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Viola Dana
Dana in 1922
Born
Virginia Flugrath

(1897-06-26)June 26, 1897
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 3, 1987(1987-07-03) (aged 90)
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
Years active1900–1933
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1915; died 1918)​
​
​
(m. 1925; div. 1929)​
​
​
(m. 1930; div. 1945)​
RelativesEdna Flugrath (sister)
Shirley Mason (sister)

Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. 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.[1] Dana appeared on the stage at the age of three. She read Shakespeare 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 at age 16 (billed as Viola Dana) in the Broadway play The Poor Little Rich Girl by Eleanor Gates.[2]

She began performing in vaudeville with Dustin Farnum in The Little Rebel and played a bit part in The Model by Augustus Thomas.[1]

Film career

Metro Pictures advertisement for the filmmaking team of Viola Dana and John H. Collins (1916)
Robert D. Walker and Dana in still for Aladdin's Other Lamp (1917)

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, 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, which released through Metro Pictures Corporation. 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 (both 1917). Rolfe closed his New York-area studio in the face of the 1918 flu pandemic 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's first film for Columbia Pictures, That Certain Thing (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 (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 in 1956.[3]

More than 50 years after her retirement from the screen, Dana appeared in the Kevin Brownlow/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.[4]

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. 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.[5][N 1]

Locklear was reputed to be the prototype for the character of Waldo Pepper played by Robert Redford in The Great Waldo Pepper (1975). Dana was an honored guest at its premiere.[6]

Dana was married to Yale football star and actor Maurice "Lefty" Flynn in June 1925.[7] They divorced in February 1929.[8] Her third and final marriage was to golfer Jimmy Thomson from 1930 to March 1945.[9] In later years, she volunteered at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, and she moved there permanently in 1979.[10] 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.[11] Her urn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery lists her as Viola Dana as well as her birth name Flugrath.[citation needed]

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Viola Dana has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Short subject

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

Features

Lobby card from Naughty Nannette-1927
Year Title Role Notes
1915 The House of the Lost Court Dolores Edgerton Lost film
Cohen's Luck Minnie Cohen Lost film
On Dangerous Paths Eleanor Thurston Lost film
Gladiola Gladiola Bain Lost film
Children of Eve Fifty-Fifty Mamie
1916 The Innocence of Ruth Ruth Travers
The Flower of No Man's Land Echo Lost film
The Light of Happiness Tangletop Lost film
The Gates of Eden Eve / Evelyn Lost film
The Cossack Whip Darya Orlinsky
1918 Threads of Fate Dorothea Lost film
Rosie O'Grady Rosie O'Grady Lost film
The Mortal Sin Jane Anderson Lost film
God's Law and Man's Ameia Lost film
Lady Barnacle Lakshima Lost film
Aladdin’s Other Lamp Patricia Smith (Patsy) Lost film
The Girl Without A Soul Unity Beaumont / Priscilla Beaumont
Blue Jeans June
1918 The Winding Trail Audrey Graham Lost film
A Weaver of Dreams Judith Sylvester Lost film
Breakers Ahead Ruth Bowman Lost film
Riders of the Night Sally Castleton
The Only Road Nita
Opportunity Mary Willard
Flower of the Dusk Barbara North
1919 The Gold Cure Annice Paisch Lost film
Satan Junior Diana Ardway
The Parisian Tigress Jeanne Lost film
False Evidence Madelon MacTavish
Some Bride Patricia Morley Lost film
The Microbe Happy O'Brien, The Microbe Lost film
Please Get Married Muriel Ashley Lost film
1920 The Willow Tree O-Riu
Dangerous to Men Eliza Lost film
The Chorus Girl's Romance Marcia Meadows Lost film
Blackmail Flossie Golden Lost film
Cinderella's Twin Connie McGill Lost film
1921 The Off-Shore Pirate Ardita Farnam Lost film
Puppets of Fate Sorrentina Palombra Lost film
Home Stuff Madge Joy
Life's Darn Funny Zoe Roberts Lost film
The Match-Breaker Jane Morgan Lost film
There Are No Villains Rosa Moreland Lost film
1922 The Fourteenth Lover Vi Marchmont
Glass Houses Joy Duval Lost film
Seeing's Believing Diana Webster
They Like 'Em Rough Katherine Lost film
The Five Dollar Baby Ruth Lost film
June Madness Clytie Whitmore Lost film
Love in the Dark Mary Duffy Lost film
1923 Crinoline and Romance Miss Emmy Lou Lost film
Her Fatal Millions Mary Bishop Lost film
Hollywood Viola Dana Lost film
Rouged Lips Norah MacPherson
The Social Code Babs Van Buren Lost film
In Search of a Thrill Ann Clemance
A Noise in Newboro Martha Mason Lost film
1924 The Heart Bandit Molly O'Hara Lost film
Don't Doubt Your Husband Helen Blake Lost film
The Beauty Prize Connie Du Bois Lost film
Revelation Joline Hofer
Merton of the Movies Sally Montague, 'Flips' Lost film
Open All Night Thérèse Duverne
Along Came Ruth Ruth Ambrose Lost film
As Man Desires Pandora La Croix Lost film
1925 Forty Winks Eleanor Butterworth Lost film
The Necessary Evil Shirley Holmes Lost film
Winds of Chance Rouletta Kirby
The Great Love Minette Bunker Lost film
1926 Wild Oats Lane Marie, the Girl Lost film
Bigger Than Barnum's Juanita Calles
Kosher Kitty Kelly Kitty Kelly Incomplete film, missing a reel
The Ice Flood Marie O'Neill
The Silent Lover Scadsza
Bred in Old Kentucky Katie O'Doone
1927 Home Struck Barbara Page
Salvation Jane Salvation Jane
Naughty Nanette Nanette Pearson
Lure of the Night Club Mary Murdock
1928 That Certain Thing Molly Kelly
1929 Two Sisters Jean / Jane Lost film
One Splendid Hour Bobbie Walsh
The Show of Shows Performer in 'The Pirate,' 'Meet My Sister' & 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Numbers Black-and-white version is extant, and the technicolor version is partially extant
  • The Flower of No Man's Land (1916)
    The Flower of No Man's Land (1916)
  • The Flower of No Man's Land (1916)
    The Flower of No Man's Land (1916)
  • The Light of Happiness (1916)
    The Light of Happiness (1916)
  • The Gates of Eden (1916)
    The Gates of Eden (1916)
  • Threads of Fate (1917)
    Threads of Fate (1917)
  • The Mortal Sin (1917)
    The Mortal Sin (1917)
  • God's Law and Man's (1917)
    God's Law and Man's (1917)
  • Blue Jeans (1917)
    Blue Jeans (1917)
  • A Weaver of Dreams (1918)
    A Weaver of Dreams (1918)
  • The Only Road (1918)
    The Only Road (1918)
  • Riders of the Night (1918)
    Riders of the Night (1918)
  • Some Bride (1919)
    Some Bride (1919)

