Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of

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 ...

s. She appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films.

Early life

Born Virginia Flugrath on June 26, 1897 in Brooklyn, New York City, where she was raised, she was the middle sister of three siblings who all became actresses. Her sisters were known as Edna Flugrath and Shirley Mason. Dana appeared on the stage at the age of three. She read

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and particularly identified with the teenage Juliet. She enjoyed a long run at the Hudson Theater in Manhattan. Between 1910 and 1912, she made four small appearances in the emergent film industry in New York, using the name Viola Flugrath. A particular favorite of audiences was her performance in Eleanor Gates' ''Poor Little Rich Girl'' when she was 16. She began performing in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

with

Dustin Farnum Dustin Lancy Farnum (May 27, 1874 – July 3, 1929) was an American singer, dancer, and actor on the stage and in silent films. Although he played a wide variety of roles, he tended toward westerns and became one of the biggest stars of the genr ...

in ''The Little Rebel'' and played a bit part in ''The Model'' by Augustus Thomas.Stone, Tammy
"Viola Dana."
''The Silent Collection''; retrieved October 22, 2014.

Film career

With the stage name of Viola Dana, she entered films in 1910, including ''A Christmas Carol'' (1910). Her first motion picture was made at a former Manhattan (New York) riding academy on West 61st Street. The stalls had been transformed to dressing rooms. Dana became a star with the

Edison Manufacturing Company The Edison Manufacturing Company, originally registered as the United Edison Manufacturing Company and often known as simply the Edison Company, was organized by inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison and incorporated in New York City in May 188 ...

, working at their studio in the Bronx. She fell in love with Edison director John Hancock Collins, and they married in 1915. Dana's success in Collins's Edison features such as ''Children of Eve'' (1915) and ''The Cossack Whip'' (1916) encouraged producer B.A. Rolfe to offer the couple lucrative contracts with his company,

Rolfe Photoplays Rolfe Photoplays Inc. was an American motion picture production company established by musical entertainer B.A. Rolfe. Its productions were primarily filmed on the East Coast, usually in and around Fort Lee, New Jersey, although the company also ...

, which released through

Metro Pictures Corporation 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 fa ...

. Dana and Collins accepted Rolfe's offer in 1916 and made several films for Rolfe/Metro, notably '' The Girl Without a Soul'' and ''

Blue Jeans Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...

'' (both 1917). Rolfe closed his New York-area studio in the face of the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

and sent most of his personnel to California. Dana left before Collins, who was finishing work at the studio; however, Collins contracted influenza and died in a New York hotel room on October 23, 1918. Dana remained in California acting for Metro throughout the 1920s, but her popularity gradually waned. One of her latter roles was 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 first film for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, ''

That Certain Thing ''That Certain Thing'' is a 1928 silent film comedy directed by Frank Capra. It was Capra's first film for Harry Cohn's Columbia Pictures. Plot Molly Kelly (Viola Dana) intends to marry a millionaire. When she meets Andy Charles, Jr. (Ralph Gr ...

'' (1928). She retired from the screen in 1929. Her final screen credits are roles in '' Two Sisters'' (1929), ''One Splendid Hour'' (1929), and with her sister Leonie Flugrath, better known as Shirley Mason (years earlier she had appeared with her older sister, Edna Flugrath, in the 1923 film '' The Social Code''), in ''

The Show of Shows ''The Show of Shows'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical revue film directed by John G. Adolfi and distributed by Warner Bros. The all-talking Vitaphone production cost $850,000 and was shot almost entirely in Technicolor. ''The Show of Sho ...

'' (1929). By the time she made her final film appearance in 1933, she had appeared in over 100 films. She briefly came out of retirement to appear in her first and only television role in a small part on ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' in 1956. More than 50 years after her retirement from the screen, Dana appeared in the

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

/ David Gill documentary series '' Hollywood'' (1980), discussing her career as a silent film star during the 1920s. Footage from the interview was used in the later documentary series '' Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow'' (1987) from the same team.

Personal life

Dana's first husband was Edison director John Collins who died in the influenza pandemic of 1918. In 1920, she began a relationship with Ormer "Lock" Locklear, an aviator, military veteran and budding film star. Locklear died when his aircraft crashed on August 2, 1920 during a nighttime film shoot for ''

The Skywayman ''The Skywayman'' was a 1920 American silent action drama film directed by James P. Hogan and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film starred noted aerial stunt pilot Ormer Locklear and Louise Lovely. After having appeared in ...

