George Beban

George Beban was an American actor, director, writer and producer. Beban began as a child performer in San Francisco, California, and became a wellknown vaudevillian and stage actor in the 1890s and 1900s. He was best known for his portrayal of Italian immigrant characters, including his starring roles in the play, The Sign of the Rose and the 1915 silent film classic, The Italian. Though strongly associated with his Italian immigrant roles, Beban was born in San Francisco, could not speak a word of Italian and was the son of parents from Dalmatia and Ireland.

Beban was born in San Francisco, California in 1873. He grew up on San Franciscos Telegraph Hill and was one of four sons of Rocco Beban, a Dalmatian immigrant, and Johanna Dugan, from County Cork, Ireland. At age eight, he began a stage career singing with the Reed and Emerson Minstrels. His talent as a singer led to the young Beban acquiring the nickname, The Boy Baritone. He then acted in juvenile roles for the California Theater stock company in San Francisco.

Source: Wikipedia