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Dorothy Davenport

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
68

Gender
Female

Birthday
March 13, 1895 (131 years old)

Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Dorothy Davenport

Biography

Dorothy Davenport (March 13, 1895 – October 12, 1977) was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer who appeared in silent film for Biograph Studios under the direction of D.W. Griffith.

While filming on location in Oregon for The Valley of the Giants (1919), Wallace Reid was injured in a train wreck. As a remedy for the pain from this injury, studio doctors administered large doses of morphine to Reid to which he became addicted. Reid's health slowly grew worse over the next few years, and he died of the addiction in 1923. After Reid's death, Davenport and Thomas Ince co-produced the film Human Wreckage (1923) with James Kirkwood, Sr., Bessie Love and Lucille Ricksen, a film that dealt with the dangers of narcotics addiction. Davenport took Human Wreckage on a roadshow engagement, followed up with another "social conscience" picture about excessive mother-love called Broken Laws in 1924, again billed as "Mrs. Wallace Reid" to capitalize on her husband's notorious death. She then produced The Red Kimona (1925) about white slavery. On screen she opens the film in silent narration or prologue. The details of the latter film were so realistic that Davenport was successfully sued.

She would later direct Linda (1929), Sucker Money (1933), Road to Ruin (1934), and The Woman Condemned (1934) and worked as a producer, writer, and dialogue director. Among her last credits are co-author of the screenplay for Footsteps in the Fog (1955), and as dialogue director for The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) with Ginger Rogers.

She and husband Wallace Reid had two children. She was married to him until his death on January 18, 1923. She never remarried. Dorothy Davenport died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in 1977 in Woodland Hills, California. She is interred with her husband in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Dorothy Davenport, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

1934The Road to Ruinas Mrs. Merrill (uncredited)
1933Man Huntas Mrs. Scott
1928Hellship Bronsonas Mrs. Bronson
1927The Satin Womanas Mrs. Jean Taylor (as Mrs. Wallace Reid)
1925The Red Kimonaas Woman Telling the Story (uncredited)
1924Broken Lawsas Joan Allen
1923Human Wreckageas Ethel MacFarland
1920The Fighting Chanceas Leila Mortimer
1918His Extra Bitas The Wife
1917The Squaw Man's Sonas Edith, Lady Effington
1917Treasonas Luella Brysk
1917The Girl and the Crisisas Ellen Wilmot
1917The Scarlet Crystalas Marie Delys
1917Mothers of Menas Clara Madison
1916The Wrong Heartas
1916The Devil's Bondwomanas Beverly Hope
1916Barriers of Societyas Martha Gorham
1916Black Fridayas Elionor Rossitor
1916The Unattainableas Bessie Gale
1916A Yoke of Goldas Carner
1916The Way of the Worldas Beatrice Farley
1916Doctor Neighboras Hazel Rogers
1915The Unknownas Nancy Preston
1915Mr. Grex of Monte Carloas Grand Duchess Feodora
1915In Humble Guiseas Grace Hunt
1914The Test of Manhoodas Ethel Crandall
1914The Den of Thievesas Dorothy
1914'Cross the Mexican Lineas Dorothy West
1914A Wife on a Wageras
1914Love's Western Flightas Dorothy
1914Passing of the Beastas The Mountie's Wife
1914The Man Withinas
1914The Sirenas Renee
1914The Quackas Mary Rohan
1914Women and Rosesas Wallace's Mistress
1914The Fruit of Evilas
1914The Skeletonas Jack's Wife
1914The Testas The Poor Man's Wife
1914A Gypsy Romanceas Queen of the Gypsies
1914Cupid Incognitoas Angela Graham
1914The Spider and Her Webas
1914The Way of a Womanas Dorothy
1914The Mountaineeras Dorothy - Jim's Sweetheart
1914The Heart of the Hillsas The Government Detective
1914The Voice of the Violaas Dorothy
1914Breed o' the Mountainsas Sue Jarvis
1914A Flash in the Darkas Mrs. Randall
1914The Greater Devotionas
1914Fires of Conscienceas Ethel
1914The Wheel of Lifeas The Prospector's Wife
1914The Countess Betty's Mineas Countess Betty Ardmore
1914The Intruderas The Woodsman's Sweetheart
1913A Hopi Legendas
1913The Lightning Boltas Dot
1913A Cracksman Santa Clausas Dot
1913Retributionas Dorothy
1913The Fires of Fateas Dot - Wally's Sweetheart
1913The Cracksman's Reformationas Dorothy
1913The Revelationas Mrs. Burns
1913The Spark of Manhoodas Maud Brewster
1913Pierre of the Northas Mary McKenzie - the Factor's Daughter
1912His Only Sonas Jessie Carter
1912Her Indian Heroas Veda Mead
1912A Brave Little Womanas Clara Lyttell
1910The Golden Supperas Flower Girl
1910The Troublesome Babyas Girl at Station
1910A Gold Necklaceas A Friend
1910The Oath and the Manas Aristocrat

Production

1955Footsteps in the Fog...Screenplay
1951Rhubarb...Screenplay
1949Impact...Writer
1948Who Killed Doc Robbin?...Screenplay
1947Curley...Story
1941Redhead...Screenplay
1940The Old Swimmin' Hole...Writer
1940Drums of the Desert...Screenplay
1940Haunted House...Screenplay
1940On the Spot...Screenplay
1940Tomboy...Story
1938Prison Break...Screenplay
1937A Bride for Henry...Producer
1937Paradise Isle...Producer
1935Honeymoon Limited...Screenplay
1935Honeymoon Limited...Producer
1935Women Must Dress...Producer
1935Women Must Dress...Story
1934Redhead...Producer
1934The Road to Ruin...Director
1934The Road to Ruin...Writer
1934The Woman Condemned...Director
1933Sucker Money...Director
1932The Racing Strain...Story
1929Linda...Director
1925The Red Kimona...Director
1925The Red Kimona...Writer
1925The Red Kimona...Producer
1923Human Wreckage...Director
1923Human Wreckage...Writer
1923Human Wreckage...Producer