Tom Ricketts (15 January 1853, London, England – 20 January 1939, Hollywood, California) was an English American silent film actor, director and screenwriter who was involved in almost 350 motion pictures.
Ricketts directed the first motion picture ever in Hollywood in 1909, entitled Justified. Starting in the honkytonks of London, he became of the most able Shakespearean actors of his day. Ricketts directed over 100 silent films between 1909 and 1919, but in 1919 he decided to concentrate on his career as an actor. A hard worker, Ricketts acted in almost 200 films, right until his death. He appeared in one of the most popular films of the late 1930s, Son of Frankenstein, shortly before his death.
He died of pneumonia on 20 January 1939.
Married to actress Josephine Ditt (Mrs. Tom Ricketts), Ricketts directed the first motion picture in Hollywood. Starting in the honkytonks of London, he became of the best Shakespearean actors of his day. Ricketts worked up to a few days before his death. Leaving for work at Universal, his bad cold developed into pneumonia and his health quickly went down hill to his death. His wife was not informed of his death at the time, as she was suffering from a stroke she'd suffered in December 1938.
