Virginia Brown Faire (born Virginia Cecelia Labuna; June 26, 1904 – June 30, 1980) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

actress, appearing in dramatic films and, later, in sound

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

Early years

Virginia Cecelia Labuna was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Joseph Labuna and Martha Delsand. Other sources have her last name as La Buna. She attended

Wadleigh High School for Girls The Wadleigh High School for Girls, which was established by the NYC Board of Education in 1897, and which moved into its new building in Harlem in September 1902, was the first public high school for girls in New York City. At the time, public s ...

. She was brought to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

in 1919 after being one of the four winners of the ''

Motion Picture Classic ''Motion Picture'' was an American monthly fan magazine about film, published from 1911 to 1977.Fuller, Kathryn H. “Motion Picture Story Magazine and the Gendered Construction of the Movie Fan.” ''At the Picture Show: Small-Town Audiences ...

'' magazine's "Fame and Fortune" contest, which she had entered as Virginia Brown, using her stepfather's last name.

Film

Not long after she turned 15 years old that she presented herself at the Metro studio where she was almost immediately put on. Shortly after she appeared in pictures for Fox, she was with Universal. Between 1920 and 1935, she appeared in some 75 films. Her first film credit was the 1920 film ''Runnin' Straight'', a

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitione ...

short western at Universal. Faire was the leading lady of John Gilbert in '' Monte Cristo'' (1922). She was selected as one of the

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

in 1923 and appeared with

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...

and

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominen ...

in ''

Stormswept ''Stormswept'' is a 1923 silent film starring brothers Wallace Beery and Noah Beery. The advertising phrase used for the movie was "Wallace and Noah Beery, The Two Greatest Character Actors on the American Screen." The film was written by Winif ...

'' that same year. She is most remembered for her role as

Tinker Bell Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 an ...

in the 1924 film ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

''. In 1926 she had a small role in the

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...

film ''

The Temptress ''The Temptress'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Greta Garbo, Antonio Moreno, Lionel Barrymore, and Roy D'Arcy. It premiered on October 10, 1926. The film melodrama was based on a novel by ...

''. She made it through the transition of sound, making a successful talkie in

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

's ''

The Donovan Affair ''The Donovan Affair'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code comedic murder-mystery film directed by Frank Capra. It was produced by Harry Cohn for Columbia Pictures and is based upon the play of the same name by Owen Davis. Its original soundtrack, recor ...

'' (1929), but was soon appearing in more low-budget films. Faire appeared in several westerns, opposite

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

and Ken Maynard. Faire left

for

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

in the late 1930s. She worked in radio and several films for industries prior to retiring to the west coast.

Personal life

Faire married actor Jack Dougherty on February 6, 1927. They separated in September of that year and reconciled briefly, but they separated again by April 5, 1928, and she filed for divorce on June 22, 1928. She married director

Duke Worne Howard "Duke" Worne (December 14, 1888 – October 13, 1933) was an American film director, director and actor of the silent film, silent era. He directed more than 70 films between 1919 and 1931. He also appeared in 27 films between 1914 a ...

on January 29, 1930. Worne died in 1933. In 1935, she married furniture manufacturer William Bayer, and they remained wed until her death.

Death

Faire died of cancer on June 30, 1980 in Laguna Beach, California, aged 76.

Selected filmography

Gleb W Derujinsky & Virginia Brown Faire

* '' Runnin' Straight'' ( 1920) * '' Masked'' ( 1920) * ''

Without Benefit of Clergy ''Without Benefit of Clergy'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James Young and featuring Virginia Brown Faire, Thomas Holding and Boris Karloff. It is based on the story by Rudyard Kipling. A print of the film still exists at t ...

'' (

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

) * ''

Fightin' Mad ''Fightin' Mad'' is a 1921 American silent Western comedy film directed by Joseph Franz and starring William Desmond, Virginia Brown Faire and Rosemary Theby.Munden, p. 238. Cast * William Desmond as Bud McGraw * Virginia Brown Faire as Peg ...

'' (1921) * '' Monte Cristo'' (

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) * '' Omar the Tentmaker'' (

) *unknown/presumably lost film * '' Vengeance of the Deep'' ( 1923) *lost film * ''

Shadows of the North ''Shadows of the North'' is a lost 1923 American silent adventure film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Paul Schofield. The film stars William Desmond, Virginia Brown Faire, Fred Kohler, William Welsh, Al Hart, and James O. Barrows ...

'' ( 1923) *lost film * ''

Thundergate ''Thundergate'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and written by Perry N. Vekroff. The film stars Owen Moore, Virginia Brown Faire, Edwin B. Tilton, Sylvia Breamer Sylvia Poppy Bremer (9 June 1897 – 7 June 1943), ...

'' ( 1923) * ''

Romance Ranch ''Romance Ranch'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Howard M. Mitchell and starring John Gilbert, Virginia Brown Faire and John Miljan.Munden p.664 Cast * John Gilbert as Carlos Brent * Virginia Brown Faire as Carmen Hendley ...

'' ( 1924) * ''

The Lightning Rider ''The Lightning Rider'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and featuring Harry Carey. Prints of ''The Lightning Rider'' are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and Cinémathèque F ...

'' ( 1924) * ''

Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...

'' ( 1924) *lost film * ''

'' ( 1924) * '' The Lost World'' (

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

) * '' Friendly Enemies'' (1925) * '' The Thoroughbred'' (1925) * ''

The Calgary Stampede ''The Calgary Stampede'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Herbert Blaché and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine, Dan Malloy (Gibson), an Ameri ...

