Chris Lynton
born: 14 December 1868
San Francisco, California,
United States of America
died: 15 August 1952
Alameda County, California,
United States of America
(age 83)
Grey-haired American, authoritative-looking sometime Rolin/Roach stock player. He was born to James and Margaret (Martin) Lynch, both Irish immigrants. The third of five (known) children, his siblings were Maryanne, John H., Margaret (1871-1922) and Katy. Young Chris, who seemingly bounced back and forth between "Christopher" and "Christian," began working as a shoemaker in his late teens before transitioning to the stage in or around the early 1890s. He also worked as a machine operator and a life insurance agent for Pacific Mutual during the 1890s. His first known film appearances came in the mid-1910s, and he eventually started populating many of Harold Lloyd's earliest "glasses" comedies. He would appear in many Rolin/Roach films with "The Boy," Toto, Stan Laurel, Eddie Boland, Ruth Roland, Snub Pollard, James (Paul) Parrott and Glenn Tryon, possibly among others, from 1917 to at least 1924.
He taught drama at (Eugene E.) Davis Musical College (606 Majestic Theater Building) in Los Angeles during at least the early 1920s. Chris does continue to appear in the 1930 and 1932 Los Angeles city directories as an actor, with the 1930 U.S. Census placing him as an actor in pictures. Confirming Christian Lynton and Christopher Lynch are the same person are several San Francisco and Los Angeles city directories from 1900s through the 1930s, which are transcribed below; they bounce back and forth and mix and mash the two pairs of first names and surnames, but many of them give the same street address for both. It looks like Christopher Lynch decided that "Christian Lynton" was the better stage non de plume.
He married Ethel M. Frisbie (1878-1966) in San Francisco in 1903; they had four children - Eileen Margaret (Lynch) Benhard/Spanjer (1905-1966), Christopher Frisbie Lynch (1907-?), Kathleen Patricia (Lynch) Law (1909-1996) and James Russell Lynch (1910-1993) before divorcing between 1910 and 1920. By 1920, he had remarried to Jessie "Jackie" Womack (1881-1931).
Many of the credits listed on this page were previously attributed to Allan Cavan.
Real name: Christopher Martin Lynch
Height: 5'11½"
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

72


1917
The Flirt
[unidentified character]
 

1917
All Aboard
[unidentified character]
 

1917
Move On
[unidentified character]
 

1917
Step Lively
[unidentified character]
 

1918
The Tip
[unidentified character]
 

1918
The Big Idea
[unidentified character]
 

1918
The Lamb
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Hit Him Again
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Beat It
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Look Pleasant, Please
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Here Come The Girls
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Let's Go
[unidentified character]
 

1918
On The Jump
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Pipe The Whiskers
[unidentified character]
 

1918
It's A Wild Life
Diner

1918
Hey There
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Kicked Out
[unidentified character]
 

1918
The Non-Stop Kid
Professor M.T. Noodle


1918
Two-Gun Gussie
Bar patron

1918
Fireman, Save My Child
[unidentified character]
 

1918
The City Slicker
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Somewhere In Turkey
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Fire The Cook / The Dippy Daughter
[unidentified character]
 

