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341:, a music hall entertainer. While George was an infant, his father removed him from his mentally troubled mother, who was committed to a mental asylum for a time. He grew up estranged from her and his two older half-brothers. Known as Wheeler, Dryden became an entertainer like his father. In 1915 he was touring
312:
He moved to the United States in 1918, joining his mother and two half-brothers. He worked as an actor and director, sometimes assisting
Charlie Chaplin. He was married for a short time to ballerina Anna Chapple and they had one child together,
442:
in 1952, Dryden managed the winding down of
Chaplin's Hollywood business affairs until 1954, when the studio was sold. In his final years, he suffered from mental illness and reclusiveness. His difficulties were exacerbated by aggressive
360:
At this point, Dryden (who adopted use of this as his surname) wrote several letters to
Chaplin and his half-brother Sydney, but received no response from either of them. In 1917, he got in touch with Chaplin's lead actress,
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before they divorced in 1943. Dryden took his son to Los
Angeles jazz clubs during the 1950s, which inspired his musical ambitions as a jazz and rock drummer. Spencer became a musician and played with
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Letter from
Wheeler Dryden to Edna Purviance, imploring her to intercede on his behalf and encourage Charles Chaplin to acknowledge his half-brother:
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inquiries into his brother's politics, during the period of increasing anti-Communist actions by government and
Hollywood studios in the US.
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He joined the
Chaplin brothers and their mother in America in 1918. After nearly two decades, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1936.
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In 1938 Dryden married Alice
Chapple (1911–2005), a prima ballerina of the Radio City Music Hall dancers. They had a son
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Dryden entered the growing film world as an actor, and later worked as a director. He appeared in
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289:(31 August 1892 – 30 September 1957), AKA Lee George Wheeler but known professionally as
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Later, he worked at the
Chaplin Studios as Charlie's assistant director on
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728:, port of San Francisco, California, 15 December 1918. Ancestry.com.
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642:"Wheeler Dryden - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos - AllMovie"
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comedian when his father first told him that the newly famous actor
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851:"Limelight (1952) - Charles Chaplin - Cast and Crew - AllMovie"
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Wheeler Dryden assistant to charles chaplin monsieur verdoux.
743:"Skirts (1928) - Wheeler Dryden - Cast and Crew - AllMovie"
732:. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008.
762:"Wings Over Europe – Broadway Play – Original - IBDB"
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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886:Alice Chapple Judd, ednapurviance.blogspot.com
730:California Passenger and Crew Lists, 1893-1957
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8:
474:, and other bands; he was inducted into the
329:He was born as George Dryden Wheeler Jr. in
404:He also played Plimsoll in the 1928 – 1929
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782:British Music Hall: An Illustrated History
682:. Rolling Stone magazine. 14 January 2005.
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389:and was the "other man" in the melodrama,
122:
1261:Naturalized citizens of the United States
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
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139:Autographed photograph of Wheeler Dryden
833:"Limelight (1953) - Articles - TCM.com"
628:
438:After Charlie Chaplin left America for
1281:British emigrants to the United States
918:"Grace Slick Remembers Spencer Dryden"
779:Baker, Richard Anthony (31 May 2014).
680:"Grace Slick Remembers Spencer Dryden"
333:, the youngest of three boys born to
301:, and younger half-brother of actors
7:
814:. Indiana University Press. p.
49:adding citations to reliable sources
1271:American people of English descent
898:Sweeting, Adam (15 January 2005).
14:
1256:20th-century American male actors
806:Robinson, David (14 March 1983).
1276:American people of Irish descent
1251:20th-century English male actors
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1266:English people of Irish descent
1231:Film directors from Los Angeles
1142:Charlie Chaplin's grandchildren
231:
36:needs additional citations for
818:– via Internet Archive.
810:Chaplin, the Mirror of Opinion
1:
577:Heinrich Schtick - Translator
472:New Riders of the Purple Sage
297:and music hall entertainer
16:English-born American actor
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1091:Charlie Chaplin's children
970:Internet Broadway Database
900:"Obituary: Spencer Dryden"
476:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
319:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1221:American male film actors
1034:Hannah Chaplin's children
1013:Charlie Chaplin's parents
888:. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
795:– via Google Books.
287:George Dryden Wheeler Jr.
149:George Dryden Wheeler Jr.
132:
1216:English male film actors
1246:Male actors from London
1060:Charlie Chaplin's wives
724:Passenger list of S.S.
508:The Crucifix of Destiny
393:. In 1928, he directed
186:Los Angeles, California
1226:English film directors
760:League, The Broadway.
376:
357:was his half-brother.
1149:Oona Castilla Chaplin
837:Turner Classic Movies
695:at chaplin.bfi.org.uk
400:A Little Bit of Fluff
374:
482:Selected filmography
234: 1938;
45:improve this article
1236:People from Brixton
1133:Christopher Chaplin
1098:Charles Chaplin Jr.
1020:Charles Chaplin Sr.
335:Hannah Hill Chaplin
926:. 14 January 2005.
668:. 17 January 2005.
616:(final film role)
572:The Great Dictator
468:Jefferson Airplane
420:The Great Dictator
377:
1193:
1192:
1118:Josephine Chaplin
1108:Geraldine Chaplin
1103:Sydney E. Chaplin
1041:Sydney J. Chaplin
875:on 15 March 2018.
785:. Pen and Sword.
665:Independent.co.uk
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411:Wings Over Europe
337:, and the son of
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178:30 September 1957
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1123:Victoria Chaplin
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278:Charlie Chaplin
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363:Edna Purviance
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307:Sydney Chaplin
295:Hannah Chaplin
291:Wheeler Dryden
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62: –
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57:
56:Find sources:
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40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
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1082:Oona O'Neill
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921:
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904:The Guardian
903:
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873:the original
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766:www.ibdb.com
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386:Mud and Sand
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180:(1957-09-30)
107:
101:October 2010
98:
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67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1211:1957 deaths
1206:1892 births
710:second page
598:Uncredited
562:Uncredited
524:False Women
513:Leading Man
452:Los Angeles
440:Switzerland
395:Syd Chaplin
391:False Women
381:Stan Laurel
303:Sir Charlie
264:Hannah Hill
1200:Categories
714:third page
706:First page
623:References
351:Vaudeville
339:Leo Dryden
299:Leo Dryden
260:Leo Dryden
155:1892-08-31
71:newspapers
1072:Lita Grey
608:Limelight
478:in 1996.
454:in 1957.
432:Limelight
270:Relatives
256:Parent(s)
855:AllMovie
747:AllMovie
646:AllMovie
595:Salesman
435:(1952).
347:Far East
345:and the
246:Children
210:director
968:at the
240:
228:
224:
163:Brixton
85:scholar
789:
580:Voice
556:Penrod
498:Notes
492:Title
458:Family
408:play,
331:London
274:Sydney
216:Spouse
188:, U.S.
167:London
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
495:Role
489:Year
349:as a
343:India
230:(
226:
206:Actor
92:JSTOR
78:books
961:IMDb
787:ISBN
712:and
603:1952
585:1947
567:1940
552:1922
545:Sapo
535:1922
520:1921
503:1920
423:and
305:and
276:and
236:div.
175:Died
169:, UK
145:Born
64:news
959:at
816:191
445:FBI
397:in
383:'s
47:by
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644:.
631:^
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321:.
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232:m.
208:,
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99:(
89:·
82:·
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41:.
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