Dorothy Devore | |
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Publicity photo of Devore from Famous Film Folk (1925)
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Born |
Alma Inez Williams June 22, 1899 Fort Worth, Texas |
Died | September 10, 1976 Woodland Hills, California |
(aged 77)
Dorothy Devore (June 22, 1899 – September 10, 1976) was an American silent film actress and comedian in her time.
Born as Alma Inez Williams in Fort Worth, Texas in 1899, her family soon moved to Los Angeles when she was still a young girl. It was there where she completed her education and then joined a musical comedy company, with which she appeared for one year. She then went to Lyons and Moran comedies at Universal Pictures. It was at Universal where she was "discovered" by director/producer Al Christie, one of the most famous comedic moviemakers of the era. She began playing in small parts in films for Christie, but soon received leads and moved from one-reelers to two-reelers, which would make her a star.
Dorothy became very popular in the film industry during the period of 1918 until the late 1920s. She was a talented actress, specializing in comedic roles, such as in Know Thy Wife (1918), directed by Al Christie. Dorothy was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1923. During a good deal of her career, she achieved stardom in the comedic two-reel Christie Comedies, released through Educational.
A little time after her career kicked off, Christie loaned her out to play the female lead opposite Charles Ray in 45 Minutes from Broadway (1920), in which she had great success. She made several successful films which established her as one of the screen's most talented comedians of the era. She made her last film, Take the Heir, in 1930, and began her retirement from the movies.
She married theater owner Albert Wylie Mather in 1926. Devore died in 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, aged 77, from undisclosed causes.