1918
No Place Like Jail
[unidentified character]
 

1918
Why Pick On Me?
[unidentified character]
 

1920
An Eastern Westerner
[?]

1920
You're Pinched
Priest

1920
Any Old Port
Dinner guest

1920
Live And Learn
Shocked onlooker

1920
Run 'Em Ragged
Man being robbed

1920
Get Out And Get Under
[unidentified character]
 

1920
Doing Time
[?]

1920
Number Please?
[unidentified character]
 

1920
Greek Meets Greek
[?]

1921
Burglars Bold
Man on balcony

1921
Now Or Never
[unidentified character]
 

1921
A Straight Crook
Hotel guest who boards elevator

1921
Among Those Present
[unidentified character]
 

1921
Spot Cash
Rival's assistant

1921
I Do
[?]

1921
On Their Way
Streetcar conductor

1921
A Sailor-Made Man
The steel magnate's associate
(he is seated at the fat left of the table)

1922
The Timber Queen
[unidentified character]
 

1923
A Tough Winter
Mugging victim

1923
Safety Last!
Man in crowd

1923
For Safe Keeping
The boss

1923
Under Two Jags
Soldier

1923
Kill Or Cure
Man on street corner

1923
Jack Frost
Gambler

1923
It's A Gift
White-haired board member who suggests Snub

1923
The Whole Truth
Policeman

1923
The Soilers
Prospector

1924
Big Business
Office worker
 

1924
Don't Forget
Bride's father

1924
The Buccaneers
Captain Whelan

1924
The 'Fraidy Cat
Dr. M.J. Jones

1924
Going To Congress
Store patron/Politician

1924
Cradle Robbers
Officer/
Baby show official
 

1924
Jubilo, Jr.
Hat vendor

1924
The White Sheep
Judge Matthews

1924
The Mysterious Mystery!
Tutor
 

1925
Looking For Sally
Dock official

1925
Boys Will Be Joys
Member of the board of directors

1925
Laughing Ladies
Man on bus

1926
Monkey Business
Man watering lawn
 

1926
Thundering Fleas
Father of the bride

1926
War Feathers
Novelty salesman

1928
We Faw Down
Pedestrian
 

1929
Saturday's Lesson
Pedestrian #2
 

1930
Shivering Shakespeare
Man who 'resents it'

1930
Pups Is Pups
Doctor H.R. White

1932
Strictly Unreliable
Audience member
[stock footage]

Acknowledgements:
24 Jun 1870: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11581-89136-67?cc=1438024 (1870 Census, line 2)
02 Jun 1880: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25142-56396-56?cc=1417683 (1880 Census, line 31)
12 Sep 1890: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTXW-MX3 (1890 voter reg., as Christopher Martin Lynch)
07 Oct 1890: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VT6Z-549 (1890 voter reg., as Christian Martin Lynton)**
?? ??? 1892: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTX3-N9J (1892 voter reg., as Christopher Martin Lynch)
10 Aug 1896: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYD6-4YT (1896 voter reg., as Christopher Martin Lynch)
14 Sep 1903: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2Z7-3VL (1903 marriage to Ethel M. Frisbie)
25 Apr 1910: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-23033-37368-16?cc=1727033 (1910 Census, line 90)
-- Sep 1917: https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturemag14moti#page/n283/mode/1up (Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1917, as "Jim Nolan Sr." in A Kiss for Susie)
-- Sep 1917: https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturemag14moti#page/n284/mode/1up (Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1917, photo of him in role)
-- Sep 1917: https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturemag14moti#page/n285/mode/1up (Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1917, photo of him in role)
07 Jan 1920: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22896-4726-29?cc=1488411 (1920 Census, line 45)
05 Apr 1930: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22732-16586-56?cc=1810731 (1930 Census, line 4)
09 Apr 1940: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27783-16186-9?cc=2000219 (1940 Census, line 16)
15 Aug 1952: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPNV-JN5 (CA Death Index)
The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia, by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd
12 Dec 1910: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG8B-R8Z (Doris Swanson [Chris' niece], CA Birth Index)
31 Jul 1992: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGTP-1F2 (Doris Swanson [Chris' niece], CA Death Index)
** several others with same date at FamilySearch; posting only one for the sake of space and simplicity.

1885 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, shoemaker, r. 1607 Stevenson
1886 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, shoemaker, r. 1607½ Stevenson
1887 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, shoemaker, r. 1607½ Stevenson
1889 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M., r. 1607½ Stevenson
1890 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, shoemaker, r. 1607½ Stevenson
1891 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, actor, r. 1607½ Stevenson
1892 SF City Dir: Lynch Christian, shoemaker, r. 1607a Stevenson
1893 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M., actor, r. 1607½a Stevenson
1894 SF City Dir: Lynch Christian, machine operator, r. 1607a Stevenson
1895 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, actor, r. 1607a Stevenson
1896 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, actor, r. 1607 Lexington Av.
1897 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M., agent Industrial dept, Pac. Mutual Life Ins. Co., r. 19 Lexington Av.
1898 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M., r. 19 Lexington Av.
1899 SF City Dir: Lynch C. Martin, actor, r. 19 Lexington Av.
1900 SF City Dir: Lynch Christian M., r. 19 Lexington Av.
1901 SF City Dir: Lynton Christian M., actor, r. 19 Lexington Av.
1902 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, actor, r. 19 Lexington Av.
1904 SF City Dir: Lynch Christian M, actor, r 19 Lexington Av.
1905 SF City Dir: Lynch Christian M, actor, r 19 Lexington Av.
1906 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian M, actor, h 1344 S Hope.
1908 LA City Dir: Lynch Christopher M actor h 233 S Fremont Av.
1909 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M, actor, r 737 Waller
1910 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher, r1225a Pacific
1911 SF City Dir: Lynch Christopher M, actor, r 363 Page
1912 LA City Dir: Lynton C M actor r 631 W 1st
1913 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian M actor r 653½ S Hill
1920 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian tchr dramatic art 845 S Bway rm 615 r6318 Longview Av.
1920 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian 845 S Bway rm 615 under Teachers Expression
1930 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian actor h1183 N Westn Av.
1932 LA City Dir: Lynton Christian actor r644 N Alexandria Av.
Jesse Brisson (exhaustive research, plus identification in Run 'Em Ragged, Burglars Bold, Greek Meets Greek,
Don't Forget, You're Pinched, The Soilers, A Straight Crook, Strictly Unreliable, Safety Last!, Any Old Port)
Jim Jarvis (height details, as per an 1890s registration)
Craig Calman (identification in Live And Learn)

This page was last updated on: 22 July 2023