Known For
Acting
Known Credits
68
Gender
Female
Birthday
March 13, 1895 (131 years old)
Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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.
| 1934 | The Road to Ruinas Mrs. Merrill (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Man Huntas Mrs. Scott | |
| 1928 | Hellship Bronsonas Mrs. Bronson | |
| 1927 | The Satin Womanas Mrs. Jean Taylor (as Mrs. Wallace Reid) | |
| 1925 | The Red Kimonaas Woman Telling the Story (uncredited) | |
| 1924 | Broken Lawsas Joan Allen | |
| 1923 | Human Wreckageas Ethel MacFarland | |
| 1920 | The Fighting Chanceas Leila Mortimer | |
| 1918 | His Extra Bitas The Wife | |
| 1917 | The Squaw Man's Sonas Edith, Lady Effington | |
| 1917 | Treasonas Luella Brysk | |
| 1917 | The Girl and the Crisisas Ellen Wilmot | |
| 1917 | The Scarlet Crystalas Marie Delys | |
| 1917 | Mothers of Menas Clara Madison | |
| 1916 | The Wrong Heartas | |
| 1916 | The Devil's Bondwomanas Beverly Hope | |
| 1916 | Barriers of Societyas Martha Gorham | |
| 1916 | Black Fridayas Elionor Rossitor | |
| 1916 | The Unattainableas Bessie Gale | |
| 1916 | A Yoke of Goldas Carner | |
| 1916 | The Way of the Worldas Beatrice Farley | |
| 1916 | Doctor Neighboras Hazel Rogers | |
| 1915 | The Unknownas Nancy Preston | |
| 1915 | Mr. Grex of Monte Carloas Grand Duchess Feodora | |
| 1915 | In Humble Guiseas Grace Hunt | |
| 1914 | The Test of Manhoodas Ethel Crandall | |
| 1914 | The Den of Thievesas Dorothy | |
| 1914 | 'Cross the Mexican Lineas Dorothy West | |
| 1914 | A Wife on a Wageras | |
| 1914 | Love's Western Flightas Dorothy | |
| 1914 | Passing of the Beastas The Mountie's Wife | |
| 1914 | The Man Withinas | |
| 1914 | The Sirenas Renee | |
| 1914 | The Quackas Mary Rohan | |
| 1914 | Women and Rosesas Wallace's Mistress | |
| 1914 | The Fruit of Evilas | |
| 1914 | The Skeletonas Jack's Wife | |
| 1914 | The Testas The Poor Man's Wife | |
| 1914 | A Gypsy Romanceas Queen of the Gypsies | |
| 1914 | Cupid Incognitoas Angela Graham | |
| 1914 | The Spider and Her Webas | |
| 1914 | The Way of a Womanas Dorothy | |
| 1914 | The Mountaineeras Dorothy - Jim's Sweetheart | |
| 1914 | The Heart of the Hillsas The Government Detective | |
| 1914 | The Voice of the Violaas Dorothy | |
| 1914 | Breed o' the Mountainsas Sue Jarvis | |
| 1914 | A Flash in the Darkas Mrs. Randall | |
| 1914 | The Greater Devotionas | |
| 1914 | Fires of Conscienceas Ethel | |
| 1914 | The Wheel of Lifeas The Prospector's Wife | |
| 1914 | The Countess Betty's Mineas Countess Betty Ardmore | |
| 1914 | The Intruderas The Woodsman's Sweetheart | |
| 1913 | A Hopi Legendas | |
| 1913 | The Lightning Boltas Dot | |
| 1913 | A Cracksman Santa Clausas Dot | |
| 1913 | Retributionas Dorothy | |
| 1913 | The Fires of Fateas Dot - Wally's Sweetheart | |
| 1913 | The Cracksman's Reformationas Dorothy | |
| 1913 | The Revelationas Mrs. Burns | |
| 1913 | The Spark of Manhoodas Maud Brewster | |
| 1913 | Pierre of the Northas Mary McKenzie - the Factor's Daughter | |
| 1912 | His Only Sonas Jessie Carter | |
| 1912 | Her Indian Heroas Veda Mead | |
| 1912 | A Brave Little Womanas Clara Lyttell | |
| 1910 | The Golden Supperas Flower Girl | |
| 1910 | The Troublesome Babyas Girl at Station | |
| 1910 | A Gold Necklaceas A Friend | |
| 1910 | The Oath and the Manas Aristocrat |
| 1955 | Footsteps in the Fog...Screenplay | |
| 1951 | Rhubarb...Screenplay | |
| 1949 | Impact...Writer | |
| 1948 | Who Killed Doc Robbin?...Screenplay | |
| 1947 | Curley...Story | |
| 1941 | Redhead...Screenplay | |
| 1940 | The Old Swimmin' Hole...Writer | |
| 1940 | Drums of the Desert...Screenplay | |
| 1940 | Haunted House...Screenplay | |
| 1940 | On the Spot...Screenplay | |
| 1940 | Tomboy...Story | |
| 1938 | Prison Break...Screenplay | |
| 1937 | A Bride for Henry...Producer | |
| 1937 | Paradise Isle...Producer | |
| 1935 | Honeymoon Limited...Screenplay | |
| 1935 | Honeymoon Limited...Producer | |
| 1935 | Women Must Dress...Producer | |
| 1935 | Women Must Dress...Story | |
| 1934 | Redhead...Producer | |
| 1934 | The Road to Ruin...Director | |
| 1934 | The Road to Ruin...Writer | |
| 1934 | The Woman Condemned...Director | |
| 1933 | Sucker Money...Director | |
| 1932 | The Racing Strain...Story | |
| 1929 | Linda...Director | |
| 1925 | The Red Kimona...Director | |
| 1925 | The Red Kimona...Writer | |
| 1925 | The Red Kimona...Producer | |
| 1923 | Human Wreckage...Director | |
| 1923 | Human Wreckage...Writer | |
| 1923 | Human Wreckage...Producer |