A rather dashing silent screen villain in the grand old style, best remembered as Douglas Fairbanks' rival in The Mark of Zorro (1920), California-native Robert McKim had begun his long theatrical career with the legendary Alcazar stock company in San Francisco. After appearing for three seasons on the Orpheum circuit opposite the "Jersey Lil," Lillie Langtry, McKim entered films in 1915 for producer Thomas Ince, who occasionally starred him but would more often than not cast the tall, dark-haired actor as a heavy. McKim's screen career remained busy through the 1920s, where he appeared in such diverse fare as Monte Cristo (1922; as De Villefort), The Spoilers (1923; as Struve), and The Bat (1926; as Dr. Wells). He died from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 40, leaving a widow, screen actress Dorcas Matthews, and two young children.
by Hans J. Wollstein
biography