''. Although married, Locklear had been dating Dana, and on the night before his death, in a premonition, gave her some of his personal effects. Dana witnessed the 1920 crash and did not fly again for 25 years.Farmer 1984, p. 23. Locklear was reputed to be the prototype for the character of Waldo Pepper played by

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...

in ''

The Great Waldo Pepper ''The Great Waldo Pepper'' is a 1975 American drama film directed, produced, and co-written by George Roy Hill. Set during 1926–1931, the film stars Robert Redford as a disaffected World War I veteran pilot who missed the opportunity to fly ...

'' (1975). Dana was an honored guest at its premiere. Dana was married to Yale football star and actor Maurice "Lefty" Flynn in June 1925. They divorced in February 1929. Her third and final marriage was to golfer Jimmy Thomson from 1930 to March 1945. In later years, she volunteered at the

Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and mea ...

, and she moved there permanently in 1979. In 1986, one year before her death, she was the subject of a documentary short by Anthony Slide titled ''Vi: Portrait of a Silent Star,'' in which she talks of her life and career.

Death

Dana died on July 3, 1987 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles at the age of 90."Silent Movie Star Viola Dana Dies."
''The Bryan Times'', July 11, 1987, p. 3. Retrieved: May 1, 2013. Her urn at

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 Angeles ...

lists her as Viola Dana as well as her birth name Flugrath. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Viola Dana has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

. It is located at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Short subject

*''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'' (1910) *''Children Who Labor'' (1912) as The Immigrant's Older Daughter *''The Butler and the Maid'' (1912) as The Statue *''How Father Accomplished His Work'' (1912) as The Second Daughter *''The Lord and the Peasant'' (1912) as Mary's Sister *''The Third Thanksgiving'' (1912) *''Molly the Drummer Boy'' (1914) as Molly Mason *''My Friend from India'' (1914) as Gertie Underholt *''Treasure Trove'' (1914) as Cora Fairfield *''The Blind Fiddler'' (1914) as The Fairy *''The Adventure of the Hasty Elopement'' (1914) as Ruth *''Seth's Sweetheart'' (1914) as Sally *''Who Goes There?'' (1914) as Kate - Toppy's Sweetheart *''Lena'' (1915) as Euphemia Miggles *''A Thorn Among Roses'' (1915) *''The Stone Heart'' (1915) as Nan Cowles *''The Glory of Clementina'' (1915) as Etta Concanna *''A Spiritual Elopement'' (1915) as Evelyn Banks *''The Portrait in the Attic'' (1915) as Thelma *''A Theft in the Dark'' (1915) as Lady Genevieve *''The Stoning'' (1915) as Ruth Fenton *''The Slavey Student'' (1915) as Alma Picket *''Her Happiness'' (1915) as Viola Winters *''The Strange Case of Poison Ivy'' (1933)

Features

*''

The House of the Lost Court ''The House of the Lost Court'' is a 1915 American drama silent film directed by Charles Brabin and written by A.M. Williamson. The film stars Robert Conness, Duncan McRae, Helen Strickland, Sally Crute, Viola Dana and Margery Bonney. The film w ...

'' (1915, lost film) as Dolores Edgerton *'' Cohen's Luck'' (1915, lost film) as Minnie Cohen * '' On Dangerous Paths'' (1915, lost film) as Eleanor Thurston *'' Gladiola'' (1915, lost film) as Gladiola Bain *''

Children of Eve ''Children of Eve'' is a 1915 silent film directed by John H. Collins and starring Viola Dana. It was produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, distributed by an arrangement between Edison and George Kleine. Cast *Viola Dana - Fifty-Fifty Ma ...

'' (1915) as Fifty-Fifty Mamie *'' The Innocence of Ruth'' (1916) as Ruth Travers *'' The Flower of No Man's Land'' (1916, lost film) as Echo *'' The Light of Happiness'' (1916, lost film) as Tangletop *'' The Gates of Eden'' (1916, lost film) as Eve / Evelyn *''

The Cossack Whip ''The Cossack Whip'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by John H. Collins and starring Viola Dana, Richard Tucker and Robert Walker.Spehr & Lundquist p.257 Cast * Viola Dana as Darya Orlinsky * Grace Williams as Katerina Orlinsky ...

'' (1916) as Darya Orlinsky *'' Threads of Fate'' (1917) as Dorothea *'' Rosie O'Grady'' (1917, lost film) as Rosie O'Grady *'' The Mortal Sin'' (1917, lost film) as Jane Anderson *'' God's Law and Man's'' (1917, lost film) as Ameia *''

Lady Barnacle ''Lady Barnacle'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film, directed by John H. Collins. It stars Viola Dana, Robert Walker, and Augustus Phillips, and was released on June 4, 1917. Cast list * Viola Dana as Lakshima * Robert Walker as George Mo ...

