Elsie Jane Van Name (1890-November 4, 1934) was an American screenwriter and actress active during Hollywood's silent era.
Biography
She was the second wife of actor/director
Francis Ford, whom she met when they co-starred in a play together.
The pair married in New York City in 1909. They worked together on a number of projects, though their relationship appears to have been rocky.
They separated early on in the marriage (Ford temporarily moved on with actress
Grace Cunard
Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries; April 8, 1893 – January 19, 1967) was an American actress, screenwriter and film director. During the silent era, she starred in over 100 films, wrote or co-wrote at least 44 of those production ...
), but they got remarried in Los Angeles in 1916. The pair founded Fordart Films in 1917 and released the film ''Berlin Via American'' under this banner.
In 1919, while Ford was away on a shoot, Elsie briefly left him for his business manager and sold the studio.
She died in Los Angeles on November 4, 1934, and was survived by Ford (to whom she was still married) and their two sons.
Selected filmography
As screenwriter:
*''Storm Girl'' (1922)
*''
The Great Reward
''The Great Reward'' is a 1921 American drama film serial directed by and starring Francis Ford. The film is considered to be lost. The film serial had the working title ''The Gates of Doom''. Philip Ford is the son of director and lead actor F ...
'' (1921) (serial)
*''Crimson Shoals'' (1919)
*''
The Mystery of 13
''The Mystery of 13'' is a 1919 American drama film serial directed by Francis Ford.
Cast
* Francis Ford as Phil Kelly / Jim Kelly
* Rosemary Theby as Marian Green
* Peter Gerald as Hugo Madiz (as Pete Gerald)
* Mark Fenton as John Green
* Ru ...
'' (1919)
*''
The Silent Mystery'' (1918) (serial)
*''Berlin Via America'' (1918)
*''
The Mystery Ship
''The Mystery Ship'' is a 1917 American adventure film serial directed by Harry Harvey and Henry MacRae. The film is considered to be lost.
Cast
Chapter titles
# The Crescent Scar
# The Grip of Hate
# Adrift
# The Secret of the Tomb
# The Fir ...
'' (1918) (serial)
As actress:
* ''
The Mystery of 13
''The Mystery of 13'' is a 1919 American drama film serial directed by Francis Ford.
Cast
* Francis Ford as Phil Kelly / Jim Kelly
* Rosemary Theby as Marian Green
* Peter Gerald as Hugo Madiz (as Pete Gerald)
* Mark Fenton as John Green
* Ru ...
'' (1919)
* ''
The Silent Mystery'' (1918) (serial)
* ''
The Mystery Ship
''The Mystery Ship'' is a 1917 American adventure film serial directed by Harry Harvey and Henry MacRae. The film is considered to be lost.
Cast
Chapter titles
# The Crescent Scar
# The Grip of Hate
# Adrift
# The Secret of the Tomb
# The Fir ...
'' (1918) (serial)
* ''
John Ermine of Yellowstone
''John Ermine of the Yellowstone'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by and starring Francis Ford. It is based on the novel of the same title by Frederic Remington.
Cast
* Francis Ford as John Ermine
* Mae Gaston as Katherine S ...
'' (1917)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Name, Elsie
1890 births
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Actresses from New York City
1934 deaths
American silent film actresses
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American screenwriters