Stella Adams (April 24, 1883 – September 17, 1961) was an American actress of the silent and early

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decad ...

eras. Her forte was in

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

Early years

Adams was born in Sherman, Texas.

Career

Although Adams appeared in only 12 feature films, she acted in almost 150 shorts during the silent era, mostly in starring or featured roles. Her first acting credit was one of those feature films, 1909's '' In the Sultan's Power'',A 1934 newspaper article gives the film's name as ''Power of the Sultan''. in which she had a starring role. The film was remarkable because it was the first film shot entirely on the west coast of the United States. At this point in the film industry, most films were still shot in New Jersey and New York. Adams joined the Nestor Film Company in 1912 and moved to California when the company relocated there. Her early work was in comedies, but she also started working in Westerns. She left Nestor with director

Al Christie Charles Herbert Christie (April 13, 1882 – October 1, 1955) and Alfred Ernest Christie (November 23, 1886 – April 14, 1951) were Canadian motion picture entrepreneurs. Early life Charles Herbert Christie was born between April 13, 1 ...

when he began his own studio. In 1917, an article in the trade publication ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' reported that Adams left California "to join her husband in Chicago, and will next year return to the elegitimate stage." Twenty years passed before Adams made another feature film, when she appeared in a featured role in the silent/sound film, ''

Me, Gangster ''Me, Gangster'' is a 1928 American silent crime film directed by Raoul Walsh. It stars June Collyer, Don Terry, Anders Randolf and a young Carole Lombard. Cast *June Collyer as Mary Regan *Don Terry as Jimmy Williams *Anders Randolf as Russ W ...

'', directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

. Over the next eight years, Adams made another ten films, although in smaller and smaller roles, retiring in 1936.

Personal life

Adams was married to

press agent In marketing, publicity is the public visibility or awareness for any product, service, person or organization (company, charity, etc.). It may also refer to the movement of information from its source to the general public, often (but not alway ...

James Whittendale.

Death

Adams died in Woodland Hills, California, on September 17, 1961, and was interred in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Selected filmography (shorts & featured films)

(Per AFI database) * '' In the Sultan's Power'' (1909) * '' Could You Blame Her'' (1914) * ''

When Bess Got in Wrong ''When Bess Got in Wrong'' is a 1914 Canadian comedy short silent black and white film directed by Al Christie and starring Lee Moran, and Stella Adams. It is written by Bess Meredyth. Cast * Bess Meredyth as Bess * Lee Moran as Lee * Stella ...

'' (1914) as Stella * '' His Nobs the Duke'' (1915) * '' Wanted: A Leading Lady'' (1915) * ''

Where the Heather Blooms ''Where the Heather Blooms'' is a 1915 silent film comedy short directed by Al Christie. It was produced by Nestor Film Company and released through Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Cast * Eddie Lyons - Gordon McKay *Betty Compson - Lady Ma ...

'' (1915) * ''

Love and a Savage ''Love and a Savage'' is a 1915 silent film comedy written and directed by Al Christie and starring Betty Compson. It was produced by the Nestor Film Company and released through Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Cast *Betty Compson - Betty * ...

'' (1915) * '' Mingling Spirits'' (1916) * ''

'' (1928) * ''

Sister to Judas ''Sister to Judas'' is a 1932 American drama film directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Claire Windsor, Holmes Herbert and John Harron.Pitts p.250-51 Cast * Claire Windsor as Anne Fane * Holmes Herbert as Bruce Rogers * John Harron as Ronni ...

'' (1932) * ''

Temptation's Workshop ''Temptation's Workshop'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Helen Foster, Tyrell Davis and Dorothy Granger. It was released by the independent Poverty Row studio Mayfair Pictures.Pitts p.244 Synop ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Vampire Bat ''The Vampire Bat'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, and Dwight Frye. Plot When the villagers of Kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town father ...

'' (1933) * ''

Bachelor Mother ''Bachelor Mother'' (1939) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers, David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna from an Academy Award-nominated story by Felix Jac ...

'' (1933) * ''

Sing Sinner Sing ''Sing Sinner Sing'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Howard Christie. Plot summary Leila Hyams plays a singer who is accused of her husband's murder. Production notes At the time the movie was released, it was reco ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Whirlwind ''The Whirlwind'' is the third studio album by the band Transatlantic, released on October 23, 2009. It is available in three formats: a standard edition, a double disc special edition and a deluxe edition with a 105-minute making-of DVD. The ...

'' (1933) * '' Whom the Gods Destroy'' (1934) * ''

The Tonto Kid ''The Tonto Kid'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser. Cast *Rex Bell as "Skeets" Slawson aka The Tonto Kid * Ruth Mix as Nancy Cahill * Buzz Barton as Wesley Fritch *Theodore Lorch as Lawyer Sam Creech *Joseph W. Gira ...

'' (1935) * '' The King Steps Out'' (1936) * ''

Theodora Goes Wild ''Theodora Goes Wild'' is a 1936 American screwball comedy film that tells the story of the residents in a small town who are incensed by a risqué novel, unaware that the book was written under a pseudonym by a member of the town's leading fami ...

'' (1936)

Notes

References

External links

* * 1883 births 1961 deaths People from Sherman, Texas Actresses from Texas American silent film actresses American film actresses 20th-century American actresses Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles) {{US-film-actor-1880s-stub