Austrian-born Henry Lehrman embarked on a cinematic journey in 1909, concurrently serving as a trolley conductor. According to legend, he cornered renowned director D.W. Griffith, claiming to be an agent for the French-based Pathe company, sent to collaborate with Griffith. Prior to Griffith discovering Lehrman's fabricated claims, the latter had already impressed Griffith with his multifaceted talents as an actor and gagman. Rather than terminating his employment, Griffith appointed Lehrman as a director, earning him the moniker "Pathe" Lehrman.
Subsequently, Lehrman parted ways with Griffith and joined forces with Mack Sennett at Keystone, where he worked as an actor, gagman, and director, contributing to numerous entries in the Keystone Kops series. Lehrman then ventured out on his own, establishing L-KO (Lehrman Knock-Out) Pictures, which produced two-reel comedies for release by Universal. By 1917, Lehrman was affiliated with Fox, directing the studio's Sunshine comedies.
Despite being a prominent figure in his time, Henry Lehrman is likely to be most remembered for his involvement in the Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle scandal of the early 1920s. Lehrman was the romantic partner of actress Virginia Rappe, who tragically passed away following a night of revelry in a hotel room with Arbuckle.