References

Notes

  1. ^ In the "Hazards of the Game" episode of Hollywood (1980), actresses Leatrice Joy and Viola Dana recalled Locklear and the making of his last film. Dana described his final flight.[5]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Stone, Tammy. "Viola Dana." The Silent Collection; retrieved October 22, 2014.
  2. ^ The Poor Little Rich Girl as presented on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre January 21, 1913 to June 1913; IBDb.com
  3. ^ Lussier, Tim. "The tragic Flugrath sisters: Hard to believe, But all three experienced the same loss." silentsaregolden.com, 1999. Retrieved: October 22, 2014.
  4. ^ "Viola Dana, 1897–1987." Golden Silents, 2014. Retrieved: October 22, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Farmer 1984, p. 23.
  6. ^ Anderson, Nancy. "Viola Dana Loved the Real Waldo Pepper". Greeley Daily Tribune, April 28, 1975, p. 23. Retrieved: October 22, 2014.
  7. ^ "Viola Dana Marries Maurice "Lefty" Flynn." The Norwalk Hour, June 22, 1925, p. 5. Retrieved: May 1, 2013.
  8. ^ "Viola Dana To Wed Professional Golfer." The Portsmouth Sunday Times, October 11, 1930, p. 2. Retrieved: May 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "Divorce Granted Viola Dana." St. Petersburg Times, March 31, 1945, p. 8. Retrieved: May 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "Actress Viola Dana, 90, Star of 50 silent movies." Chicago Tribune, July 12, 1987. Retrieved: October 22, 2014.
  11. ^ "Silent Movie Star Viola Dana Dies." The Bryan Times, July 11, 1987, p. 3. Retrieved: May 1, 2013.

Bibliography

  • Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. ISBN 978-0-83062-374-7.
  • "From the Movies to Stardom". Ogden Standard, January 10, 1914, p. 27.
  • "Little Viola Dana Ambitious to Become Grown-Up Actress". Indianapolis Star, January 15, 1914, p. 13.
  • "Viola Dana In Person at Faurot". Lima News, March 23, 1930, p. 24.
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