Dorothy Phillips (born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible, October 30, 1889 – March 1, 1980) was an American stage and film actress. She is known for her emotional performances in melodramas, having played a number of "brow beaten" women on screen, but had a pleasant demeanor off. She garnered little press for anything outside of her work.

Career

Born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible in Baltimore, Phillips was educated at the College of Expression of Maryland and once graduated acted with the George Fawcett Stock Co. Phillips began her career as a stage actress for Colonel Savage Productions acting in New York and Chicago. She made her film debut in 1911 on a two-reeler called ''The Rosary'', and appeared in over 150 films during her career. For a time, she was nicknamed Kid Nazimova for her ability to imitate the Russian Hollywood actress

Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...

. Phillips started at

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

often starring with

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

. Sometimes she would supplement these features with "shorts" filmed at Fox Studios. By 1917 Phillips had appeared in 22 films over two years and had suffered a breakdown due to exhaustion. It also caused a breach in her working relationship with director

Joseph De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class graduate of acc ...

and screenwriter/director wife,

Ida May Park Ida May Park (December 28, 1879 – June 13, 1954) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era, in the early 20th century. She wrote for more than 50 films between 1914 and 1930, and directed 14 films between 1917 and 192 ...

Photoplay Magazine May 1921 Dorothy Phillips

Once she had rested and recovered, 1918 brought a series of successful films including ''A Soul For Sale,'' the first film starring her that was directed by her husband, Allen J. Holubar. Her pictures during this time scored highly with exhibitors and patrons alike. These successes and newfound working relationship between the couple prompted Phillips to leave Universal and in 1920 she and Holubar formed their own company, Allen Holubar Productions. Their pictures were released through First National Pictures to further acclaim throughout the 1920s. Phillips' career slowed after 1927, and she mainly appeared in uncredited bit roles for the rest of her career. Her last appearance was in the 1962 classic western ''

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' () is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a 1953 short story written by ...

''.

Marriage and death

Dorothy Phillips was married to actor-director

Allen Holubar Allen Holubar (August 3, 1890 – November 20, 1923) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter of the silent film era. He appeared in 38 films between 1913 and 1917. He also directed 33 films between 1916 and 1923. Career Allen ...

for 11 years until his death in 1923 from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

, following surgery, at the age of 33. They met when she was starring on stage in the Chicago production of "''Every Woman''" as the character of Modesty. After his death, she did not return to acting until mid-1925. Phillips also died of pneumonia, in 1980, at the age of 90. She is buried with her husband at the Secret Garden section of

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

in Los Angeles.

Legacy

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Dorothy Phillips has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6358 Hollywood Blvd. Phillips and Holubar's 1918 film, ''

The Heart of Humanity ''The Heart of Humanity'' is a 1918 American silent war propaganda film produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Allen Holubar. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Erich von Stroheim. Overview The film "follows the gen ...

,'' was shown at MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art in a 2014 exhibition.

Filmography

References

External links

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Dorothy Phillips
at Virtual History
portrait of Dorothy Phillips
moviecard) {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Dorothy 1889 births 1980 deaths Actresses from Maryland American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Deaths from pneumonia in California Actresses from Baltimore 20th-century American actresses