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
A Night at the Opera
(1935)
Opera Conductor (uncredited)
The Phantom of the Opera
(1925)
Comte Philip de Chagny
The Unknown
(1927)
Surgeon (uncredited)
If I Had a Million
(1932)
Glidden Associate (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors
(1914)
Wormwood
(1915)
The Salamander
(1916)
The Public Defender
(1917)
The Love That Lives
(1917)
Harvey Brooks
The Fortunes of Fifi
(1917)
Duvernet
Sapho
(1917)
Dejoie
Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your Hand
(1918)
Kaiser
Laughing Bill Hyde
(1918)
Black Jack Burg
All Woman
(1918)
Sam Tupper
The Great Lover
(1920)
Jean Paurel
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
(1921)
Etienne Laurier
Cappy Ricks
(1921)
Skinner (as John Sainpolis)
Shadows
(1922)
Nate Snow
Three Wise Fools
(1923)
John Crawshay
The Untameable
(1923)
Dr. Copin
The Social Code
(1923)
Souls for Sale
(1923)
Self - Celebrity Actor in Commissary
Woman-Proof
(1923)
Milo Bleech (as John Sainpolis)
Held to Answer
(1923)
Hiram Burbeck
The Dixie Handicap
(1924)
Dexter
Those Who Dance
(1924)
Monahan
Three Weeks
(1924)
The King
The Alaskan
(1924)
Rossland (as John Sainpolis)
Mademoiselle Midnight
(1924)
Colonel de Gontran (Prologue)
Folly of Vanity
(1924)
Ridgeway (modern sequence)
The Rose of Paris
(1924)
André du Vallois
Paint and Powder
(1925)
Mark Kelsey (as John Sainpolis)
My Lady's Lips
(1925)
Inspector
The Phantom of the Opera
(1925)
Comte Philip de Chagny
The Lily
(1926)
Comte de Maigny
The Greater Glory
(1926)
Prof. Leopold Eberhardt (as John Sainpolis)
The Unknown
(1927)
Surgeon (uncredited)
Too Many Crooks
(1927)
Erastus Mason
The Power of Silence
(1928)
Defense Attorney
A Woman's Way
(1928)
Mouvet
Why Be Good?
(1929)
Pa Kelly
Fast Life
(1929)
Andrew Stratton
Coquette
(1929)
Dr. John M. Besant
A Devil with Women
(1930)
Don Diego
Kismet
(1930)
The Imam Mahmud
The Three Sisters
(1930)
Judge
The Bad One
(1930)
Judge
The Melody Man
(1930)
Von Kemper
Party Girl
(1930)
John Rountree
Captain Thunder
(1930)
Pedro
Men of the Sky
(1931)
Madeleine's Father
The Gay Diplomat
(1931)
General
Doctors' Wives
(1931)
Dr. Mark Wyndram
Heartbreak
(1931)
U.S. Ambassador
Transgression
(1931)
Serafin, Arturo's Butler
The Criminal Code
(1931)
Dr. Rinewulf
The Yellow Ticket
(1931)
Passport Official at Airport
Beau Ideal
(1931)
Judge Advocate (as John M. St. Polis)
Their Mad Moment
(1931)
Hotel Manager
Alias the Doctor
(1932)
Dr. Niergardt
False Faces
(1932)
Dr. McDonald
The Crusader
(1932)
Robert Henley
If I Had a Million
(1932)
Glidden Associate (uncredited)
Lena Rivers
(1932)
John Nichols
The Match King
(1932)
Banker (uncredited)
Symphony of Six Million
(1932)
Dr. Schifflen
The Gambling Sex
(1932)
John Tracy
Call Her Savage
(1932)
Doctor Consoling Nasa (Uncredited)
King of the Arena
(1933)
Governor
Terror Trail
(1933)
Colonel Charles Ormsby
Notorious But Nice
(1933)
John J. Martin
The World Gone Mad
(1933)
Grover Cromwell
Guilty Parents
(1934)
Defense attorney
The President Vanishes
(1934)
Attorney General Davis (uncredited)
A Night at the Opera
(1935)
Opera Conductor (uncredited)
Death from a Distance
(1935)
Prof. Trowbridge
The Lady in Scarlet
(1935)
Jerome T. Shelby
Three on the Trail
(1936)
Sheriff Sam Corwin
Call of the Prairie
(1936)
Jim
The Dark Hour
(1936)
Dr. Munro
Below the Deadline
(1936)
Mr. Abrams
Borderland
(1937)
Doctor
Jungle Menace
(1937)
Chandler Elliott
Paradise Isle
(1937)
Coxon
The Shadow Strikes
(1937)
Caleb Delthern
Phantom Ranger
(1938)
Pat Doyle
The Mysterious Rider
(1938)
Townsman
Saleslady
(1938)
Crane
International Crime
(1938)
Roger Morton
Mr. Wong, Detective
(1938)
Carl Roemer
They Shall Have Music
(1939)
Davis
Boys' Reformatory
(1939)
Superintendent Keene
Rocky Mountain Rangers
(1940)
Joseph Manners
Haunted House
(1940)
Simkins
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
(1940)
Minor Role (uncredited)
On the Spot
(1940)
Doc Hunter
Crossroads
(1942)
Professor (uncredited)