Gail Kane (born Abigail Kane; July 10, 1885 – February 17, 1966) was an American stage and silent movie actress.

Early years

Kane was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. She attended a private school in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

, but eschewed additional education to become an actress. She became a dedicated student of the art of

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

. She stood 5'7" tall, weighed 142 pounds, and had dark brown hair and eyes.

Theatrical actress

Kane performed at the Lyceum Theatre in ''Heap Game Watch'' in January 1914. She had a significant role in ''Seven Keys To Baldpate Astor'', which was staged at the

Gaiety Theatre, London The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known a ...

, in May 1914. The comedy was brought to the stage by

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

. She paired with George Nash in ''The Miracle Man'' at the Astor Theatre. The play was produced on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the fall of 1914. Souls in Pawn

Kane acted in a presentation of ''The Hyphen Knickerbocker'' in April 1915. She returned to the stage at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Bro ...

in July 1920. She was paired with Earle Fox, another actor who had been spending much of his time in movies. They appeared in the comedy ''Come Seven''. The production was an adaptation by

Octavus Roy Cohen Octavus Roy Cohen (1891–1959) was an early 20th century American writer specializing in ethnic comedies. His dialect comedy stories about African Americans gained popularity after being published in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' and were ada ...

of stories he had contributed to ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

''. The play was the first ever featuring an entirely

caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

cast in

black face Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people, Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of ...

. ''Lawful Larceny'' (1922) was a comedy adapted from the writing of Samuel Shipman. It was presented at the Republic Theater, built by Oscar Hammerstein in 1900, at 42nd Street. The players included Kane, Margaret Lawrence, Ida Waterman, and

Lowell Sherman Lowell J. Sherman (October 11, 1888 – December 28, 1934) was an American actor and film director. In an unusual practice for the time, he served as both actor and director on several films in the early 1930s. He later turned exclusively to d ...

. ''The Breaking Point'' by

Mary Roberts Rinehart Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie.Keating, H.R.F., ''The Bedside Companion to Crime''. New York: Mysterious Press, 1989, p. 170. Rinehart published her fir ...

was staged at the

Klaw Theatre The Klaw Theatre was a Broadway theatre located at 251–257 West 45th Street (now a part of George Abbott Way) in Midtown Manhattan. Built in 1921 for producer Marcus Klaw, the theater was designed by Eugene De Rosa. Rachel Crothers' '' Nice ...

, West 45th Street,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, in August 1923. The plot concerned amnesia with the

setting (fiction) A setting (or backdrop) is the time and geographic location within a narrative, either non-fiction or fiction. It is a literary element. The setting initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story. The setting can be referred to as story world o ...

moving from New York to

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

and back. Kane, Regina Wallace,

Reginald Barlow Reginald Harry Barlow (June 17, 1866 – July 6, 1943) was an American stage and screen character actor, author, and film director. He was a busy performer in Hollywood films of the 1930s. Early life A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts ...

, and McKay Morris were the principal actors in the drama. She played Ellen Halpin in the 1925 comedy '' Loggerheads'' at the

Cherry Lane Theatre The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. The theater is located at 38 Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, ...

. The

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...

produced ''Paid'', written by Sam Forrest, in November 1925. Kane portrayed ''Mrs John Ramsey'' in a play which endured for twenty-one performances.

Arrest

Kane was arrested following a performance of ''The Captive'' at the Empire Theater on

in February 1927. The production was considered indecent and a violation of Section 1140A of the New York City Criminal Code for its depiction of homosexuality, although the play had been tried and acquitted of immorality a short time earlier by a citizen's play jury. It was in its fifth month of production. Forty-one arrests were made in total. Two other productions were raided on the same night. They were ''Sex'', playing at Daly's 63rd St. Theater, and ''The Virgin Man'', which was being performed before an audience at the Princess Theater. Among the actors taken to Night Court were Basil Rathbone,

Helen Menken Helen Menken ( née Meinken; December 12, 1901 – March 27, 1966) was an American stage actress. Early years Menken was born in New York City to a German-French father, Frederick Meinken, and an Irish-born mother, Mary Madden. Her parents wer ...

, Ann Trevor, Winifred Fraser,

John Miltern John Miltern (1870-1937) was an actor in theater and films in the United States. He was in the Broadway play '' Yellow Jack''. He was also in Channing Pollock's play ''Roads of Destiny''. Another of his stage performances was described as manly ...

, and Arthur Lewis. Menken was comforted by Kane as she made her exit after becoming agitated by the glares and explosions of cameras snapping as she stepped out on the sidewalk. "Please make them stop," Menken reportedly exclaimed. Also arrested was

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

, the star of ''Sex'', and twenty others among a cast of fifty. Authorities promised to repeat the arrests if the plays were not withdrawn or modified to comply with the criminal code.

Movie career

Kane's movie career spanned much of the silent era, beginning with a role as ''Bonita Canby'', in ''Arizona'' (1913). In the western she had the third lead, portraying the unfaithful wife of a

U.S. Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one r ...

officer. She co-starred as Jurgis Rudkus's (played by George Nash) wife Ona Lukoszaite in the film adaptation of

Upton Sinclair Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American writer, muckraker, political activist and the 1934 Democratic Party nominee for governor of California who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in sever ...

's ''

The Jungle ''The Jungle'' is a 1906 novel by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States. However, most readers we ...

'' (1914). She starred in ''Via Wireless'' (1915) which was adapted from a play by

Winchell Smith Winchell Smith (5 April 1871 – 10 June 1933) was an American playwright, known for big hit works such as '' Brewster's Millions'' (1906) and '' Lightnin' '' (1918). Many of his plays were made into movies. He spent freely but left a large fort ...

and Paul Armstrong. The story describes the competition between two men in the invention of a new naval gun. A wealthy man becomes the rival of one of the inventors for the affection of the daughter of an

ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...

. As ''Frances Durant'', Kane is finally given a part worthy of her skill as an actress. One critic described her as ''a diamond set in brass'' in her previous films. Kane was employed by the

Mutual Film Corporation Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies. Founded in 1912, it was absorbed by Film Booking Offices of America, which evolved into RKO Pictures. Founding Mutual ...

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...

when she made ''The Upper Crust'' (1917). Produced by Mutual-American, Edward Pell is cast as Kane's

leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

in a comedy replete with humor. Kane is a young

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

woman named ''Molly O'Toole''. She impersonates a wealthy

dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property—a " dower"—derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the noun ...

and succeeds in her

ruse Ruse may refer to: Places *Ruse, Bulgaria, a major city of Bulgaria **Ruse Municipality ** Ruse Province ** 19th MMC – Ruse, a constituency *Ruše, a town and municipality in north-eastern Slovenia * Ruše, Žalec, a small settlement in east-ce ...

long enough to enjoy herself and eventually marry the dowager's son. In July 1917 Kane joined an effort organized by William A. Brady, President of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry, and

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 ...

. Their task was to utilize film as a tool of information regarding the ''plans and purposes'' of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

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 ...

. Brady was appointed by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

to mobilize the motion-picture industry. Kane was assigned to the Food Commission. In addition to Mutual she was associated with

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased f ...

, Pathé, and World. Kane filed a suit against Mutual in 1918, asking $33,500 for alleged breach of contract. ''The Scarlet Oath'' (1917) was a challenging movie for Kane who played the

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

of two women. ''A Game of Wits'' (1917) is a five-reel comedy with Kane portraying ''Jeannette Browning'' in a unique love story. She continued to act in motion pictures for another decade. Among her later movies are ''Love's Law'' (1918), ''The Daredevil'' (1918), ''Someone Must Pay'' (1919), ''Romeo's Dad'' (1919), ''Empty Arms'' (1920), ''Idle Hands'' (1921), ''

The White Sister ''The White Sister'' is a play in four acts by Francis Marion Crawford and Walter C. Hackett. The play was originally written by Crawford in 1907 and he later adapted the play into a serialized novel which was first published over a six month p ...

'' (1923), and ''Convoy'' (1927).

Marriage

Kane's husband, Henry Iden Ottman, died in January 1939. Ottman was born in New York City in 1880, the son of William Ottman and Christine Iden. Ottman moved to Augusta, Maine in 1921. Kane and Ottman had a son, William Kane Ottman.

Private life

She owned a collection of scarab beetles considered to be one of the finest in America in 1917. The most valuable of the

Scarabaeus sacer ''Scarabaeus sacer'', common name sacred scarab, is the type species of dung beetles in its genus and the family Scarabaeidae. Taxonomy ''Scarabaeus sacer'' was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of '' Systema Naturae'', the st ...

is said to have been removed from the tomb of an

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

princess of the 2nd Ptolemaic dynasty. Archaeologists believe it to be one of a number issued to illustrate the doctrine of the resurrection. Kane was given her first scarab by

Howard Estabrook Howard Estabrook (born Howard Bolles, July 11, 1884 – July 16, 1978) was an American actor, film director and producer, and screenwriter. Biography Born Howard Bolles in Detroit, Michigan, Howard Estabrook began his career in 1904 as a stag ...

