann Page). In addition to children’s roles, Truex was assigned a variety of parts which ranged from “pages to executioners.”
He made his New York debut in 1908, appearing in numerous plays throughout the years, such as A Good Little Devil in 1913 and George Washington Slept Here in 1940. He continued acting for another 25 years, including roles with the American Repertory Theatre in 1946. He died in 1973.
[Borrillo, Theodore A., (2012). Denver’s historic Elitch Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times). pp. 64.]
* NOTE: Historic Elitch Theatre does not have a record of Truex performing at the theatre in 1907, but we have kept the quote from Borrillo’s book.
Seasons at the Theatre
Productions/Roles:
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
Elitch Theatre Connections:
- Treux would star in the TV show, Jamie, with a later alum of the theatre, Brandon deWilde.
Wikipedia Link:
