Dorothy Dwan (April 26, 1906 – March 17, 1981) was an American film actress.

Biography

Born Dorothy Ilgenfritz in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...

, Dwan was a WAMPAS Baby Star. She appeared in 40 films between 1922 and 1930, several of which were directed by her second husband,

Larry Semon Lawrence Semon (February 9, 1889 – October 8, 1928) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working ...

. In 1928, Dwan moved from making films to acting on stage, signing with Henry Duffy to act in his Pacific Coast theaters. Dwan married three times. She had one child, a son, Paul, from her third marriage to Paul Northcutt Boggs Jr. Dwan died in Ventura, California from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

, aged 74.

Partial filmography

* ''

The Silent Vow ''The Silent Vow'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by William Duncan and starring Duncan, Edith Johnson and Dorothy Dwan.Rainey, p. 136. It is a Northern, following the activities of an officer of the Mounties. Cast * Willia ...

'' (1922) * '' The Enemy Sex'' (1924) * '' Her Boy Friend'' (1924) * '' Breed of the Border'' (1924) * '' Kid Speed'' (1924) * ''

The Parasite ''The Parasite'' is an 1894 novelette by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Parasite makes use of a form of mind control similar to the mesmerism of the Victorian era. Plot summary The main character is a young man known as Austin Gilroy. He studie ...

'' (1925) * '' Wizard of Oz'' (1925) * ''

The Perfect Clown ''The Perfect Clown'' is a 1925 American silent slapstick comedy film starring Larry Semon and Kate Price. It features an early screen appearance by Oliver Hardy. Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer, the screenplay was written by Thomas J. Crizer, w ...

'' (1925) * ''

Bashful Buccaneer ''Bashful Buccaneer'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Reed Howes, Dorothy Dwan and Sheldon Lewis.Rainey p.136 Cast * Reed Howes as Jerry Logan * Dorothy Dwan as Nancy Lee * Sheldon Lewis as First ...

'' (1925) * '' Stop, Look and Listen'' (1926) * ''

The Great K & A Train Robbery ''The Great K & A Train Robbery'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Tom Mix and Dorothy Dwan. The film is based on the actual foiling of a train robbery by Dick Gordon as related by Paul Leicester ...

'' (1926) * '' The Call of the Klondike'' (1926) * '' A Captain's Courage'' (1926) * ''

The Dangerous Dude ''The Dangerous Dude'' is a 1926 American silent action film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Reed Howes, Bruce Gordon and Dorothy Dwan.Munden p.166 Cast * Reed Howes as Bob Downs * Bruce Gordon as Harold Simpson * Dorothy Dwa ...

'' (1926) * '' Hills of Kentucky'' (1927) * ''

Tumbling River ''Tumbling River'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Lewis Seiler, written by Jack Jungmeyer, and starring Tom Mix, Dorothy Dwan, William Conklin, Estella Essex, Elmo Billings, Edward Peil, Sr. and Wallace MacDonald. It was re ...

'' (1927) * ''

The Land Beyond the Law ''The Land Beyond the Law'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Marion Jackson. The film stars Ken Maynard, Dorothy Dwan, Tom Santschi, Noah Young, Gibson Gowland, and Billy Butts. The film was rele ...

'' (1927) * '' Spuds'' (1927) * '' The Princess on Broadway'' (1927) * '' Silver Valley'' (1927) * '' Riders of the Dark'' (1928) * '' Square Crooks'' (1928) * '' Out with the Tide'' (1928) * ''

The Drifter A drifter is a vagrant who moves from place to place without a fixed home or employment. Drifter(s) or The Drifter(s) may also refer to: Films and television Films * ''The Drifter'' (1917 film), an American film directed by Fred Kelsey * ''Th ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Peacock Fan ''The Peacock Fan'' is a 1929 American silent mystery film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Lucien Prival, Dorothy Dwan and Tom O'Brien.Pitts p.87 A review in '' Variety'' described it as a "fairly interesting melodrama of the who-killed- ...

'' (1929) * '' The California Mail'' (1929) * '' The Fighting Legion'' (1930)

References

External links

*
Dorothy Dwan
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Dwan, Dorothy 1906 births 1981 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses People from Sedalia, Missouri Actresses from Missouri Deaths from lung cancer in California 20th-century American actresses Western (genre) film actresses