Dorothy West (August 29, 1891 – December 11, 1980) was an American stage and film actress and radio performer.

Early life

She grew up in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

Career

West was a star in Biograph silent films in New York. She later relocated to Hollywood with a group of

D.W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

stars that included

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

Marion Leonard Marion Leonard (June 9, 1881 – January 9, 1956) was an American stage actress who became one of the first motion picture celebrities in the early years of the silent film era. Early career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Marion Leonard began her ...

, Florence Barker, and

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

in 1909. West, Pickford, Pickford's brother

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, and Effie Johnson boarded together. She joined a stock theatre company in

Mount Vernon, Illinois Mount Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,600 at the 2020 census. Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all o ...

; then joined the Pitt Stock Players in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

; and in also performed in theatre in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

. West returned to film several years later. West received positive notice for her work in Griffith's '' His Mother's Scarf'' (1911) '' Swords and Hearts'' (1911) and ''

The Eternal Grind ''The Eternal Grind'' is a 1916 silent drama film directed by John B. O'Brien, and starring Mary Pickford. The film is inspired by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which took place in 1911. Plot Louise (Pickford) is a sewing-machine girl i ...

'' (1916). West left films again to tour in theatre productions in Europe after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the American Army of Occupation, including in Germany. She also worked on Broadway and with a theatre company called The Triangle Players. She performed in the short play '' Sintram of Skaggerack'' by

Sada Cowan Sada Louise Cowan (1882–1943) was an American writer who began her career as a playwright. She soon switched to writing feature films and is best known for her work on the films ''Don't Change Your Husband'' and '' Why Change Your Wife?''. Cowa ...

in 1923. She made her radio debut in 1928.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Girl and the Outlaw ''The Girl and the Outlaw'' is a 1908 American silent short Western film directed by D. W. Griffith for American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. It starred Charles Inslee as the outlaw but other members of the cast are largely unconfirmed. Flor ...

'' (1908) * '' The Guerrilla'' (1908) * '' An Awful Moment'' (1908) * '' One Touch of Nature'' (1909) * ''

Love Finds a Way ''Love Finds a Way'' is a 1909 American silent short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Cast * Anita Hendrie as The Duchess * Arthur V. Johnson as The Duke * Marion Leonard as Their Daughter * Harry Solter as One of the Daughter's Suitor ...

'' (1909) * ''

Those Boys! ''Those Boys!'' is a 1909 American silent short comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith. Cast * Anita Hendrie as The Mother * Linda Arvidson as A Daughter * Clara T. Bracy * Florence Lawrence as The Maid * Dorothy West Dorothy West (June 2 ...

'' (1909) * '' The Girls and Daddy'' (1909) * ''

The Brahma Diamond ''The Brahma Diamond'' is a 1909 American silent film, silent short film, short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Cast * Harry Solter as A Tourist * George Gebhardt as A Guard * Florence Lawrence as The Guard's Sweetheart * David Miles as ...

'' (1909) * '' His Wife's Mother'' (1909) * ''

The Roue's Heart ''The Roue's Heart'' is a 1909 American silent short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Cast * Harry Solter as Monsieur Flamant * Linda Arvidson as Noblewoman / Sculptress's Friend * John R. Cumpson as Nobleman * Adele DeGarde as Sculp ...

'' (1909) * '' I Did It'' (1909) * '' The Deception'' (1909) * ''

A Burglar's Mistake ''A Burglar's Mistake'' is a 1909 American silent short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. The film was released on March 25, 1909 by Biograph Company and was met with liked viewrs. The film is presumed lost. Cast * Harry Solter as Henry ...

'' (1909) * ''

The Day After ''The Day After'' is an American television film that first aired on November 20, 1983 on the ABC television network. More than 100 million people, in nearly 39 million households, watched the film during its initial broadcast. With ...

'' (1909) * '' The Unchanging Sea'' (1910) * '' In the Border States'' (1910) *'' The House with Closed Shutters'' (1910) *'' His Mother's Scarf'' (1911) *'' Swords and Hearts'' (1911) * '' The Habit of Happiness'' (1916) * ''

'' (1916)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:West, Dorothy American film actresses American silent film actresses 1891 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American actresses