'' (1917, lost film) as Lakshima *'' Aladdin’s Other Lamp'' (1917, lost film) as Patricia Smith (Patsy) *'' The Girl Without A Soul'' (1917) as Unity Beaumont / Priscilla Beaumont *''

'' (1917) as June *'' The Winding Trail'' (1918, lost film) as Audrey Graham *''

A Weaver of Dreams ''A Weaver of Dreams'' is a lost silent film directed by Edison's John H. Collins and released under Metro Films February 18, 1918, at the height of Mr. Collins' career. It was the 36th of 41 films credited to his direction. The young director suc ...

'' (1918, lost film) as Judith Sylvester *''

Breakers Ahead ''Breakers Ahead'' is a 1918 American silent drama film, directed by Charles Brabin. It stars Viola Dana, Clifford Bruce, and Mabel Van Buren, and was released on March 25, 1918. Plot Agnes Bowman is the sweetheart of Captain Scudder, a local s ...

'' (1918, lost film) as Ruth Bowman *'' Riders of the Night'' (1918) as Sally Castleton *'' The Only Road'' (1918) as Nita *''

Opportunity Opportunity may refer to: Places * Opportunity, Montana, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Nebraska, an unincorporated community, United States * Opportunity, Washington, a former census-designated place, United States * 3 ...

'' (1918) as Mary Willard *'' Flower of the Dusk'' (1918, print, Bois d'Arcy) as Barbara North *'' The Gold Cure'' (1919, lost film) as Annice Paisch *''

Satan Junior ''Satan Junior'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film, directed by Herbert Blaché and John H. Collins. It was Collins' final involvement in film. Collins began directing the film, production of which had to be suspended due to the flu epidem ...

'' (1919) as Diana Ardway *''

The Parisian Tigress ''The Parisian Tigress'', also known by its working title ''Jeanne of the Gutter'', is a 1919 American silent drama film, directed by Herbert Blaché. It stars Viola Dana, Darrell Foss, and Henry Kolker, and was released on March 31, 1919. Cast ...

'' (1919, lost film) as Jeanne *''

False Evidence False evidence, fabricated evidence, forged evidence, fake evidence or tainted evidence is information created or obtained illegally in order to sway the verdict in a court case. Falsified evidence could be created by either side in a case (inc ...

'' (1919) as Madelon MacTavish *'' Some Bride'' (1919, lost film) as Patricia Morley *''

The Microbe ''The Microbe'' is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama film, directed by Henry Otto. It stars Viola Dana, Kenneth Harlan, and Arthur Maude, and was released on July 21, 1919. Cast list * Viola Dana as Happy O'Brien, aka "The Microbe" * Kenneth ...

'' (1919, lost film) as Happy O'Brien, The Microbe *''

Please Get Married ''Please Get Married'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by John Ince and starring Viola Dana, Antrim Short and Margaret Campbell. It was based on the Broadway play of the same title by Lewis Allen Browne and James F. Cullen.Goble ...

'' (1919, lost film) as Muriel Ashley *'' The Willow Tree'' (1920) as O-Riu *''

Dangerous to Men ''Dangerous to Men'' is a lost 1920 American silent comedy film directed by William C. Dowland and starring Viola Dana. It was distributed through Metro Pictures.The Chorus Girl's Romance ''The Chorus Girl's Romance'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by William C. Dowlan and starring Viola Dana, Gareth Hughes, and William Quinn. It is based on the 1920 short story " Head and Shoulders" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.Goble ...

'' (1920) as Marcia Meadows *''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

'' (1920, lost film) as Flossie Golden *''

Cinderella's Twin ''Cinderella's Twin'' is a lost 1920 silent film comedy directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald and starring Viola Dana. It was produced and distributed by Metro Pictures to poor audience reception. Cast *Viola Dana as Connie McGill *Wallace MacDonald ...

'' (1920, lost film) as Connie McGill *''

The Off-Shore Pirate ''The Off-Shore Pirate'' is a 1921 American silent romantic comedy film produced and released by Metro Pictures and directed by Dallas Fitzgerald. The film was based on the short story " The Offshore Pirate" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, of no relat ...

'' (1921, lost film) as Ardita Farnam *'' Puppets of Fate'' (1921) as Sorrentina Palombra *''

Home Stuff ''Home Stuff'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Albert H. Kelley and starring Viola Dana, Tom Gallery and Josephine Crowell.Munden p.360 Cast * Viola Dana as Madge Joy * Tom Gallery as Robert Deep * Josephine Crowell as 'Ma' ...

'' (1921) as Madge Joy *'' Life's Darn Funny'' (1921, lost film) as Zoe Roberts *''

The Match-Breaker ''The Match-Breaker'' is a lost 1921 American silent romantic comedy film produced and distributed by Metro Pictures. It was directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald and starred Viola Dana. Cast * Viola Dana as Jane Morgan * Jack Perrin as Thomas B ...

'' (1921, lost film) as Jane Morgan *''

There Are No Villains ''There Are No Villains'' is a lost 1921 American silent crime melodrama film starring Viola Dana and produced and directed by Bayard Veiller. Cast *Viola Dana - Rosa Moreland *Gaston Glass - John King *Edward Cecil - George Sala *DeWitt Jennin ...

'' (1921, lost film) as Rosa Moreland *''

The Fourteenth Lover ''The Fourteenth Lover'' is a surviving 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana. It was produced and distributed by Metro Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine, Vi (Dana), daughter of the ...

'' (1922) as Vi Marchmont *'' Glass Houses'' (1922, lost film) as Joy Duval *''

Seeing's Believing ''Seeing's Believing'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Allan Forrest, and Gertrude Astor.Parish & Pitts p. 22. Plot As described in a film magazine, Diana Webster (Dana), a willful youn ...

'' (1922) as Diana Webster * ''

They Like 'Em Rough ''They Like 'Em Rough'' is a 1922 silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, W.E. Lawrence and Hardee Kirkland.Parish & Pitts p.22 Cast * Viola Dana as Katherine * W.E. Lawrence as Richard Wells Jr. * Hardee Kirkla ...

'' (1922, lost film) as Katherine *'' The Five Dollar Baby'' (1922, lost film) as Ruth *''

June Madness ''June Madness'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Bryant Washburn, and Gerald Pring.Munden p. 398. Cast * Viola Dana as Clytie Whitmore * Bryant Washburn as Ken Pauling * Gerald Pr ...

'' (1922) as Clytie Whitmore *'' Love in the Dark'' (1922, lost film) as Mary Duffy *''

Crinoline and Romance ''Crinoline and Romance'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Claude Gillingwater, and John Bowers. Plot As described in a film magazine, Colonel Charles E. Cavanaugh (Gillingwater) lives i ...

'' (1923, lost film) as Miss Emmy Lou *'' Her Fatal Millions'' (1923) as Mary Bishop *'' Hollywood'' (1923) as Viola Dana * ''

Rouged Lips ''Rouged Lips'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Harold M. Shaw and starring Viola Dana, Tom Moore, and Nola Luxford. It is based in the story ''Upstage'' by Rita Weiman which appeared in ''Cosmopolitan Magazine ''Cosmopolita ...

'' (1923) as Norah MacPherson *'' The Social Code'' (1923, lost film) as Babs Van Buren *'' In Search of a Thrill'' (1923) as Ann Clemance * ''

A Noise in Newboro ''A Noise in Newboro'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, David Butler and Eva Novak.MacKinnon p.188 Cast * Viola Dana as Martha Mason * David Butler as Ben Colwell * Eva Novak as Anne ...

'' (1923, lost film) as Martha Mason *'' The Heart Bandit'' (1924, lost film) as Molly O'Hara * ''

Don't Doubt Your Husband ''Don't Doubt Your Husband'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Allan Forrest and Winifred Bryson.Parish & Pitts p.22 Cast * Viola Dana as Helen Blake * Allan Forrest as Richard Blake * W ...

'' (1924, lost film) as Helen Blake *''

The Beauty Prize ''The Beauty Prize'' is a musical comedy in three acts, with music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by George Grossmith and P. G. Wodehouse. It was first produced by Grossmith and J A E Malone on 5 September 1923 at the Winter Garden Theatre, ...

'' (1924, lost film) as Connie Du Bois *''

Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

'' (1924) as Joline Hofer *'' Merton of the Movies'' (1924, lost film) as Sally Montague, 'Flips' *'' Open All Night'' (1924) as Thérèse Duverne *''

Along Came Ruth ''Along Came Ruth'' is a 1924 American comedy film starring Viola Dana. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Winifred Dunn, based on Holman Francis Day's play of the same name, itself based on the play '' La Demoiselle de mag ...

'' (1924, lost film) as Ruth Ambrose *''

As Man Desires ''As Man Desires'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Viola Dana. It was produced and distributed by First National Pictures. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, Major John Craig (Sills) ...

'' (1924, lost film) as Pandora La Croix *''

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