Claire Windsor
| Claire Windsor | |
|---|---|
Claire Windsor, 1926
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| Born |
Clara Viola Cronk April 14, 1892 Marvin, Phillips County, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 1972 (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1945 |
| Spouse(s) | Willis Bowes (1914-1920) Bert Lytell (1925-1927) |
Claire Windsor (April 14, 1892 – October 24, 1972) was a notable American film actress of the silent screen era.
Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk (nicknamed "Ola") in 1892 to George Edwin and Rosella Fearing Cronk in Marvin, Phillips County, Kansas of Scandinavian heritage. Her parents later moved to Cawker City, Kansas while she was two years old. She attended Washburn Preparatory Academy in Topeka, Kansas from 1906 to 1907 (15)and after a year at Broadway High School in Seattle, Washington, returned as a "special" student in the Fine Arts Department at Washburn College. Intent on further refining her daughters' education and position in society, Rosella and her daughters returned to Seattle in the fall of 1910. On July 14, 1913, Ola was chosen "Empress" during the lavish musical production of "Jappyland." While living in Seattle, Ola met David Willis Bowes and the intense relationship continued by correspondence after Mr. Bowes' return to Denver. Soon a June wedding was planned, but en route back to Kansas, Ola secretly married Mr. Bowes on May 13, 1914 in Denver, Colorado. The union resulted in the birth of a son, David Willis Bowes Jr., on September 9, 1916, but the couple soon went their separate ways. Bowes officially filed for divorce on September 14, 1920.(13)(14) Claire moved to California to be reunited with her parents who had recently retired. Seeking a way to support herself and baby son, Ola took the advice of a friend and quickly found employment at the movie studios. Initially receiving only bit parts, she was soon spotted by Lois Weber, a highly regarded and influential director and producer of silent films for Paramount Pictures. Weber immediately signed Windsor to a contract. Windsor costarred with Louis Calhern in Weber's The Blot (1921).
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