Hackett, James K.

(1869-1926)

   The star actor and manager James Keteltas Hackett was born in Wolf Island, Canada, the son of American actors on tour in Canada. He rose quickly to prominence after his debut in Philadelphia in 1892 and at 24 was considered the youngest leading man on the American stage. The Prisoner of Zenda (1896) was one of his early acting successes. He married his leading lady, Mary Mannering, in 1897, but they later divorced; in 1914, he married actress Beatrice M. Beckley. After his matinee idol years, he turned to producing and directing. His 1918 charitable all-star production of J. Hartley Manners's Out There raised over $700,000 for the Red Cross.