Birth, Baptism Records, Early Childhood
Shreveport Birth Registry, 1891
W. C. O'Hare Jr. W [white] M [male] Date of birth: 5-15, 7 a.m. Father: W. C. O'Hare, Mother Lottie O'Hare, birthplaces: Washington DC and Tenn. Father's age 24. Father's occupation: Musician. Mother's age: 22. Mother's occupation: Housewife. Address: Shreveport, La. Physician: E. G. Allen Sacramental Records, Holy Trinity, Shreveport, LA, Archives of the Diocese of Shreveport
On the 7th day of June 1891, I have baptized William C. born May 15th of W. C. O'Hare and Lottie Slater. Sponsors: George A. O'Hare and Catherine Copeland . Proxy: Jules Dubos and Fannie Ames. --Gentille [Priest, Holy Trinity Catholic Church] Sponsors George A. O'Hare and Catherine Copeland were William Christopher O'Hare's father and Lottie Slater O'Hare's older sister, Mary Katherine "Kate" Slater Copeland, both apparently unable to attend. Proxy Jules Dubos was a local grocer. Dubos' wife and proxy Fannie Ames sang in the Holy Trinity choir directed by O'Hare.
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L-R: Lottie, Vincent Slater, and William Crockett, c. 1896-'97
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Early Years
William Crockett made quite frequent trips for a child of his time, making extended stays with his mother or both parents in such places as Marshall and Galveston (TX), Canada, New York, and Washington, D.C. Only one Shreveport newspaper item has been found describing a childhood event--his sixth birthday party:
Just a week ago, yesterday, William O'Hare, Jr., was the happiest child in Shreveport, surrounded as he was by lovely children, who had come to his birthday party. . . . They all enjoyed sweet music and refreshments, which Prof. W.C. O'Hare and wife had generously prepared for them, and in all the games they were the very pictures of innocence and happiness.
Career and Marriage
In 1910,William Crockett began working for Vitagraph in New York, doing miscellaneous jobs around the studios, eventually learning everything he could about all aspects of the film industry. A 1921 Des Moines Register article, claimed he "had learned every detail of the business in every branch": developing and printing film, producing special films, distributing, and advertising. 1912, he was on the road as a film lecturer, explaining and promoting The Crusaders, a film based on Tasso's epic poem. According to the Houston Post, "The pictures are of the armored knights of old on their mission of delivering the Holy City from the Saracen, a story often told and familiar to many, who have hitherto had to draw upon their imaginations for pictures of the great belted fellows upon their canopied steeds."
Although the younger W.C. O'Hare appears in the 1915 New York State Census living with his mother, brother, and sister-in-law, he had relocated to Des Moines sometime during the year. In February 1916, he became engaged to Elizabeth Elvira "Vie" O'Hare, one of several children of a Welsh immigrant mine supervisor and wife, also from a Welsh mining family. Both O'Hare and his fiancée worked for Laemmle Film Services, he as a salesman and she as secretary. They married later in the year.
According to William Crockett O'Hare's World War I draft registration, he was also at least partially supporting his mother Lottie.
According to William Crockett O'Hare's World War I draft registration, he was also at least partially supporting his mother Lottie.
William Crockett O'Hare, 1917 World War I Draft Registration, giving his employer as Laemmle Film Services
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Vie Reese O'Hare at Laemmle
Portion of a Laemmle Film Services advertisement; in 1912, Carl Laemmle was a co-founder of Universal Studios.
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For a part of 1917 into 1920, William Crockett O'Hare managed the Majestic Theater, Des Moines, IA.
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William Crockett O'Hare
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In August 1919, the Des Moines Register announced the younger W. C. O'Hare's departure from the Majestic and move back to New York:
Vie Reese O'Hare, 1919; daughter of Welsh immigrants. Either she gave this photo to her father, or the inscription referred to the birth or impending birth of a daughter known to have died at or shortly after birth.
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William Crockett O'Hare, 1919; older son of William Christopher O'Hare
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If the couple moved to New York, they quickly returned. By the January 1920 census, they were back in Des Moines, living with Vie O'Hare's father and unmarried siblings. William Crockett was again working as a theater manager.
