Wilfred Lucas Memorial Fund

My name is Robert Satterfield and I am the current Grand Sheik of the Forty-Five Minutes From Hollywood Tent and Grand Sheik Emeritus of the Way Out West Tent of the Sons of the Desert (Laurel and Hardy Club). I have been involved with this group for over 52 years. I have helped to get markers for well over a dozen other Laurel & Hardy and or Our Gang actors over the years.

This campaign is to raise money to have the ashes of actor/writer/director Wilfred Lucas (1871-1940) removed from the vault of The Chapel of the Pines in Los Angeles to his own private niche. Lucas’ remains have been stored in the vault since his passing and will finally be placed to rest in a nice marked niche. (See photo below.)

Laurel and Hardy fans immediately recognize Wilfred for his roles as the warden in “Pardon Us” and the dean in “A Chump at Oxford” (he also appeared in “The Devil’s Brother” and “Zenobia” as well). Lucas appeared in Our Gang Comedies such as “Shrimps for a Day” and “Free Wheeling” and with Charley Chase in “Looser Than Loose”.

Wilfred Lucas was a very successful stage actor appearing on Broadway before being recruited D. W. Griffith to work at Biograph Studios making his film debut in Griffith’s “The Greaser’s Gauntlet” in 1908. He started directing films with Griffith in 1912. Among the films he wrote and directed was Elmo Lincoln’s “Romance of Tarzan” in 1918. Lucas appeared in Griffith’s “Intolerance”. He wrote and directed many films at Keystone for Mack Sennett. And he directed over 50 films.

Among the over 400 films on his resume are: “Modern Times” (Charlie Chaplin), Kentucky Derby” (Lillian Rich), “Through the Back Door” (Mary Pickford), “The Arizona Kid” (Warner Baxter), “Love in the Hills” (Blanche Sweet), “The Sea Wolf” (Edward G. Robinson), “Dodge City” (Errol Flynn), “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (James Stewart), “Angels with Dirty Faces” (James Cagney) and “Naughty Marietta (Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy).