Actor. He was best known for playing the character roles of counts, earls, crewmen, reverends, and dukes. He will be best remembered for playing the role of the 'Earl of Staversham' in the action-adventure film drama, "The Fighting Blade" (1923). The film which was directed by John S. Robertson, which was written for the screen by Beulah Marie Dix, Josephine Lovett, and Don Bartlett, and which also starred Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Mackaill, Morgan Wallace, Frederick Burton, Marcia Harris, Allyn King, Walter Horton, Stuart Sage, and Walter Horton, tells the story of in the war-like times of Oliver Cromwell, in and around 'olde Oxford towne', Dutchman Karl Van Kerstenbrook, a Dutch soldier-of-fortune, and sword-for-hire stands ready to defend his lady-love, the fair Thomsine Musgrove, and prove his nettle, and that his blade is made of the finest metal. He was born one of five children as Lee Howard Baker in Ovid, Michigan, to Samuel Watson Baker (1848-1919), and his wife Ellen Lucretia Gillett Baker (1850-1930), on May 16, 1875, (other sources say 1876 or 1878). He was educated locally and was drafted during World War I, but he never served, and lived most of his life in Michigan, New York, and later Los Angeles, California. He began his acting career by appearing on Broadway in New York City, New York, in several productions of such plays as, "The Man On The Box" (October 03, 1905, to January 1906), "Antony And Cleopatra (November 08, 1909, to November 20, 1909), "Strife" (November 17, 1909, to November 18, 1909), "The Nigger" (December 04, 1909, to December 1909), "Twelfth Night" (January 26, 1910 - ), "Brand" (Mar 14, 1910 - ), "The Winter's Tale" (Mar 28, 1910 - ), "The Merry Wives of Windsor (Nov 07, 1910 - ), "Vanity Fair (Jan 07, 1911 - ), "The Piper (Jan 30, 1911 - ), "Lydia Gilmore" (February 01, 1912, to February 1912), "Omar, The Tentmaker" (January 13, 1914, to April 1914), "A Modern Girl" (September 12, 1914, to September 1914), "Shirley Kaye" (December 25, 1916, to March 1917), "Service" (April 15, 1918, to April 1918), "The Woman On The Index" (Aug 29, 1918, to October 12, 1918), as 'Archibald Hay' in "An Exchange Of Wives" (September 26, 1919, to October 1919), as 'Lafe Regan' in "The Sign On The Door" (December 19, 1919, to May 1920), as 'Walter Greenough' in "Daddy's Gone A-Hunting" (August 31, 1921, to January 1922), as 'Paul Brander' in "The Love Child" (November 14, 1922, to April 1923), as 'Phillip Flagg' in "Garden Of Weeds" (April 28, 1924, to May 1924), as 'John Winter' in "Ariadne" (February 23, 1925, to May 1925), as Dickon Bancroft' in "Odd Man Out" (May 25, 1925, to June 1925), as 'Lajos Sipos' in "The Glass Slipper" (October 19, 1925, to December 1925), as 'Grandel' in "Merchants Of Glory" (December 14, 1925, to January 16, 1926), as Rev. Elias Whipple' in "The Virgin" (February 22, 1926, to April 1926), as 'Jose Mendez' in "The Squall" (November 11, 1926, to December 1927), as 'Count Vellenburg' in "The Command Performance" (October 03, 1928, to October 1928), as 'John Remington' in "Scarlet Pages" (September 09, 1929, to November 1929), as 'Brigadier Gen. Ezra Mannon' in "Mourning Becomes Electra" (October 26, 1931, to April 16, 1932), as 'Roger Pingree' in "American Dream" (February 21, 1933, to March 1933), as 'Charles Fennick' in "An Undesirable Lady" (October 09, 1933, to October 1933), as 'Henry Stockwell' in "Ragged Army" (February 26, 1934, to February 1934), as 'Dr. Michael Vlora' in "Judgment Day" (September 12, 1934, to December 1934), as 'Colonel Dax' in "Paths Of Glory" (September 26, 1935, to October 16, 1935), as 'John' in "Hell Freezes Over" (December 28, 1935, to January 1936), as 'Francois de Kruif' in "Ten Million Ghosts" (October 23, 1936, to November 1936), as 'The Indian' in "High Tor" (January 09, 1937, to June 1937), as 'John of Gaunt' in "King Richard II" (September 15, 1937, to October 16, 1937), as 'Anton Veerkind' in "Glorious Morning" (November 26, 1938, to December 1938), as 'William Marshall' in "The Little Foxes" (February 15, 1939, to February 03, 1940), and as 'Reverend Jonas West' in "The Distant City" (September 22, 1941, to September 23, 1941). During his time on the stage he worked with the likes of Constance Adams, Chester Beecroft, James A. Bliss, Sydney Booth, Lily Carthew, Henry E. Dixey, Charles E. Howson, Carlotta Nillson, Marie Nordstrom, Frederick Peters, C.N. Schaeffer, Duane Wagar, John Westley, Walter N. Lawrence, Julia Marlowe, E.H. Sothern, A.E. Anson, Charles Balsar, Reginald Barlow, Rowland Buckstone, Alfred Cross, Lawrence Eyre, Ferdinand Gottschalk, William Harris, Ben Johnson, Howard Kyle, William McVay, Henry Stanford, George Venning, Jacob Wendell, Albert Bruning, Louis Calvert, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Robert E. Homans, Ben Johnson, William McVay, Harry