In August 1921 when their son (my father) was born, William Crockett O'Hare managed a theater in Sioux City, Iowa. He remained in Sioux City until taking over Davenport, Iowa's Garden Theater in mid-1924.
In August 1921 when their son (my father) was born, William Crockett O'Hare managed a theater in Sioux City, Iowa. He remained in Sioux City until taking over Davenport, Iowa's Garden Theater in mid-1924.
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Theater man A. H. Blank, for whom O'Hare now worked, would go on to become a major, perhaps the major, Des Moines philanthropist. Among other things, he founded and built the city's children's hospital.
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As part of a 1925 speech to the Tri-City Women's Press Club [Davenport, IA, and Rock Island & Moline, IL], Garden Theater manager O'Hare discussed what contributed to or destroyed a film's chances of success:
Moves to Texas, Minnesota, and South Dakota
In January, 1926, William Crockett O'Hare began managing San Antonio's Texas Theater following three months at the Princess Theater.
Jan. 1928, San Antonio, TX
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Princess Theater, San Antonio; photo: cinematreasures.org
Texas Theater, San Antonio; photo: cinematreasures.org
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According to a Spanish language paper in San Antonio, in July 1928 Manager William Crockett O'Hare, Sra. Isabella Hauser (local professor of ballet), and Sr. Evaristo Sandoval (a noted local composer) were collaborating on a production of an original ballet, Los Hijos de Moctezuma (The Children of Moctezuma). Ernest Hauser and the Orchestra Sinfonica del Texas were to perform Sandoval's music. Following the Texas Theater debut, O'Hare planned to send the opera to New York for distribution on the theater circuit. Because no Mexican Indian opera was believed to have been staged on the circuit, the collaborators anticipated a resounding triumph.
If anything came of this plan for Los Hijos de Moctezuma to travel the theater circuit, I haven't found it. William Crockett O'Hare had soon been transferred to Minnesota. |
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The 1929 St. Paul, MN directory reveals that O'Hare was managing director of the city's Paramount Theater; photo: cinematreasures.org.
By the 1930 census (April), O'Hare was living in Minneapolis and either managing yet another theater or commuting to St. Paul.
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The 1933 Sioux Falls directory places O'Hare as manager of the city's State Theatre; photo: Siouxland Heritage Museum
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William Crockett O'Hare and family, c. late 1920s
Separation and Divorce
Approximately 1933, Vie Reese O'Hare packed up the couple's son and daughter and left William Crockett O'Hare, moving back to Des Moines where her family lived. According to family reports, the O'Hares were living in Duluth, Minnesota, at the time, possibly between the Minneapolis and Sioux Falls jobs. Based on the little my father and aunt told me, my grandmother could no longer tolerate the frequent moves from city to city, state to state, and the late night parties that came with theater life.
William Crockett's Death and a Mystery Surrounding His Remains
William Christopher's older son, William Crockett, died on January 12, 1948, little more than a year after his father. Death resulted from heart blockage, probably causing a heart attack. Brief death notices appeared in Billboard and Variety:
O'Hare--William, 56, former manager of the Texas Theater, San Antonio, January 13 in that city. He was also a magazine publisher. --Billboard
William Crockett O'Hare, 56, owner of American Freedom mag and former manager of the Texas theatre, San Antonio, died Jan. 12 in that city. --Variety
Death Certificate, San Antonio, Texas; date of death, Jan. 12, 1948. Errors such as incorrect mother's birthplace and length of time (at least, of continuous time) in San Antonio can be attributed to easy mistakes on the part of his second wife, whom he had married sometime after his WWII draft registration completed at age 50.
What happened to William Crockett's ashes remains a mystery. A 1958 San Antonio newspaper revealed his second wife Loraine's intriguing arrangements. Written slightly over a month after William Crockett's death and made public following her own, Loraine O'Hare's will spelled out her plan for the final disposition of her ashes along with those of her husbands:
Newspaper item following Loraine Callahan O'Hare's death
No newspaper has been found confirming fulfillment of Loraine O'Hare's plan.
Background image (top of page): Closeup of William Crockett O'Hare