, who played ''Adhemar de Gratignan'' in ''Divorcons'' (1913). Presented at the New York Playhouse, Kane portrayed ''Mme. de Brionne'' in the play written by the French dramatist

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 18318 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-centur ...

. Estabrook purchased the scarab in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

while he was touring. She collected bathing suits. Kane possessed one of the most attractive collections of one-piece, two-piece, and ''fluffy ruffles seashore outfits'' in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

by 1917. Each bathing suit was also designed by her.

Death

Kane died in Augusta, Maine in 1966, aged 80.

Filmography

*''

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

'' (1913) *''The Great Diamond Robbery'' (1914) *''

'' (1914) *''Dan'' (1914) *''The Pit'' (1914) *'' Her Great Match'' (1915) * ''

Via Wireless ''Via Wireless'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Bruce McRae, Gail Kane and Brandon Hurst.Motion Picture Guide Silent Film 1910-1936 p.428 Cast * Bruce McRae as Lt. Sommers * Gail Kane as Fran ...

'' (1915) *''The Labyrinth'' (1915) *''Paying the Price'' (1916) *'' The Velvet Paw'' (1916) * ''

The Scarlet Oath ''The Scarlet Oath'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Frank Powell and Travers Vale and starring Gail Kane, Philip Hahn and Carleton Macy.Katchmer p.346 Cast * Gail Kane as Olga Pavloff / Nina Pavloff * Philip Hahn as Ivan Pa ...

'' (1916) *''The Heart of a Hero'' (1916) * ''

The Men She Married ''The Men She Married'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Travers Vale and starring Gail Kane, Arthur Ashley and Montagu Love.Katchmer p.476 Cast * Gail Kane as Beatrice Raymond * Arthur Ashley as Ralph Semple * Montag ...

'' (1916) *''

On Dangerous Ground ''On Dangerous Ground'' is a 1951 film noir-melodrama starring Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino, directed by Nicholas Ray, and produced by John Houseman. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides based on the 1945 novel ''Mad with Much Heart,'' ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Red Woman "The Red Woman" is the sixth season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 51st overall. The episode was written by series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. In t ...

'' (1917) * '' As Man Made Her'' (1917) *'' Whose Wife?'' (1917) *''

The Serpent's Tooth ''The Serpent's Tooth'' is a novel by Singaporean writer Catherine Lim, first published in 1982 by Times Edition Pte Ltd. The title of the novel is taken from a quote from Shakespeare's ''King Lear'': "Sharper than a serpent’s tooth/ It is to hav ...

'' (1917) * ''

The False Friend ''The False Friend'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Harry Davenport and starring Robert Warwick, Gail Kane and Jack Drumier.Parish p.157 Cast * Robert Warwick as William Ramsdell * Gail Kane as Virginia Farrell * Jack Drumie ...

'' (1917) *''The Upper Crust'' (1917) *'' Souls in Pawn'' (1917) * ''

The Bride's Silence ''The Bride's Silence'' is a 1917 American silent mystery film directed by Henry King and starring Gail Kane, Lew Cody, and Henry A. Barrows.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * Gail Kane as Syllvia Standish * Lew Co ...

'' (1917) * '' Southern Pride'' (1917) * ''

A Game of Wits ''A Game of Wits'' is a 1917 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Henry King and starring Gail Kane, George Periolat, and Spottiswoode Aitken.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * Gail Kane as Jeannette Bro ...

'' (1917) *'' When Men Betray'' (1918) *''Love's Law'' (1918) *''The Daredevil'' (1918) *''Someone Must Pay'' (1919) *''Romeo's Dad'' (1919) (*short) *''Empty Arms'' (1920) *''Idle Hands'' (1921) *''Wise Husbands'' (1921) *''

'' (1923) *''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' (1927)

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Gail Kane at IBDb.comGail Kane
photo gallery NYP Library BillyRose collection
Gail Kane on the front cover of ''The Theater'' magazine in 1913
Wayback Machine)
Gail Kane
1911 portrait still Univ of Washington J. Willis Sayre collection
Gail Kane
in 1917 by the sea shore Univ. of Washington, Sayre collection
Gail Kane
with her

Owen Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

'' Magnetic'' 1917
kinotv.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Gail 1885 births 1966 deaths Actresses from Philadelphia American stage actresses American silent film actresses Western (genre) film actresses Blackface minstrel performers People from Augusta, Maine 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers