
Person
John St. Polis
Acting · 1873–1946 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John M. St. Polis (November 24, 1873 – October 8, 1946) was an American actor. St. Polis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before starting his film career, he made a name for himself on the Broadway stage, most notably in the role of Frederik in the original production of The Return of Peter Grimm (1911–12) and the play's revival in 1921, both performed at the Belasco Theatre. He appeared in 126 films between 1914 and 1943. In all of his early roles, the actor is billed as John Sainpolis. His best-known performances are as Etienne Laurier in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), and as Comte Phillipe de Chagny in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). St. Polis successfully made the transition from silent cinema to "talkies" with one of his most praised performances as Dr. John M. Besant, the father of Norma Besant (played by Mary Pickford) in Coquette (1929).
Known for

The Phantom of the Opera
Comte Philip de Chagny

A Night at the Opera
Opera Conductor (uncredited)

Boys' Reformatory
Superintendent Keene
The Salamander
Albert Sassoon

Sleeping Fires
Edwin Bryce

Party Girl
John Rountree

The Hero
Andrew Lane

Call Her Savage
Doctor Consoling Nasa (Uncredited)

Souls for Sale
Self - Celebrity Actor in Commissary

Crossroads
Professor (uncredited)
Filmography
- 1942CrossroadsProfessor (uncredited)
- 1940Haunted HouseSimkins
- 1940On the SpotDoc Hunter
- 1940Rocky Mountain RangersJoseph Manners
- 1940Abe Lincoln in IllinoisMinor Role (uncredited)
- 1939They Shall Have MusicDavis
- 1939Boys' ReformatorySuperintendent Keene
- 1938Mr. Wong, DetectiveCarl Roemer
- 1938The Mysterious RiderTownsman
- 1938Phantom RangerPat Doyle
- 1938International CrimeRoger Morton
- 1938SalesladyCrane
- 1937The Shadow StrikesCaleb Delthern
- 1937Jungle MenaceChandler Elliott
- 1937Paradise IsleCoxon
- 1937BorderlandDoctor
- 1936Below the DeadlineMr. Abrams
- 1936Three on the TrailSheriff Sam Corwin
- 1936Call of the PrairieJim
- 1936The Dark HourDr. Munro
- 1935A Night at the OperaOpera Conductor (uncredited)
- 1935The Lady in ScarletJerome T. Shelby
- 1935Death from a DistanceProf. Trowbridge
- 1934The President VanishesAttorney General Davis (uncredited)
- 1934Guilty ParentsDefense attorney
- 1933Notorious But NiceJohn J. Martin
- 1933Cocktail HourFrench Police Investigator (uncredited)
- 1933King of the ArenaGovernor
- 1933The World Gone MadGrover Cromwell
- 1933Terror TrailColonel Charles Ormsby
- 1932The Match KingBanker (uncredited)
- 1932Call Her SavageDoctor Consoling Nasa (Uncredited)
- 1932The Gambling SexJohn Tracy
- 1932If I Had a MillionGlidden Associate (uncredited)
- 1932False FacesDr. McDonald
- 1932The CrusaderRobert Henley
- 1932Symphony of Six MillionDr. Schifflen
- 1932Lena RiversJohn Nichols
- 1932Alias the DoctorDr. Niergardt
- 1931HeartbreakU.S. Ambassador
- 1931The Yellow TicketPassport Official at Airport
- 1931The Gay DiplomatGeneral
- 1931Their Mad MomentHotel Manager
- 1931TransgressionSerafin, Arturo's Butler
- 1931Men of the SkyMadeleine's Father
- 1931Doctors' WivesDr. Mark Wyndram
- 1931Beau IdealJudge Advocate (as John M. St. Polis)
- 1931The Criminal CodeDr. Rinewulf
- 1930Captain ThunderPedro
- 1930KismetThe Imam Mahmud
- 1930A Devil with WomenDon Diego
- 1930The Bad OneJudge
- 1930The Three SistersJudge
- 1930Guilty?Polk
- 1930In the Next RoomPhilip Vantine
- 1930The Melody ManVon Kemper
- 1930Party GirlJohn Rountree
- 1929Fast LifeAndrew Stratton
- 1929CoquetteDr. John M. Besant
- 1929Why Be Good?Pa Kelly
- 1928Marriage by ContractFather
- 1928The Power of SilenceDefense Attorney
- 1928A Woman's WayMouvet
- 1927The UnknownSurgeon (uncredited)
- 1927Too Many CrooksErastus Mason
- 1926The LilyComte de Maigny
- 1926The Greater GloryProf. Leopold Eberhardt (as John Sainpolis)
- 1926The Far CryCount Filippo Sturani
- 1925Paint and PowderMark Kelsey (as John Sainpolis)
- 1925My Lady's LipsInspector
- 1925The Phantom of the OperaComte Philip de Chagny
- 1924The Dixie HandicapDexter
- 1924Folly of VanityRidgeway (modern sequence)
- 1924The Rose of ParisAndré du Vallois
- 1924In Every Woman's LifeDr. Philip Logan
- 1924The AlaskanRossland (as John Sainpolis)
- 1924Those Who DanceMonahan
- 1924Mademoiselle MidnightColonel de Gontran (Prologue)
- 1924Three WeeksThe King
- 1923Held to AnswerHiram Burbeck
- 1923Woman-ProofMilo Bleech (as John Sainpolis)
- 1923A Prince of a KingMario
- 1923The Social CodeDefense Attorney
- 1923The UntameableDr. Copin
- 1923Three Wise FoolsJohn Crawshay
- 1923Souls for SaleSelf - Celebrity Actor in Commissary
- 1923The HeroAndrew Lane
- 1922ShadowsNate Snow
- 1921Cappy RicksSkinner (as John Sainpolis)
- 1921The Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseEtienne Laurier
- 1920The Great LoverJean Paurel
- 1920Old DadJeffrey Bretton
- 1918Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your HandKaiser
- 1918Laughing Bill HydeBlack Jack Burg
- 1918All WomanSam Tupper
- 1917The Mark of CainJudge Hoyt
- 1917The Public DefenderDavid Moulton
- 1917The Love That LivesHarvey Brooks
- 1917The Mystic HourClavering
- 1917Sleeping FiresEdwin Bryce
- 1917SaphoDejoie
- 1917The Fortunes of FifiDuvernet
- 1916The World Against HimDr. Hamilton Welsh
- 1916The Social HighwaymanHanby
- 1916The Yellow PassportFedia
- 1916The SalamanderAlbert Sassoon
- 1915BondwomenDr. Hugh Ellis
- 1915Wormwood
- 1914Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors
- 1914Soldiers of FortunePres. Alvarez
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