'' (

) * ''

His People ''His People'' (also known as Proud Heart) is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman about a young, Jewish boxer growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

'' (1925) * '' Recompense'' (

) *lost film * ''

Chip of the Flying U ''Chip of the Flying U'' is a 1926 American silent Western comedy film based on a novel by Bertha Muzzy Sinclair. It was directed by Lynn Reynolds and starred Hoot Gibson. Universal Pictures produced and released the film. A print is preser ...

'' ( 1926) * ''

Wings of the Storm ''Wings of the Storm'' is a 1926 American "dog-hero" drama film directed by John G. Blystone and written by Elizabeth Pickett Chevalier, Gordon Rigby, and Dorothy Yost. Released in November 1926 by Fox Film Corporation, the film showcases Thu ...

'' ( 1926) * ''

The Mile-a-Minute Man ''The Mile-a-Minute Man'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Jack Nelson and starring William Fairbanks, Virginia Brown Faire, and George Periolat. It was produced by the independent Gotham Pictures. The plot revolves around two r ...

'' (1926) * '' The Wolf Hunters'' (1926) * '' Frenzied Flames'' ( 1926) * '' Racing Romance'' ( 1926) * ''

'' ( 1926) * ''

Broadway Billy ''Broadway Billy'' is a 1926 American silent sports film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Billy Sullivan, Virginia Brown Faire and Jack Herrick. The film was once thought to be lost, but as of February 2021 it was noted by the Library o ...

'' ( 1926) * ''

Pleasure Before Business ''Pleasure Before Business'' is a 1927 silent film comedy directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Max Davidson and Virginia Brown Faire. The film was produced and distributed by then upstart studio Columbia Pictures. Preserved at the Library ...

'' ( 1927) * '' Hazardous Valley'' (1927) *''

Queen of the Chorus ''Queen of the Chorus'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Charles J. Hunt and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Rex Lease and Betty Francisco.Munden p.625 It was made by the independent producer Morris R. Schlank. Synopsis Broadway ...

'' (1928) * ''

A Race for Life ''A Race for Life'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Originally, the film was presumed to be lost. However, according to the Library of Congress Database, the film was found in the Netherlands. The film was rel ...

'' (

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) * '' The Chorus Kid'' (

) *lost film * ''

Undressed ''Undressed'' is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999, to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé. Synopsis The series follows the relationships (both roma ...

'' (

) *lost film * ''

The House of Shame ''The House of Shame'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Creighton Hale, Virginia Brown Faire and Lloyd Whitlock.Pitts p.85 Cast * Creighton Hale as Harvey Baremore * Virginia Brown Faire as Druid ...

'' (

) * ''

Danger Patrol ''Danger Patrol'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Lew Landers from a screenplay by Sy Bartlett based on a story by Helen Vreeland and Hilda Vincent. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on December 3, 1937 ...

'' (1928) * '' The Canyon of Adventure'' (

) * ''

Burning the Wind ''Burning the Wind'' is a 1928 American romantic drama film, directed by Herbert Blaché and Henry MacRae, starring Hoot Gibson and featuring Boris Karloff. The film is considered to be lost.1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) *lost film * ''

The Devil's Chaplain ''The Devil's Chaplain'' is a 1929 American silent romance film directed by Duke Worne, written by Arthur Hoerl and George Bronson Howard and featuring Boris Karloff. It was produced by Trem Carr and released by Rayart Pictures. Cast * Corneli ...

'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * '' The Body Punch'' (

) * ''

Handcuffed ''Handcuffed'' is a 1929 American silent mystery film directed by Duke Worne and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Wheeler Oakman and Dean Jagger.Munden p.322 Synopsis Gerald Morely's father is ruined in a stock fraud and commits suicide. When sho ...

'' (1929) * ''

Untamed Justice ''Untamed Justice'' is a 1929 American silent action film directed by Harry S. Webb and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Gaston Glass and David Torrence.Munden p.850 Cast * Virginia Brown Faire as Louise Hill * Gaston Glass as Norman Bard, Air ...

'' (1929) * ''

'' (

) *film survives, but soundtrack is lost * ''

Murder on the Roof ''Murder on the Roof'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by George B. Seitz. Cast * Dorothy Revier as Molly * Raymond Hatton as Drinkwater * Margaret Livingston as Marcia * David Newell as Ted Palmer * Paul Porcasi as Joe Caro ...

'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) * '' The Lonesome Trail'' (1930) * ''

Breed of the West ''Breed of the West'' is a 1930 American Western film directed by Alan James, starring Hal Taliaferro, Virginia Brown Faire, and Buzz Barton. Plot Wally Weldon works as a ranch hand on Colonel Jim Sterner's ranch, reporting in to Longrope Whe ...

'' (1930) * '' The Last Ride'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * ''

Alias – the Bad Man ''Alias – the Bad Man'', also known as ''Alias Bad Man'', is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film, directed by Phil Rosen and starring Ken Maynard, Virginia Brown Faire, and Frank Mayo. It was released on July 15, 1931. Plot Clem Neville ...

'' (

) * ''

Hell's Valley ''Hell's Valley'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Hal Taliaferro, Virginia Brown Faire and Walter Miller.Pitts, p. 65. It is a remake of '' When a Man Rides Alone'' (1919). Synopsis A Captain in ...

'' (

) * ''

Secret Menace ''Secret Menace'' is a 1931 American Western film written and directed by Richard C. Kahn. The film stars Glenn Tryon, Virginia Brown Faire, and Arthur Stone. Cast list *Glenn Tryon *Virginia Brown Faire *Arthur Stone *Margaret Mann *Ed Cecil ...

'' (1931) * '' West of the Divide'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown Faire, Virginia 1904 births 1980 deaths American film actresses American radio actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from New York City Actresses from Hollywood, Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses People from Brooklyn WAMPAS Baby Stars Western (genre) film actresses