Vera James Munro (born Vera Gwendoline James, 2 April 1892 – 19 October 1980) was a New Zealand actress who worked in theatre and film. In 1929 she appeared in the first all-talking, all-colour feature length movie ever made, Warner Bros On with the Show!, and was already well known for starring in ''

A Girl of the Bush ''A Girl of the Bush'' is a 1921 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett. It is one of the few films from Barrett to survive in its entirety today. Plot Lorna Denver manages Kangaroo Flat sheep station and is pursued by two men, evi ...

'' in 1921.

Biography

James was born Vera Gwendoline James on 2 April 1892, the daughter of William Francis James and Alice Jane James (née Hill) of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand. She moved to Australia in 1919 and appeared in two films for

Franklyn Barrett Walter Franklyn Barrett (1873 – 16 July 1964), better known as Franklyn Barrett, was an Australian film director and cinematographer. He worked for a number of years for West's Pictures. It was later written of the filmmaker that "Barrett's visu ...

. The first was ''

'', which was screened in both Australia and New Zealand. Her performance in the lead role was widely praised for the versatility of her acting, her mimicry, feats of horsemanship, and her good looks. She had learned to ride horses and swim in order to land the role. The second film was ''

Know Thy Child ''Know Thy Child'' is a 1921 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett. It is considered a lost film. Plot A travelling salesman, Ray Standford (Roland Conway), seduces country girl Sadie McClure ( Vera James) but forgets about her ...

'', in which James' character was first shown at the age of seventeen, then aged twenty-five, and finally aged about forty; "in each age she plays the part with restraint and dramatic skill". After these successes, James moved to Hollywood in 1922, with her new husband, Arthur Henry Munro, who she had married on 29 June 1921 at the Presbyterian Church,

Neutral Bay Neutral Bay is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is around 1.5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Neutral Bay takes ...

, Sydney. In Hollywood, James appeared in a B-Western, ''McGuire of the Mounted'' (1923), playing a member of a drug smuggling gang who was married to the hero while he was doped. She was cast in ''Bavu'' (1923), and appeared in pre-release publicity images, but does not appear in the cast list of the final release. James also had supporting roles in '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)'', '' The Radio Detective'' (1925) (a serial), ''Three Wise Men'' (1925) with

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later ...

and Ben Corbett, ''Fade-Away Foster'' (1926), and ''On with the Show!'' which was the first all-colour, all-talking full-length movie in history. She was one of the few New Zealand actors to find some fame in Hollywood at the time. In 1928 she appeared in a production of the operetta '' The Desert Song''. The ''Los Angeles Times'' described her as "not only pleasing to gaze upon, but is possessed of a beautiful contralto voice". In 1929, she travelled back to Australia and New Zealand, intending to return to Hollywood the following year.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 106. However, there is no evidence that she did. She was offered parts after returning to Australia, but always turned them down. She went on to manage a beauty salon in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. She died on 19 October 1980 in Sydney.

Credits

*''

'' (1921) *''

'' (1921) *'' McGuire of the Mounted'' (1923) *''

Bavu ''Bavu'' is a 1923 silent American drama film directed by Stuart Paton, starring Wallace Beery in the title role, and written by Albert Kenyon and Raymond L. Schrock based upon a play by Earl Carroll. The film is a period piece involving Bolsh ...

'' (1923) – role removed during post production *''Fade Away Foster'' (1926) (short) *'' The Radio Detective'' (1926)

References

External links

*
Photographic Album
at State Library of NSW {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Vera 1892 births 1980 deaths New Zealand film actresses New Zealand silent film actresses New Zealand television actresses Australian film actresses Australian television actresses New Zealand expatriate actresses in the United States Actors from Dunedin New Zealand emigrants to Australia