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Page 34 October 2017 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
an academic life wasn’t for
him. After three years at the
1924 Mount, he decided to pursue
acting.
He dropped out of Mount
by James Rada, Jr. St. Mary’s in 1896 and took a
job with the Pittsburgh Stock
Company, earning $35.00
Mount St. Mar y’ s a week. His performances
earned him positive reviews,
and he debuted on Broadway
Movie Star Alumni in 1900 and found even
greater success.
Despite his success on the
You probably won’t recognize Piper Malone. Then, in the local stage, he decided to try films
his name, but Thomas Meighan was section, was the news that Meighan in 1914. His first film, Dandy
once as big a movie star as Brad had returned to Mount St. Mary’s Donovan, the Gentleman
Pitt or Tom Cruise, and he was an College. Cracksman, was shot in
alumnus of Mount St. Mary’s. He “Thomas Meighan with brother London. His first U.S. film,
was one of the leading actors in the James drove to the Mount and The Fighting Hope, came the
country in the 1920s, at one point threw the first ball across the following year. He played
earning $10,000 a week (about plate in a game between Western across from some of the top
$125,000 in today’s dollars). Maryland College and his alma film actresses of the day,
According to IMDB.com, mater at Echo Field on Wednesday,” Courtesy Photo including Mary Pickford and
Thomas “Tommy” Meighan was the Gettysburg Times reported. “He Gloria Swanson.
one of the rulers of the Hollywood smiled his famous smile even as he By 1919, he was considered
roost, between the years 1915 and watched the team representing his bazaar, so Meighan drew quite the a star. One of his last silent films,
1928. alma mater go down to defeat.” crowd. The Racket, was nominated for an
In May of 1924, if you He also attended a bazaar being A reporter asked Meighan Academy Award for Best Picture in
flipped through the pages of held at the college and led the when he had attended the Mount. 1928.
the newspapers, you would march at a dance. Students from Meighan told him, “Not a chance. Meighan’s first talkie was also
see Meighan’s name on the Hood College in Frederick, Goucher That would be too embarrassing to released the same year and was
entertainment page in ads and College in Baltimore, and St. tell. I was there for three years and called The Argyle Case.
reviews for his latest movie, Pied Joseph’s College also attended the they were, perhaps, the happiest The Gettysburg Times noted that
days of my life.” Meighan was humble and gave the
Meighan had been born in credit for his success not to himself
Pittsburgh in 1879 to a well-off but to the writers of his movies.
family. His parents encouraged His last film was Peck’s Bad Boy
him to attend college, but Meighan in 1934. After that, he decided to
stubbornly refused, so his father retire from acting at age fifty-five
made him get a job shoveling coal. and go out on a high note. Another
That changed the young man’s reason for his early retirement was
mind, and he enrolled at St. Mary’s that he was diagnosed with cancer.
He went into real estate with his
College, studying pharmacology. brother, but his second career was
Despite enjoying his time at
the college, Meighan knew that short lived. He died on July 8, 1936.
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