Della Pringle, the stage name for Cora Della Van Winkle (August 20, 1870 – November 9, 1952) was a repertory theater actress who achieved popularity in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

and

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

between 1888 and 1921. She also had a brief career in silent films as a member of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kops organization. Della Pringle2 001

Early career

Born Cora Della Van Winkle in Trenton, Missouri, she began her professional career at age one playing juvenile roles for the Robert Neff Chicago Comedly Company. She acquired the stage name of "Della Pringle" when she married Johnny Pringle in 1891. Pringle grew up in Knoxville, Iowa. As a teenager, she worked as a hotel maid.

Accomplishments

Pringle became a star attraction in the western half of the United States during the late 19th century, amassing a fortune in the traveling repertory theater business and claim to be "the actress who made Iowa famous." Billboard stated while not a national celebrity, Pringle's name was a holdhold word in those areas. Newspaper accounts said that Pringle never appeared in a Broadway product, never claimed to be a great actress, and stated that he had no acting training. However, they notes her natural talents in acting, singing and dancing, her well formed figure, her long golden hair, her well featured face and her witty, vibrant personality made her a star in the small towns, mining camps, logging camps, military outposts and cow towns of the West. Pringle earned critical acclaim when she appeared in cities like Denver, Salt Lake City,

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

and Los Angeles. On Pringle's only tour through the American Northeast and New England, the press found her to be the equal of any eastern repertory actress.

Tours

On occasion, Pringle operated resident theater stock companies in some towns.. However, she toured for most of her career, appearing in 32 states. Her performances included shows high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to one inside an Arizona gold mine. Pringle had her own Pullman car for these tours. While touring, she escaped death three times in railroad and stage coach accidents as well as theater fires. Pringle toured year round.

Acquaintances

Pringle worked for two years in the California film industry and appeared in nine silent films. She was friends with

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

, Fatty Arbuckle, Douglas Fairbanks, Ben Turpin and Gloria Swanson. She acted for Mack Sennett in his Keystone Kops films She knew Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley and visited with Cody on several occasions up through 1915."Buffalo Bill Complimented," '' Idaho Statesman'' oise June 13, 1915, p. 12. Through her marriage to John Pringle, she became a virtual stepmother to actor John Gilbert."Boise Woman 'Second Mother' To John Gilbert, Film Star, '' Idaho Statesman'', January 12, 1936, p. 1. Her correspondence and pictures appeared frequently in the theatrical trade papers.

Actress/Manager

Pringle was one of the few women in her era who produced and directed her own shows. She also pursued farming, real estate investing, rooming house management, millinery, running a costume rental business, drama education and Boston bulldog breeding.

Wardrobe

Pringle possessed one of the best wardrobes of any leading actress on the western stage. Early in her career she used her sewing skills to create her own costumes, but by 1898 she made a practice to purchase imported Parisian fashions from major clothiers in New York and Chicago. For one season alone Pringe spent thousands of dollars on Paris gowns. She saw to it that her supporting actresses also had impressive wardrobes.

Marriages

Pringle married at five times: * John G. Pringle (1864–1929) – married July 1, 1891,

Appanoose County, Iowa Appanoose County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,317. Its county seat is Centerville. History Appanoose County was formed on February 17, 1843, from open territory. It was named for the ...

; Della divorced him in 1894 on grounds of adultery and other causes * George Faith Adams – married February 6, 1894, Nashua, Iowa; Della filed for divorce August 5, 1904 * Thomas O. Tuttle (born 1874) – married December 31, 1904, Chariton, Iowa; divorce filed around 1906 * Cecil (C.K.) Van Auker (1885–1938) – married June 14, 1908,

Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...

; Della filed for divorce March 13, 1918 * Edward Harold Hopper (1879–1930) – married January 17, 1920, Boise, Idaho; Della filed for divorce for the second time August 18, 1931, on grounds of desertion

Retirement

After leaving show business in 1921, Pringle retired to Boise, Idaho, her residence since 1908 and where she founded her costume rental business.Huston, p. 29. In the late 1930s. she served as a drama instructor for the

Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recove ...

. Pringle lost her fortune during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Old age and illness eventually forced her to move to the Boise poorhouse. She died there in November 1952."Della Pringle, Pioneer Actress, Dies," ''Idaho Statesman'', November 10, 1952, p. 11.

References

Additional references: * Agnew, Jeremy. ''Entertainment In The Old West''. Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, 2011, p. 53. * Hiatt, Richard G., "Lady Troupers Along The Oregon Trail," ''Theatre West:Image and Impact''. Atlanta, Georgia:Rodopi, 1990, pp. 132–135. * Mickel., Jere C., ''Footlights on the Prairie''. St. Cloud, Minnesota: North Star Press, 1974, p. 76. * Penson-Warde, Betty. Idaho Women in History, Vol. 1. Boise, Idaho: Legendary Publishing Co., 1991, p. 139. * Della Pringle photo: Courtesy of Theatre Museum, Midwest Old Threshers, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pringle, Della 1870 births 1952 deaths American stage actresses People from Trenton, Missouri People from Boise, Idaho