Melick, Nat Nazarro Jr., Wilfred North, Henry Stanford, John Tansey, Jacob Wendell, Cecil Yapp, Albert Bruning, Louis Calvert, Edwin Cushman, Frank Gilmore, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Victor Johns, Ben Johnson, Arthur La Rue, William McVay, E.W. Morrison, William Raymond, John Sutherland, John Tansey, Pedro de Cordoba, Harriet Otis Dellenbaugh, Robert Homans, Ben Johnson, Howard Kyle, William McVay, Guy Bates Post, Annie Russell, Beverly Sitgreaves, Robert Vivian, Jacob Wendell, Oswald Yorke, Stewart Baird, Edwin Cushman, Pedro de Cordoba, Jeanette Dix, Frank Gilmore, Robert Hamilton, Emmett Hampton, Ben Johnson, Edith Wynne Matthison. William McVay, William Raymond, John Sutherland, John Tansey, Jacob Wendell, Cecil Yapp, Robert Adams, Paul Alberts, E.J. Ballantine, Edgar Barrier, Sanford Bickart, John Bohn, Milo Boulton, Ranney Compton, Jerome Cowan, Stephen Crane, Herschel Cropper, Jack Daniels, Jack Davis, Ann Dere, Roland Drew, Ted Erwin, Carl Frank, Nicholas Harlow, William Harrigan, Perry Ivins, Wardell Jennings, Bernard Kisner, David Leonard, Benedict MacQuarrie, Arthur Marlowe, Myron McCormick, Harold Moffet, Leonard Penn, Dick Purcell, Guy Repp, Philip Robinson, Jack Roseleigh, Richard Ross, George Ryan, Cyril Scott (as "General de Guerville"), John Seager, Jerry Sloane, George W. Smith, Paul Stiller, Norman Stuart, George Tobias, Crane Whitley, Richard Albert, Louis Calhern, John Litel, Myron McCormick, George Tobias Frank Tweddell, and George Kondolf, among many others. During this time he made the transition to appearing in films. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Jim Ward' in the film drama, "Just A Woman" (1918). The film which was directed by an which was written for the screen by Julius Steger, which was also written for the screen by Maitland Merrill, which was based on the play by Eugene Walter, and which also starred Charlotte Walker, Forrest Robinson, Edwin Stanley, Henry Carvill, and Lorna Volare, tells the story of Anna Ward struggles to help her husband Jim, a laborer in a Pittsburgh steel mill, to improve his lot in life. When Jim's friend invents an improved rail-making device, Anna convinces her husband to invest his savings in the machine's promotion and marketing. This proves so successful that Jim is made a director of the steel company, but because of his strong stand on workingmen's rights, the company officials conspire to ruin him. Under the influence of a co-director, Jim resumes his old drinking habit and becomes involved in an affair with a beautiful woman, who induces him to sue Anna for divorce on a false charge of infidelity. Anna refuses to defend herself until the court threatens to take away her son, whereupon she claims that Jim is not the boy's father. Deeply ashamed, Jim confesses everything to the court and is sentenced to prison. After his release, he returns to Anna, just as their son departs to fight in World War I. Besides, playing the role of the 'Earl of Staversham' in the action-adventure film drama, "The Fighting Blade" (1923), and playing the role of 'Jim Ward' in the film drama, "Just A Woman" (1918), his many other film credits include, "The Kingdom Of Youth" (1925), "Soul-Fire" (1925), "The Fighting Devil Dogs" (1938), and "Mourning Becomes Electric" (1947). His last film role was playing the 'Duke of Herrara' in the film, "Sword Of The Avenger" (1948). The film which was directed by Sidney Salkow, which was written for the screen by Julius Evans, and which also starred Ramon Del Gado, Sigrid Gurie, Ralph Morgan, Duncan Renaldo, Trevor Bardette, and Belle Mitchell, tells the story of In 1827, in the Philippines, Robert Balagtas, is framed by his romantic rival and condemned to prison without trial. Years later, he escapes, finds a hidden treasure, and returns to Manila a rich man. He generously distributes and shares his wealth among the natives that have been oppressed for so long by their Spanish rulers. His past is eventually discovered by the authorities, but he exposes their thieving ways to the government and settles down for a happy life with Maria Louise. The film was released to the general public the same year as his death. He passed away from heart failure and bronchial asthma in Los Angeles, California, on February 24, 1948, at the age of 72. His funeral service was held through the Armstrong Family Funeral Directors in Los Angeles, California, and he was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood, California. On an interesting note, he had been a member of the Lambs Club in New York City, New York, since 1921, and had also served on its executive committee. He was married twice, first to Edith Evelyn Porter Elliot Baker (1875-1933), in Manistee, Michigan, on June 5, 1902, and second to Zoe Arthur Baker (1883-1955), until his death on February 24, 1948. He had no children.