RUBE MILLER

Rube Miller was born Henry Miller Jr. in 1886. His father was an actor, and his uncle was a producer. Although Rube was at one time a circus clown (where he likely obtained his nickname), he became an actor and director in 1913, directing himself in many comedy shorts. He worked at Mutual at the same time Charlie Chaplin got his start there, and he made many movies through the 1910s. He started making solely feature films in 1919, and made eight of them through 1923. But he had major drug issues, which caused him to leave the film business and move to Mexico. Because of his drug problems, his father left him nothing in his will when he passed away in 1926, and Rube took that very hard, and passed away the next year from a drug overdose. He was only 40, and only two Americans attended his funeral in Mexico, where he is buried. He is completely forgotten today except by major film buffs, but in his day, he was an important comedy star. Perhaps someone will make a film biography of his life (Johnny Depp could play the lead role).