Maysville had another connection to Hollywood through a man named Henry Wadsworth.
According to local history Ron Bailey, Wadsworth was born in Maysville on June 18, 1903. He was the son of John Gray and Ida Power Wadsworth.
Along with his family, Wadsworth lived in a home that was built by his grandfather, Andna Wadsworth.
“Henry Wadsworth was a 1921 graduate of Maysville High School and then he attended the University of Kentucky. Pittsburgh, Pa. was his next stop in his education as he attended Carnegie Drama School,” Bailey said.
From there, Wadsworth landed a role in Howard Lindsay’s 1927 show, Tommy, according to Bailey.
He then went on to appear in 22 movies between 1929 and 1945.
“He appeared in the classic “The Thin Man” that was filmed in 1934 and still today it is shown on Turner Classic Movies regularly,” Bailey said. “Henry Wadsworth was well thought of in Hollywood as during his actor career he was selected as president of the American Federation of Labor Film Council.”
Once Wadsworth’s acting career ended, he became a costume designer on Broadway in New York City.
“He never forgot his roots as he often returned to Maysville to stay in his childhood home, Buffalo Trace mostly during the summer months,” Bailey said.
According to Bailey, Wadsworth passed away on Dec. 5, 1974, at the age of 49. He is buried in the Maysville-Mason County Cemetery.
