---
name: "Ernest Torrence"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ernest-torrence"
fi1m_id: "ernest-torrence"
imdb_id: "nm0868458"
tmdb_id: 98034
wikidata_id: "Q281962"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "24 June 1878"
died: "15 May 1933"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T00:07:58.467292+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ernest Torrence

## Identity

Ernest Torrence

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ernest-torrence
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ernest-torrence
- **IMDb ID:** nm0868458
- **TMDB ID:** 98034
- **Wikidata ID:** Q281962
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Torrence, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q281962, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0868458/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/98034

Actor. Born 24 June 1878 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Died 15 May 1933.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 24 June 1878, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- **Died:** 15 May 1933
- **Also known as:** Ernest Torrance-Thomson
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Torrence, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q281962, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0868458/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/98034

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*Steamboat Bill, Jr.*](https://film.one/film/steamboat-bill-jr.md) (90)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson) was a Scottish character actor known for his imposing presence in silent films and early talkies. Born on 26 June 1878 in Edinburgh, he trained as a pianist and operatic baritone at the Stuttgart Conservatory, Edinburgh Academy and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company before vocal problems ended that career. He and his brother, actor David Torrence, moved to the United States and worked on the New York stage; Torrence made his Broadway debut in 1912.

He entered films in 1921 with a notable role as the villain Luke Hatburn in *Tol'able David*. He appeared in *The Covered Wagon* (1923), *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1923) as Clopin, *Peter Pan* (1924) as Captain Hook, *The King of Kings* (1927) as Peter and *Steamboat Bill, Jr.* (1928) as Steamboat Bill Sr. He continued working in sound films until his death on 15 May 1933 in New York City, following surgery.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Steamboat Bill, Jr.* (1928), Fi1m 90, as Steamboat Bill Sr. — [page](https://film.one/film/steamboat-bill-jr.md)

## Complete filmography (51)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Tingler* (1959), as Luke Hatburn (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *I Cover the Waterfront* (1933), as Eli Kirk (Julie's father)
- *Hypnotized* (1932), as Prof. Horace S. Limberly - Hypnotist
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1932), as Professor James Moriarty
- *The Cuban Love Song* (1931), as Romance
- *New Adventures of Get Rich Quick Wallingford* (1931), as Blackie Daw
- *Sporting Blood* (1931), as Mr. Jim Rellence
- *The Great Lover* (1931), as Potter
- *Shipmates* (1931), as Chief Bosuns Mate Scotty McTavish
- *Fighting Caravans* (1931), as Bill Jackson
- *Sweet Kitty Bellairs* (1930), as Sir Jasper Standish
- *Call of the Flesh* (1930), as Esteban
- *Strictly Unconventional* (1930), as Lord Porteous
- *Officer O'Brien* (1930), as John Patrick O'Brien
- *Untamed* (1929), as Uncle Ben Murchison
- *Speedway* (1929), as Jim MacDonald
- *The Unholy Night* (1929), as Dr. Ballou
- *The Bridge of San Luis Rey* (1929), as Uncle Pio
- *Desert Nights* (1929), as Steve
- *The Cossacks* (1928), as Ivan
- *Steamboat Bill, Jr.* (1928), as Steamboat Bill Sr. — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/steamboat-bill-jr.md)
- *Across to Singapore* (1928), as Captain Mark Shore
- *Twelve Miles Out* (1927), as Red McCue
- *Captain Salvation* (1927), as Captain of the 'Panther'
- *The King of Kings* (1927), as Peter
- *The Lady of the Harem* (1926), as Hassan
- *Mantrap* (1926), as Joe Easter
- *The Rainmaker* (1926), as Mike
- *The Blind Goddess* (1926), as Mr. Clayton
- *North of 36* (1926), as Jim Nabours
- *The American Venus* (1926), as King Neptune
- *The Pony Express* (1925), as 'Ascension' Jones
- *The Wanderer* (1925), as Tola
- *Night Life of New York* (1925), as John Bentley
- *The Dressmaker from Paris* (1925), as Angus McGregor
- *Peter Pan* (1924), as Captain James Hook
- *The Side Show of Life* (1924), as Andrew Lackady
- *The Fighting Coward* (1924), as Gen. Orlando Jackson
- *The Heritage of the Desert* (1924), as August Naab
- *West of the Water Tower* (1924), as Rev. Adrian Plummer
- *Ruggles of Red Gap* (1923), as Cousin Egbert Floud
- *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1923), as Clopin
- *The Brass Bottle* (1923), as Fakresh-el-Aamash
- *The Trail of the Lonesome Pine* (1923), as 'Devil' Jud Tolliver
- *The Covered Wagon* (1923), as Jackson
- *The Kingdom Within* (1922), as Kreig
- *Broken Chains* (1922), as Boyan Boone
- *Singed Wings* (1922), as Emilio
- *The Prodigal Judge* (1922), as Solomon Mahaffy
- *Tol'able David* (1921), as Luke Hatburn
- *A Dangerous Affair* (1919), as Abner (as Ernest Torrance)

## Gallery

- ![Ernest Torrence, silent film actor Subjects: actors (1924)](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-76d1e721cacd.jpg) Ernest Torrence, silent film actor Subjects: actors (1924) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Ernest_Torrence%2C_silent_film_actor_%28SAYRE_10645%29.jpg/1280px-Ernest_Torrence%2C_silent_film_actor_%28SAYRE_10645%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ernest Torrence, silent film actor Subjects: actors (1923)](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-aba0096138af.jpg) Ernest Torrence, silent film actor Subjects: actors (1923) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Ernest_Torrence%2C_silent_film_actor_%28SAYRE_10301%29.jpg/1280px-Ernest_Torrence%2C_silent_film_actor_%28SAYRE_10301%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Still from the American western film The Covered Wagon (1923). Subjects: motion pictures, actors](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-78569fdfd309.jpg) Still from the American western film The Covered Wagon (1923). Subjects: motion pictures, actors — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/The_Covered_Wagon_%28SAYRE_14839%29.jpg/1280px-The_Covered_Wagon_%28SAYRE_14839%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Still from the American western film The Covered Wagon (1923). Subjects: motion pictures, actors](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-addcf441cb0d.jpg) Still from the American western film The Covered Wagon (1923). Subjects: motion pictures, actors — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_Covered_Wagon_%28SAYRE_14007%29.jpg/1280px-The_Covered_Wagon_%28SAYRE_14007%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ernest Torrence](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-70ea4a95d20d.jpg) Ernest Torrence — Image via TMDB
- ![L. to R. : Ernest Torrence, Gary Cooper, Lili Damita, and Tully Marshall in Fighting Caravans (1931) - publicity still](https://film.one/media/person/3850933/gallery-2ca5f21fcdb1.jpg) L. to R. : Ernest Torrence, Gary Cooper, Lili Damita, and Tully Marshall in Fighting Caravans (1931) - publicity still — unknown (Paramount), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Fighting_Caravans_%281931%29_2.jpg/1280px-Fighting_Caravans_%281931%29_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ernest-torrence