Jack Dougherty (actor)

Jack Dougherty (born Virgil Ashley Dougherty) was an American actor who appeared in B-movies in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.[1] He was married to actress Barbara La Marr at the time of her death.

Jack Dougherty
Born
Virgil Ashley Dougherty

November 16, 1895
Bowling Green, Missouri, U.S.
DiedMay 16, 1938 (aged 42)
Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)
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​
(m. 1923; died 1926)​

​
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(m. 1927; div. 1928)​

Biography

Jack was born in Bowling Green, Missouri, to Roy Dougherty and Julia Ach. The family relocated to Southern California when Jack was young.[2] He began a career as an actor in Broadway musicals in the late 1910s.[3] In 1920, after returning from serving in France during World War I, he was signed with Metro to play Alice Lake's leading man.[4]

He and actress Barbara La Marr got married in 1923, the same year Dougherty was signed to a five-year contract at Universal. The marriage was tumultuous, and multiple separations were noted in the press.[5] The pair were still legally wed, however, when La Marr died of tuberculosis in 1926 at the age of 29.[6][7]

In 1927, Dougherty married his second wife, actress Virginia Brown Faire.[8] That marriage did not last long—the pair parted ways in 1929, and she soon married director Duke Worne.[9] In 1928, he and actress Lottie Pickford were assaulted by robbers outside of a cafe in East Los Angeles.[10] Later that year, Dougherty was charged for assaulting another male guest at a party held by Pickford.[11]

His legal foibles and troubles with alcohol led to diminishing roles on screen right as the silent era waned; he was no longer getting starring roles or gigs from major studios. After an attempted suicide in 1933, he committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on May 16, 1938, in the Hollywood Hills; he reportedly left behind four suicide notes that blamed financial troubles for his ultimate fate.[12][13] He was 43 years old.[14][15]

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Lead with American Beauty". The Los Angeles Times. 28 Jun 1922. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  2. "Moose Minstrel Players Give High-Class Performance". Santa Maria Times. 24 Feb 1921. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  3. "Katherine Acquires Leading Man". The Sacramento Bee. 5 Aug 1922. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  4. "Jack Dougherty Engaged". The Los Angeles Times. 15 Oct 1920. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  5. "Barbara LaMarr in New Marital Row". The San Francisco Examiner. 9 Jul 1924. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  6. "The Pace That Killed". Oakland Tribune. 11 Apr 1926. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  7. "Noted Star of Films Ill in South". Visalia Daily Times. 7 Jan 1926. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  8. "It's Birthday Week!". The Los Angeles Times. 11 Dec 1927. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  9. "Hollywood Marriage in July Is Rumored". The Pasadena Post. 15 Mar 1929. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  10. "Pickford Case Baffles Police". The Los Angeles Times. 10 Nov 1928. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  11. "Guest Chokes Hostess as Fight Rages". The San Francisco Examiner. 26 Dec 1928. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  12. "Virgil Dougherty, Actor, Kills Self in Auto". The Sacramento Bee. 17 May 1938. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  13. "Up and Down California". Santa Maria Times. 17 May 1938. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  14. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001-05-01). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9.
  15. Stumpf, Charles (2010-04-13). ZaSu Pitts: The Life and Career. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-6023-6.
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