Clyde Cook

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Actor Born Clyde Wilford Cook on Dec. 16, 1891 in Port Macquarie, Australia

Clyde Cook is remembered for the acrobatic antics in his humor.

As the story often goes in Hollywood, the Austrialian-born silent film comedian began performing as a small child. He danced and performed somersaults between rounds of boxing events. When he was 16, he went to England and performed at variety theaters. On one tour, he played the same bill with a young juggler who later made a name for himself: W. C. Fields.

After he served in the Royal Navy in World War I, Cook came to the United States and joined the Ziegfeld Follies.

He made his way to Hollywood in the early 1920s, where he made numerous two-reel silent comedies. But he never approached the success of the star of that era of film comedy, Charlie Chaplin.

Cook eventually became a character actor in talking films, often in roles providing a comedic interlude. Cook has a featured role in "The Dawn Patrol," among other films. His last performance was in "Donovan's Reef."

— Los Angeles Times Sept. 21, 1984